A Succulent Day is a special place where art and nature come together to give life to unique succulent arrangements in one-of-a-kind containers. Kaitlin from Lemp Real Estate was able to interview Martha Mendoza about her shop. 

K: How did you decide on the name of your shop?

M: I came up with it on a whim back in 2016 while making an Instagram post where I posted a baby succulent from my collection, and captioned it “what a succulent day” and that sparked the idea of the name, and the business in a way. I was at a point where I wanted to do something creative, and it all came together that day. 

K: How many different types of plants do you offer?

M: We offer a wide variety of plants from succulents and cacti, to tropical and carnivorous plants. Our succulent and cacti collections are broad and we love to source new and different varieties. On the tropical side, we have common houseplants like snake plants and pothos, to rare philodendrons. 

I would say we have more than varieties of plants at the store, and we bring in a new shipment of plants every 3 weeks, so there is always new stock showing up. 

K: What is your favorite thing about owning A Succulent Day?

M: Having a space where we can all come together to learn about plants - how to care for them, how to grow them, keep them happy, and how to design spaces with them.  My absolute favorite is talking to people about plants and helping them choose a plant and planter combo that will be perfect for their lifestyle and vibe.

K: What has been the most rewarding part of owning your shop?

M: Getting my hands dirty every day! I absolutely love being around plants, watering them is one of my favorite things to do - it is very soothing. However, the most rewarding is creating relationships with our customers. We have customers who have been shopping for plants with us since 2016 when this shop was a little side hustle of mine. I have seen them grow and develop in their plant skills and knowledge, and we have found plants to be a great common ground to build a friendship. I love visiting with customers while in the shop and seeing updates of how their plants are growing over the years. It is very meaningful. 

K: How do you decide which plants that you offer within your shop?

M: Curating our houseplant collection can be a full time job - It is a mix of requests from customers, plants that I know will thrive indoors in Idaho, plants that are good for all plant parenthood levels - from beginners to collectors, and beautiful plants that I know add a fun and elegant vibe to homes and spaces.  Sometimes I do add some splashes of new and fun things that seem to be trending in the houseplant world. 

K: What is your favorite plant that you have in your shop right now?

M: I am in love with jungle cactus varieties, my favorite is the Dancing bones cactus or Hatiora salicornioides. It is a variety of cactus that grows on trees in the rainforest. It has a fun texture and structure, and it is easy to care for. We usually have them in small 2” pots, but recently we sourced larger baskets of them and they are stunning. 

K: Are you currently working on any other business ventures?

M: No, A Succulent Day keeps me busy :) 

K: What is your most popular plant? 

M: Succulents and cacti are what people love. And out of those, the String of Pearls succulents are the most popular. 

K: Which plant do you recommend most to beginners? 

M: A snake plant - easy to care for, adaptable to different types of natural light, and very forgiving.

K: Do you have any advice for newer plant owners? 

M: Be kind to yourself, and don’t label yourself as a “plant killer” or not having a “green thumb.” Before you purchase a plant, learn about its light and watering requirements. Some need a lot of bright direct light, and some need more filtered light. So knowing this will help you place your plant on the right spot for it to thrive. 

Same with watering, learn about your plant and what it needs, does it need to dry out in between waterings or does it need more moisture? Don’t worry, we can help you learn everything and find the right match for your space. We always make sure that our plant people know how to care for the plant they are taking home. 

Thank you so much to Martha for this interview! Everyone at Lemp Real Estate is a fan of A Succulent Day. We have purchased gifts for our clients from this shop and Kaitlin has her own plant from this shop. We highly recommend A Succulent Day. You can find them at 2753 W State St Boise, ID 83702 or call them at (208) 695-7089.