Kayleigh Jowers is about to launch mindfully-sourced houseplant gift business, Little Green Lung. And her inspiration? Working in an ecological park and her Nanna Marg sending food parcel tins in lockdown!
I originally grew up in Colchester, Essex then moved to Norwich to open a vintage bicycle café. When this closed, I moved to Cornwall where my love of the outdoors and nature grew. I moved to Suffolk in February 2020 to be close to family and although I was familiar with Suffolk, I hadn’t explored it to its full potential.
The pandemic was a big adjustment. I moved here just before the first lockdown, so I hadn’t become rooted into a community. I am fortunate to have friends in Essex which made the move easier especially when we were able to walk together. It really made me appreciate nature and I bought myself a camera, spending days walking and completing photo challenges. My friend gave me the best gift of a book called ‘Photographing East Anglia’ when restrictions lifted – I spent my days visiting these places, it felt like a treasure hunt. Pin Mill, Levington Spa, Woodbridge are examples of places I visited which I hadn’t discovered before. I am overwhelmed with the beauty of Suffolk, whether it’s a crisp early morning dog walk along the Felixstowe shoreline or kayaking down the Flatford River listening to the dawn chorus. Suffolk will now be my forever home. During the pandemic I also became interested in propagation and house plants, and this was the beginning of Little Green Lung.
Through the lockdown restrictions Nanna Marg would send weekly food parcels. I say through lockdown, but this is something she has done for as long as I can remember! They always contain chocolate, biscuits, crisps, and the infamous tinned Spam! This has always been a running joke in the family and one day when I was attending to my succulents which needed repotting, I had a thought. Why not pot them in the Spam tins? Well, I did! And this developed into potting plants into all different recycled tins. At the time I was working in a lovely café in Colchester called Café Saison and the owner Hannah allowed me to sell my plants in the café. They were very popular, and this encouraged me to pursue the idea further. I’m an events manager by trade and Covid really put a stop to all my work, so my focus went into developing Little Green Lung. I am now the Events Manager for Suffolk Wildlife Trust which aligns my passions of events, nature, and the environment.
Little Green Lung is a houseplant gift business. I propagate or ethically source house plants which are potted into peat free indoor compost and housed in recycled tins. My branding has now been completed and I’ve built a website and purchased stock. I have spent a lot of time researching the best companies to use that have smallest carbon footprint. Regarding packaging, my boxes are recycled and biodegradable. My stickers are also biodegradable, and I am single-use plastic free!
My interest in the environment and living sustainably grew when I worked at an Ecological Park in Cornwall. I feel we are all able to make better choices and I don’t want to create a new product that has a negative impact on the environment. I am very conscious about the decisions I make, and my products are truly guilt free green gifts.
I am ready to launch! My products will be able to purchase online, in independent stores in Suffolk and at local market stalls. My plans are to study conservation and to develop my skills within the horticultural industry which will positively influence Little Green Lung.
Visit Little Green Lung
Leave a Reply