Blk Girls Greenhouse with a modern perspective

"We were really caught up in our emotions and the trauma that we were feeling," Gebreyohannes said. "We were connecting with our plants and finding joy nurturing them. We were also simultaneously nurturing ourselves, finding some healing within that."

They made a date to visit an Oakland plant shop together. As they browsed fiddle-leaf figs and monsteras, they mused to one another how wonderful it would be to create a space that felt celebratory for the Black community and Black culture.

Blk Girls Greenhouse in Oakland is a sanctuary for the Black community. 

AUBRIE PICK

Six weeks later, Gebreyohannes and Roxanne opened Blk Girls Greenhouse in Oakland, and they were met with unexpected enthusiasm.  "From the moment we opened the doors it was go time," Roxanne said. It's currently an appointment only, outdoor-only shopping experience (thanks to Covid), but that hasn't deterred customers from flocking.

"We've had people come in who've cried; people who've come in who were just like, this is revolutionary for Black people," said Roxanne, also founder of The Black List.

The duo says the shopping experience at Blk Girls Greenhouse is a returning home, both literally and figuratively.

"For Black people, plants are a way of life for us," Gebreyohannes said. "We're not new to the plant game. Intuitively and innately plants have always been a way of life."

But over time, traditions were sometimes lost or neglected, and plant shops and nurseries took on an elitist, exclusive vibe. Like many luxury shopping experiences, Black people don't often feel welcome.

"Most plant shops and nurseries are not inclusive—not in their staffing, not in how they price things, they're not inclusive even in how they greet certain people. It can feel a bit elitist, and like a very privileged experience," said Gebreyohannes, who has a degree in clinical psychology and is currently homeschooling three children, 6, 8 and 10.

What most excites this entrepreneurial team is the feeling that they're coming full circle and returning to their familial and ancestral love of greenery—and reinventing it in a new, modern way to merge the gap between previous generations.

Kalkidan Gebreyohannes and J'Maica Roxanne, founders of Blk Girls Greenhouse in Oakland, CA. 

SAMANTHA TYLER

"We want it to look fly," Gebreyohannes said. "People dress up—it's a photo op. We're speaking to the cultural times but also returning to the practice of plants."

The founders also believe Blk Girls Greenhouse goes beyond activism or an act of resistance.

"Is it resistance or is it a right to have a place that reflects our culture and community? What we are doing is expressing the right to access our joy with the Earth and its plants, and presenting it in a way that brings peace and love to our community."

At a time when a pandemic and social unrest are keeping us indoors so often, a space that allows the community to support Black makers and artists, plus take some of the shop's good vibes home, is more important than ever. 

"Because the reality, particularly for Black people, is that it doesn't feel very peaceful for us right now. And it doesn't feel very safe, even in our own homes," Roxanne said. "Breonna Taylor is really hard for me to even grasp. Home is the thing that we're trying to get Black people to really take inventory of, making your space feel good so that you feel good. She was in her home. And there is still no justice. It's just a really painful pill to swallow. And it conveys a message of absolute disrespect towards Black people and their humanity." 

The founders wanted to open Blk Girls Green house in an Oakland community where they felt it was important to invest, rather than an already-established retail neighborhood.

"We were really clear about the fact that we wanted to build up within our community. We wanted the money to go to our artists, our makers," Gebreyohannes said.

And you'll find much more than just plants at Blk Girls Greenhouse. It's a one stop shop for homewares created by Black artists, including art, magazines, coffee table books, candles, planters and more. You can also enjoy an artisanal latte (currently in appropriately fall flavors including eggnog and pumpkin) by Blythe Coffee. 

And on November 7, the shop will collaborate with The Last Supper Society for a live, at home cooking experience. Participants can order a supper kit online to receive all the ingredients they need to make a Pan-African cioppino, and follow along with founders Chef Byron Hughes and Ryan Royster live on YouTube. 

For both founders, their passion for plants stems from the matriarchs of their families.

"My mom loved plants. We called her crazy plant lady because she she would talk to them, sing to them, she would pet them and we were like, 'she has lost it.'" Gebreyohannes said. "And now I'm her! I noticed they like it when I play Anita Baker, and I'm really mindful of the messages they're conveying to me. Like sometimes they need less sun, more humidity. It's been really a joy to nurture and care for them. It brings me some peace in moments of anxiety or stress." 

And they say anyone can successfully nurture plants if you're willing to do a bit of research. They advise assessing your light, humidity, and space as a recipe for plant success.

"There are some types that are really low maintenance and that require very minimal water, like snake plants, ZZ plants are great, cactuses, and even rubber plants—they don't require a lot of maintenance and they look beautiful," Roxanne said. "You don't need to be a professional because so much information is online."

Kalkidan Gebreyohannes and J'Maica Roxanne, founders of Blk Girls Greenhouse. 

SAMANTHA TYLER

In anticipation of that glorious day when masks are no longer required accessories, Gebreyohannes and Roxanne are working on refining the interior space as they do socially-distanced business outside. They also hope to continue their investment in the community by collaborating with their neighbors as well as other entrepreneurs and makers.

In the meantime, the outdoor space is a haven for anyone wanting to spend a relaxing hour or so in a beautiful, bright, welcoming space, where you can find products to make your own home into a sanctuary.

And Gebreyohannes finds herself realizing what she thought was a far-off dream. 

"I had always said when I retire, you could find me in my own plant nursery—that seemed far in the future."

Source: Forbes

Photo: Blk Girls Greenhouse founders Kalkidan Gebreyohannes and J'Maica Roxanne celebrate their beautiful outdoor shopping space in Oakland, CA. 

 SAMANTHA TYLER

Source: Forbes