Neva Lee’s plants its roots in downtown Lansing

Nurturing a houseplant is a soothing hobby. You get to watch your plant thrive and positively respond to the love that you give it. Many people took to gardening during the pandemic as a way to distract themselves from the chaos of the outside world.

Neva Lee’s, a flower shop that just opened up in the heart of Lansing, is the perfect place to go if you’re an amateur gardener looking for your first plant or a seasoned pro shopping for an exotic addition to add to your roster.

“I’ve worked with plants basically since I graduated high school,” said Faun Donald, co-founder of Neva Lee’s. “It’s been about 20 years since then. My boyfriend and I decided to open the shop because Lansing is a good place that’s supportive of small businesses.”

Donald has worked in nurseries, greenhouses and plant companies since she was old enough to hold a job. Neva Lee’s is the culmination of a lifetime spent around plants.

“I just like working with living things. Plants are very forgiving,” Donald explained. “They just want to survive. They’re strong-willed. You put a little time and energy into them and you get a reward out of it. Every time a new leaf pops up, you get so excited!”

The pandemic presented no issues for Donald. Opening up shop was a spontaneous decision that she made with her boyfriend, Luke Trusnovec. Once they decided to open up Neva Lee’s, everything fell into place.

“We were selling online, and then we just decided that we wanted to open up a fun place for people in the community to come and shop for plants,” said Donald. “It all happened so fast.”

Donald did no advertising in advance for Neva Lee’s. For her soft opening, she decided that she would be content if just five customers showed up. Within the first hour, she got her wish. She saw a steady stream of customers the whole day, thanks to word-of-mouth support in local Facebook groups for plant lovers.

“We just blew up on our first two days,” said Donald. “We got hundreds of shares and likes and comments. We were so grateful and overwhelmed.”

Amateur gardeners often fret over whether they’re capable of keeping a plant alive. If you’re worried that you don’t have a green thumb, Neva Lee’s has you covered. At Neva Lee’s, you can find a plant that’s easy to nurture, even for the most inexperienced caretaker.

“We have a lot of easy-care plants,” said Donald. “If you’re new and trying to get into it, we have plants that you simply won’t fail to take care of.”