There’s no denying that houseplants are enjoying their moment right now.
While it’s true that they cannot even remotely be considered a new phenomenon, with early historical records appearing to suggest that ornamental and fruiting plants were potted indoors by those as early as the Ancient Egyptians, Ancient Greeks, Sumerians, Romans and even in ancient China, the popularity of houseplants has been on a sharp rise over the past few years.
If that rise wasn’t sharp enough as it is though, along came lockdown.
As the country was placed under COVID-safe restrictions, and the public told to “stay at home” for the foreseeable, the upward trajectory of houseplant popularity grew astronomically, with dedicated retailers all across the country reporting a significant surge in sales over the last 11 months.
So, what is to account for such rise then? Well, it’s simple. For those stuck at home, which has been the vast majority of us at one point or another, houseplants have seemingly offered a way of brining the outside in, a way of injecting greenery into our homes, and not to mention, they have provided the perfect pastime and place to focus our attentions.
A prominent link between the keeping and tending to of houseplants, and positive benefits for our mental health, has also been identified.
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And it’s the latter concept that has particularly resonated with one Manchester-based student.
Sam Garrington – a third year Environmental Science student at Manchester Metropolitan University – shares in the nation’s burgeoning love for houseplants to such an extent that he decided to start his very own “side hustle” selling them.
Alongside his studies, Sam founded the independent online houseplant nursery RootsNShoots from his Withington home last summer, and has been supplying homegrown, hand-potted and organic houseplants at affordable prices ever since.
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His main aim was to provide people with “beautiful plants that will aid the aesthetic of any room”, but this start-up is about so much more than just selling plants.
“I want to improve mental health, without breaking the bank.” Sam told The Manc.
“We operate with small batches of plants that are rooted from cuttings and then potted, and customers receive plants in the adolescent stage of growth, which provides the benefit of being able to watch your very own plant baby grow up.”
He continued: “Since starting at university, I’ve wanted to run my own business on the side of studying, but kept putting it off and never took the plunge [and] to be honest, even though I’ve always loved house plants and have loads of my own, I never really planned this and kind of just fell into it instead”.
“It all started back in the summer of 2020 when I was gifted 20 spider plant babies.
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“I rooted and potted them up, and then couldn’t decide what to do with them all, so I just posted about them on the main student Facebook page [Manchester Students’ Group], only expecting a couple of interested people to message me, but to my surprise, all 20 had been taken within half an hour and I even had people offering to pay for them once I’d told them that I’d already promised them to other people.
“This was the birth of RootsNShoots”.
Unsplash / Leonardo Iheme
And what a journey it’s been in such a short space of time.
Sam continued: “From there, I started potting up all the cuttings I could get my hands on and kept posting on Facebook until it got to the point where I needed to solidify my progress and start a properly-branded business.
“All my stock remains homegrown and hand-potted in small batches of whatever is available to me, but now I’ve invested in grow lights and shelving, as well as branded paper bags.
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“I’ve even had people who went home to their parents for lockdown ask me to send them plants via the post.”
While the chance to spread his love for houseplants and their benefits among the student population, and eventually as far and wide as possible, is what’s at the heart of RootsNShoots, Sam is also keen to demonstrate and help fly the flag for young people with entrepreneurial spirit too.
“I really endorse the sense of community within the student population,” Sam continued.
“I believe we are stronger as a unit and I’m sick of the stereotypical view that ‘students do nothing but study and party’, when in fact, many of us pursue creative and entrepreneurial avenues to prove we are much more than just students”.
With the popularity of RootsNShoots continuing to develop by the day though, where does Sam see his “side hustle” heading in the future?
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“In all honesty, I’m just taking things gradually and seeing where it ends up.” he admitted.
“I don’t particularly see this as a job and much more as a hobby.
“I love plants and want other students to discover the beauty of foliage, so at the moment, I see this as a way to get some extra money to supplement my loan and to help pay for my own plant addiction”.
He continued: “It’s hard to say where I see it going in the future as it’s so dependent on where I end up after graduating, but I’m eventually planning on launching an online store and doing postal deliveries, which means I can target a much larger customer base than just the students of Fallowfield.
“I’ve also recently started offering terracotta pots that are designed and hand-painted by my housemate who studies Fine Art at MMU too, which have turned out to be very popular and work well with the vibe I’m trying to convey.
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“Regardless of what happens after I graduate though, I’ll always find a way to spread my love of houseplants”.
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You can find more information about RootsNShoots, as well as view the plants in stock and place your orders via the company’s Instagram account here.
Feature
Cuppello’s latest community-led coffee shop is far from hidden, but it is a proper gem
Danny Jones
Cuppello’s newest site in Stretford is not just the second in Greater Manchester, but their third in the North West as a whole, and it’s their journey from cult favourite Warrington hole-in-the-wall to now a much-loved local coffee house and growing outlet for residents that we love so much.
