People in Bloom: Meet Erin Thomas of Hopeless Botanics

We caught up with the Nursery Village exhibitor to ask about her business, how to pick the perfect houseplant, and what to choose for a Valentine’s gift with a difference.

Tell us a little about Hopeless Botanics.

Hopeless Botanics is a specialist houseplant shop in Dublin 8. We deliver nationwide and sell a range of our other favourite, botanically inspired items like gorgeous vases, pots, books and other fun things related to plants and flowers.

The business began as a huge passion of mine in 2020. I am gardening obsessed, and when my garden packed it in for the winter one year, I turned to caring for houseplants to scratch my gardening itch! I struggled to find the plants I wanted so I set about researching the houseplant business and kicked off Hopeless Botanics at a market pop up shop in a nearby café, The Fumbally. It has just snowballed from there.

What advice can you offer people who are looking for new house plants to brighten up their homes or offices?

Firstly, think about where you want to put your houseplants and observe the light in that spot. Is the sun strong, how long approximately does it last for? Remember that sunshine doesn’t bend around corners or shine upwards. Alcoves and shelves, while they may be beside a window, can often be like caves.

Once you know where you want to put plants, make a list or take some photos, and start matching plants to your light level. A helpful assistant in a houseplant shop like ours, or a garden centre, should be able to guide you in making suitable choices. We also have some information and suggestions on our website hopelessbotanics.ie which you may find helpful.

Fresh cut flowers are a traditional St Valentine’s Day gift. Can you suggest any alternatives for people who are looking for something a little different?

I love having flowers in my home, I love the colours and arranging them in different vases, but sometimes it’s nice to gift something a little different too. If the person you’re thinking of loves flowers and has a garden, maybe a new book on cut flower gardening such as ‘Discovering Dahlias’ or ‘How to Grow the Flowers’ would be appreciated. Or if they love flower arranging, I really like Joseph Massie’s new book ‘The Flower School’. I also always go back to Jimi Blake’s book, ‘A Beautiful Obsession’ as it is such an inspiring book to give to someone. A romantic note on the inside cover is optional!

Houseplants also make fantastic gifts; they last a long time and brighten our homes no end. My favourite houseplants to give someone are jade plants and I love Crassula ovata sunset as it has a lovely pink tint to the edges of the foliage. Jade are so easy to care for once they are close to a window and they can grow into a cool tree shape.

Other easy-care houseplants I love to send someone are Chinese evergreens (there are even pink varieties), and I really like Aloe tiki tahi which is a new breed of aloe that is really compact, doesn’t get leggy, and produces a beautiful coral coloured flower.

Terrariums and bonsai also make for more unique, long lasting gifts. We run a monthly terrarium building workshop in our shop, and last year we had lots of couples in February who had bought tickets for St Valentine’s Day.

You created an award-winning display in the Nursery Village at last year’s Bloom. How was your experience at the festival?

Bord Bia Bloom is so special to me. I have been going since I was a teenager and I still get so excited to see the show gardens every year. I think the standard is off the charts and what the designers achieve is nothing short of phenomenal. I always tell people I think Bloom is up there with the likes of the Chelsea Flower Show!

Hopeless Botanics has taken part at the festival for two years now and I am so chuffed to be a part of the action. Last year, our display was inspired by the generations of women that get together every year to enjoy Bord Bia Bloom.

Bord Bia Bloom always draws a great crowd and one thing that always stuck with me was how gorgeous it was to see so many groups of women come together – spanning generations, young and old, friends, family – all with a shared love of gardening, plants and flowers. We wanted to honour those women, young and old, new gardeners and novices alike, and pay tribute to the life and beauty they create with their own hands, in their own homes and gardens. To do this we created a stunning dinner table, one that we would love to share with the women in our lives where we could enjoy a glass of wine and a tasty meal. The table was decorated with dried and fresh flowers, and hanging over it was a gorgeous dried flower cloud.

We hope to return to the festival in 2025 and very much look forward to it.

To learn more about Hopeless Botanics, visit hopelessbotanics.ie and follow the business on social @hopelessbotanics.