Hoping to bridge the gap between plants and people, founder of The Sill Eliza Blank started an online, houseplant delivery service. As plant parenthood began to grow and more people found happiness through plants, The Sill expanded into brick and mortars across New York and now LA.
Because we love plants in our Common homes, we sat down with Eliza and discussed the neighborhood and the greenery we all love.
How would you describe The Sill to someone who’s never heard of it before?
The Sill is your destination to discover the perfect houseplant – be it online at TheSill.com or in real life at one of our now three store locations (Upper West Side, Lower East Side in New York, and West Hollywood in LA). The Sill is modernizing the garden center by connecting people to plants with content and community. And we do this because we believe Plants Make People Happy.
Photo by Marisa Vitale
How did the idea for The Sill come about? Did you always have a green thumb?
My mom has a green thumb. She loves to garden and tends to her diverse collection of houseplants. Growing up, I never picked up a watering can. It didn’t occur to me how important plants were as part of my environment until I left them behind and moved to New York City for school. It was at that point that I realized I could not live without plants and began to cultivate my own green thumb.
This is your third retail location and your first in LA—congrats! What about LA made you want to open a shop here?
Sunny and 72 degrees – you can’t get much better than that! In all seriousness, we have a lot of customers already in Los Angeles. We wanted to start building a local community for them. The plants happen to like it here too. We are looking forward to carrying some special items that are unique to this climate. Sadly, you can’t keep everything alive through a New York City winter.
Photo by Marisa Vitale
Do plants have different associations the way that flowers do? Which plant, for example, would make for a good housewarming gift?
Indeed they do – some are meant to bring good fortune and others are associated with friendship. That said, we find that most people associate plants with the person in their life that enjoys caring for plants, often a parent or grandparent.
For housewarming – or gifts in general — we count on some of our most easy-to-care-for plants potted in a ceramic container with drainage (like our Hyde Planter). You can’t go wrong! Suitable for newbies and experienced plant parents alike.
Can you share your top three planting tips for beginners? What are some of the best resources to get started?
- Tip 1: Don’t overwater! It’s the fastest way to kill a houseplant. A plant can more often rebound from being underwatered than overwatered.
- Tip 2: Here comes the sun! While some plants can tolerate lower light conditions, most prefer bright, indirect light.
- Tip 3: Pot your plant! Plants need room to grow. It is best for your plant to remove them from the plastic nursery pots and plant them in fresh potting mix in a larger container.
Check out our Plant Care Articles, and join our Forum to learn more! We also have a ton of workshops that are hosted at the shops, designed to help anyone start their planting journey, so be on the lookout.
Photo by Marisa Vitale
What are other local businesses in LA that you love?
We love Bark n’ Bitches, a pet accessories retail store that’s also a humane pet shop. Fun fact, our now NYC shopkeeper Sam used to walk dogs there on Saturday mornings! Poketo is a game-changer for housewarming presents and treat-yourself purchases, and Revival Vintage Furniture might just be the most amazing vintage furniture store. Another team favorite, from past lives in LA, is Golden Apple Comics.
Photo by Marisa Vitale
Did this blog sprout your interest in planting? Embrace your green thumb, and visit The Sill’s newest location on West 3rd Street in LA from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends. In the meantime, follow them on Instagram.
Our beautiful coliving homes in LA and homes in New York are close to The Sill’s locations with private bedrooms, amazing amenities, and natural light for you and your plants to thrive in. Take a free tour today.
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