Angela Gapinski’s online business Root31 will soon become a standalone building at 226 Park St. The shop will sell succulents and air plants and offer classes, such as wreath-making.
Gapinski majored in art in college but she missed working with plants. Her parents owned Heartland Growers in Westfield since she was a young girl, so she started merchandising for a garden center. In 2013, she launched Root31, which allowed her to design eco-friendly bouquets for weddings. They can be planted after being used. She also offered classes and participated in pop-ups, like the Suburban Indy Home and Outdoor Living Fall Show in September at Grand Park.
Now, Gapinski looks forward to operating out of her own building. She will continue to create bouquets for weddings.
“It’ll be really nice to be able to still offer stuff to local people here as well as opposed to just shipping everything out,” she said. “There will be a lot of house plants, succulents, basically like anything plant related.”
Gapinski sells succulents and air plants because they are easy to care for.
“If people are successful with a plant, they’re going to want more,” she said. “It doesn’t do the industry any good or myself any good to sell someone on a plant that they don’t have the right light for or have to water every day.”
Gapinski grew up in the plant industry because her arents own Heartland Growers at 2621 E. 186th St. The business has operated for 34 years. Gapinski is 32.
For more, visit Root31 on Facebook.
