Quirky work: Terrariums a growth business for couple with passion for plants

Eric Gibson and Sara Gies are passionate about plants.

Their passion for growing and displaying plants took root as a hobby before blossoming into a successful business on Whyte Avenue.

"Our house was a jungle," Gibson says. "We're like, 'We can turn this hobby into a business,' and since then, five years it ago, it's just grown."

Living art

7 years ago

Duration 2:05

Edmonton couple Eric Gibson and Sara Gies share their passion for growing in their Little Plant Shop.

The one-time high-school sweethearts and now married business partners own the Little Plant Shop, "Edmonton's newest loft boutique specialty plant store," as Gibson describes it.

The shop sells exotic house plants, such as the carnivorous pitcher plant, but specializes in terrariums.

"Sara is the mastermind behind the whole operation," Gibson says. "She creates thousands of terrariums."

Terrariums are living art arrangements, botanic displays usually involving plants of the succulent variety such as cacti.

People come to the store, pick out plants and a unique vessel, or provide their own and Gies puts it all together, Gibson says.

Tea cups, tea pots, even guitars can find new life as a terrarium.

"We love to thrift around Edmonton and find different cool pieces to plant," Gies says. "We just like to reuse stuff and do different things you wouldn't expect."

It's easy to see the business is built on the couple's enthusiasm for flora, and for each other.

"We work so well together and both our knowledge combined really makes this business unique," Gies says.

Or as Gibson puts it, "When you do something you love, it makes it fun and doing it with someone you love it makes it awesome."

Gibson's and Gies"s story is part of a special edition of Our Edmonton called Quirky Work which showcases Edmontonians doing interesting jobs in our community.

Our Edmonton is on CBC TV Saturday at 10 a.m., Sunday at noon and Monday at 11 a.m.