Nou Thammavong starts her day in her gardens. A short walk from her back door, Thammavong has a greenhouse, a shaded open-air plant room and a flourishing vegetable garden that she tends early in the day in summer before the heat becomes oppressive. In the afternoon she breaks for lunch and some rest before returning to water in the evenings as the sun goes down. As the plant manager for the Foxglove Plantbar, Thammavong, 61, works to keep the shop’s inventory healthy and productive, and this schedule keeps her and her plants thriving.
Thammavong’s skills and participation have played a big role in the business model of Foxglove. Her daughter and son-in-law, Von and Alex Kidd, started the business two years ago with the idea that she could facilitate the growth of the company throughout her retirement years. A native of Laos, Thammavong also faced employment challenges as an immigrant and because English is her second language.
“It’s difficult for immigrants to find good jobs,” says Kidd. “She’s always been very passionate about plants. She gets to be outside and do what she loves, and it helps us save money.”
Although Thammavong learned most of her knowledge of plants from working in her own gardens, she has also worked for the State Botanical Garden and C.L. Morehouse. When she transforms an ailing plant, Kidd says, “she makes everything sound like it’s easy.”
Kidd says that she did not inherit her mother’s love of plants and gardening, but that she is an entrepreneur at heart.
“Since second grade I’ve had an entrepreneurial mindset,” says Kidd. “I’ve always been interested in business.”
Like many people, the Kidds’ job situations changed because of the Covid pandemic which prompted them to explore self-employment options. When looking at businesses, they took the whole family into consideration, says Kidd.
“We needed a plan, and we wanted to pursue something that would make us happy and include our mom.”
Kidd says that her passion for business meshed with an interest in plants in 2017.
“When I realized I could propagate plants and make my money back, that inspired me. It became a game. That sparked the entrepreneurial spirit.”
What’s a plant bar?
Today that game is a full-time business that she and her husband operate while her mother manages and propagates the inventory. Kidd’s newfound interest in plants and her mother’s lifelong passion have established the foundation of Foxglove Plantbar, a unique addition to the Athens business community.
They sell high-end, often collectible, plants they source from greenhouses in Florida. They do all the buying personally and select each plant by hand so that they get the highest quality. Because they transport their inventory themselves, they can be sure what they are selling is healthy and has not suffered from being boxed and handled.
Some of the plants are rare and very expensive, with a few being sold by the leaf for hundreds of dollars. However, because they propagate and handle their inventory without middlemen, they can offer unique stock at lower prices. They work with nurseries they built relationships with for two years before opening Foxglove, so they are confident in the quality and health of the plants they are buying.
Born in Thailand, Kidd moved to Athens when she was two, and Alex is a native of the Athens area. So, for this family business, being part of the community is important. Kidd says the collectors and plant enthusiasts in Athens are a special group of people and that Foxglove wants to serve them not only by providing high quality merchandise at fair prices, but also by offering a place to connect. Their store, located on Baxter Street, includes a free propagation wall where customers can take and leave plants.
“Everyone is very considerate and kind and giving in this community. It’s been fun to watch,” says Kidd.
Foxglove also offers some unusual features, including space that can be rented for all kinds of events and DIY terrarium parties. Also available is a soil bar and repotting services, in-home consulting, plant sitting and business plant care.
Although rehabilitating and propagating tropical house plants is the focus of her work, when asked what her favorite plant is Thammavong doesn’t hesitate to point to the vegetable garden. Flush with edible plants, vines grow overhead, along fences and on the ground. Many are from her home country, and she says they promote good health.
Rich aromas from kaffir lime and sweet basil float in the air, and calabash and long beans hang from trellises overhead. Inventory for the Foxglove Plant Bar soaks up the fresh air, and everything in Thammavong’s care is content to grow.
Kelly Capers is a freelance writer and homesteader who lives in Oglethorpe County.