Having opened their latest location just around the corner from the tram stop only a couple of weeks ago, you’d be forgiven for thinking these lot would only just be finding their footing in a very old school borough – but they’re not. They’re already thriving.
Taking over the reins in the unit which used to house Gigi’s Coffee Shop, three could prove to be the magic number in this instance, as the new crowning point of the Cuppello‘s triumvirate has seriously impressed us on multiple levels.
And besides the food and drink, it all starts with one thing: community.
They’re open from 7am until 7pm. (Credit: The Manc Eats)
From that original village venue over Cheshire, to opening their first city centre site just down Oldham Road near Ancoats, to taking on the no-nonsense town of Stretford, it’s a journey we enjoyed hearing about from its early beginnings to now.
Don’t get us wrong, we love seeing a lineup of unique items in acafé menu – take, for instance, their Spanish lattes or a Mont Blanc – but they’ve done themselves a world of good by making this as much of an up-and-coming community cornerstone as it is another spot to grab a good brew.
Sure, they have fresh flat-pressed bagels by Barbakan Deli in Chorlton, pastries from Companio, as well as artisan bakes by owner Harry Sheridan’s mum, Carol (whose homemade sweet treat obsession started with local legend, The Vakery MCR), but there are so many other reasons to keep coming back…
And yes, that does mean they’re vegan-friendly, by the way.
Besides the obvious brunchy bits like those bagels, which they finish with their own special seasoning, the iced coffees, smoothies, meal deals and so on, more importantly, there’s a full weekly programme of interesting and varied events hosted here too.
From a regular run club and pancake days that you don’t have to wait a whole year until they come back around, to movie nights with smash-burgers from The Food Drip next door, evenings spent playing card games, they’re looking to become not just a place to eat, drink and gather but a veritable institution.
Harry told us about how a Lymm local painted their striking piece of lemon artwork that hangs on the wall as thanks for their work with a nearby old people’s home, one that fits perfectly with the yellow-accented aesthetic, but also goes to show their track record when it comes to serving communities.
Speaking of which, they’ve got plenty of style all their own – as you can see:
Honestly, from being one of the most welcoming stops on a dog walk to even offering £1 hot chocolate for little ones coming home from the neighbouring schools (a very nice touch indeed), we’ve been left very impressed by their debut in old Manc market town.
And if you are in the Stretford area or live centrally and are just on the lookout for a new go-to coffee spot that’s only a few tram stops away, it really is some pretty stunning stuff they put in that cup.
Cuppello’s are known for putting a lot of effort into their roasts, but we’d also like to give a special mention to the ‘Karlito’, named after Harry’s dad, which we believe could be the secret behind this very cool-looking family.
A recipe of his own making, which has kept him youthful and on them move all these years, it’s a rich chocolate poured over four, yes, FOUR shots of espresso. We won’t lie to you, it’s pure rocket fuel, but it’ll definitely set you up for a feverishly productive day.
You can see more of the stuff on their food and drink menu HERE, and in case you’re wondering where else they’ve popped up in and around central Manchester, read more down below.
The K’s kick off Manchester’s BRITs Week celebrations early with jam-packed intimate gig
The Manc
If you were ‘Hoping Maybe’ to see The K’s at some point this year, this is your sign do it, as the rising indie band did not let the occasion of playing an intimate BRITs-backed gig get to them – they were buoyed by it.
Beloved city centre venue Gorilla was overflowing for The K’s last night, hosting an unreal small-cap set as part of Brits Week ‘26 for a very important cause: War Child.
Perfectly teed up by fellow nearby band, Florentenes from Bolton, The K’s took to a familiar stage many years on from their debut, and instantly had the crowd ready and raring for an hour of pure tunes and some very, very sweaty brows.
Earlestown’s finest certainly carried that Northern charm and energy throughout the whole night; their indie and almost nostalgic lyrical storytelling has you moshing one minute, whilst grasping your mate and ascending into live music heaven the next. There really aren’t many feelings like it.
Sobbing and swaying in the vast ocean of shoulders whilst screaming the lyrics to ‘Helen. Oh I’, I questioned how any compliment will ever compare to launching “thousand ships every time” from a kiss.
The K’s were yearning before Wuthering Heights made it vogue (again).
Musically, the band were seamless and a well-oiled machine, and so were the audience as they wholeheartedly echoed every lyric back at the lads and bounced it off the walls.
The K’s have come a long way since their first visit to Gorilla (Credit: Lucy Wagstaffe)
Every primary school assembly proudly led us to this moment, and it did not disappoint, displaying their increasingly seasoned and successful career, which I can only imagine is going to go from strength to strength this year.
I don’t think we even one more fan could have squeezed one more passionate fan into Gorilla on the night; it was heaving with people and pride; the sweat dripping down the walls indicated things are big for these local lads, and we couldn’t be prouder.
They are another prime example of shining a deserving light on Northern artists! And having the 2026 BRIT Awards up here with us is a testament to that.
Emily Sergeant -
24th February 2021 
