Today we’d like to introduce you to Hank Jenkins.
Hank, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
As a kid growing up in the backwoods of Michigan, I found a natural love for plants. I’ve always found them inspiring. I’m inspired by their form, their texture, their color, their flowers, their fragrance, their character, and their design. Nature’s beauty and design are simply amazing. Early in my career, I worked in the film and television industry. After demanding projects, I always found myself decompressing from that life by surrounding myself with plants. I would grow plants, garden, and travel around the world to explore different aspects of nature. Then I decided to go back to school and get a degree in Landscape Architecture. Combining that experience with my love of design, I decided to shift gears and develop a career in plants. I worked for years at plant nurseries, designed gardens, wrote a book for the Sunset Magazine brand, and gave numerous talks about plants. I’ve spoken for plant clubs, The Garden Conservancy, Sunset Magazine, and The Huntington Botanical Garden. All of this experience helped to germinate the idea that I should open a brick and mortar shop to inspire people with plants. The Plant Provocateur is a ‘secret’ plant shop and plant lover’s sanctuary located off the street behind Muddy Paw Coffee and next door to Night + Market Song Thai Restaurant in Silver Lake. The shop features a chic and unique array of houseplants (both rare and curious), cut florals by order only, botanical inspiration, as well as, design goods for home and habitat. The shop also features various classes and workshops for those that really want to learn more about plants, create cool things with them, and just decompress from their everyday!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Admittedly, the experience has been a hustle. Owning your own business takes passion and dedication. I’m my own boss and run things on my own, except the occasional assistance from friends. The shop is open 6 days a week, but I work 7. It’s full on and a lot of hours. Most days I’m up and out at 6am. Shop is open 11-6 T-Sat and 12-5 Sun. When the shop is closed I’m usually working until 8pm. That’s pretty much every day.
I think my BIGGEST challenge is the shop location. I’m hidden behind store fronts and don’t have one. I’m on the patio behind a coffee shop. You have to follow an entry path to come back and find the entrance. Being off the street presents the challenges of getting people to find and frequent your shop. I have experimented with different signage and ‘wayfinding’ aspects. Some have worked, some have not. My sidewalk sandwich board works. I have a banner sign on the front of the building. I’m currently working on a new marketing campaign to get the word out that I’m here. Time has slowly allowed customers to find me. Word of mouth, albeit slow, has started getting out about where I’m at and what I offer.
On a different note, I will say one thing that was fairly smooth, possibly a fluke, was finding the location. Or rather it found me. I wasn’t really looking when it popped up. Timing was everything, and I was ready to go.
When you run your business and you’re truly dedicated, you learn a lot. Not only do I work in the shop itself conducting sales but I also, search out new plants and products, get them to the shop, merchandise them, care for them, keep track of sales numbers, keep track of taxes, and make sure every customer gets dedicated customer service. That’s just one part.
Another part is keeping up with marketing, social media, launching, creating and operating an online store. Also, I do offsite plant consultations as well as create botanical art for clients. Add to that, the cut flower orders. Currently, I do florals for private clients, some retail businesses, and The Hammer Museum. That’s just a brief selection of things I do. The challenge therein lies with I’m just one person doing it all. This is why my title for The Plant Provocateur is founder, creative director, curator, photographer, etc. But the good news…is that I love it! My passion drives me continually!
Please tell us about The Plant Provocateur.
The Plant Provocateur inspires with plants. The shop connects the customer/client with plants via the 5 senses. At The Plant Provocateur shop, you can see, touch, smell, hear, and on particular occasions taste aspects of plants.
I provide interesting, unique, beautiful, and in some cases, hard to find plants, primarily houseplants. Many of the plants aid in air purification, which I’ve found many people are interested in. I also get a lot of plant collectors. If you need a unique gift, I have curious plants potted up and ready-to-go in small gift vessels.
I provide design goods with which to display plants, flowers, foliage. I offer vases, bud vases, display jars, pots, and other interesting display vessels. I hand select what I sell. I do my best to offer what you can’t find anywhere else.
I do cut florals on order. Many are featured on my Instagram @tpprovocateur. What I create is truly the brand of The Plant Provocateur.
I also teach and host creative/informative workshops. Everything from Kokedama Japanese String Gardens, Japanese Woodcarving, Houseplant Care, Floral Design, as well as, Airplant, Succulent, Carnivorous Plant introduction, care, and design. Many of the workshops are hands-on. Past workshops have included Essential Oil blending, Guest Floral Design Artist Instructed workshops, and Wreath Making.
With respect to the sense of smell, I sell a selection of botanical essential oils, diffusers, and smudge sticks.
The one aspect of the business that I like to offer is my horticultural expertise. When a customer/client purchases a plant, I tell them to keep in touch; follow up with me as to how the plant is doing. Customers can call with questions or send pictures and I’ll give them continual care info. People sometimes tell me, “I kill everything.” “I have a black thumb.” I respond by saying that’s not true. Anyone can grow plants. It’s purely circumstantial. It could be too much water, lack of drainage, positioning too close to a heater or the AC. Could be the soil used, could be the fertilizer, or an insect situation. In any case, I offer every customer the opportunity to connect with me to help with getting their plant care back on track. Purchasing plants and goods from The Plant Provocateur is a much more personal, thoughtful experience than most larger nurseries or plant companies. I actually care. I want people to experience/feel how great and beneficial it is to have plants in their lives!
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I don’t think I’d do anything differently. All of the challenges have taught me what to look out for, what to expect. Everyday I’m learning something new. I learn from the plants and products I sell, I learn from the clientele, I learn from the community. I do my best to give my clientele the best experience they can have in a ‘secret’ plant shop setting.
Pricing:
- Plants range $2 – $90
- Floral Bouquets $25 on up
- Workshops $20 on up
- Essential Oils $9 on up
- Design Goods $10 on up
Contact Info:
- Address: 3318 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(On the patio behind Muddy Paw Coffee 3320 Sunset Blvd. and next door to Night+Market Song Thai Restaurant in Silver Lake) - Website: www.plantprovocateur.com
- Phone: 323.774.4836
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: tpprovocateur
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plantprovocateur/
- Twitter: @TPProvocateur
- Yelp: Plant Provocateur
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Image Credit:
All Photos By The Plant Provocateur (Hank Jenkins)
