Jason Chongue is an architect, interior designer and plant cultivator. Together with his partner, Nathan Smith, the couple’s “geeky and relaxing hobby” blossomed into a full-time business in just eight months.

As the name suggests, The Plant Society is about inclusion – it’s focused on bringing together buyers, growers, artists and makers, and wants to make it easy for beginner gardeners to ask questions. It stocks both common plants, such as peace lily, fiddle leaf and devil’s ivy, and some harder to find varieties.

The plants come from various growers, including Chongue and Smith’s garden in Abbotsford. The pair also works with “backyard growers”, who may grow as few as 10 plants a year, to cultivate rarer species.

In addition to helping you source a certain plant, the nursery also offers services including plant rejuvenation and plant styling. You can have a consultation in-store, or in the convenience of your own home, office or a cafe.

The pair collaborates with local ceramists and artists to design pots with seasonal plants in mind. An elongated vase by Melbourne artist, Jade Thorsen, for example, is designed for taller plant such as orchids. Melbourne-based ceramist Penelope Duke has created stylish vessels for propagation.

Our tip? Enter from the corner door where Peel meets Cambridge Street for the best vantage point of the nursery – a green oasis within a warehouse cafe.

The Plant Society
33 Peel Street, Collingwood
0439 282 409

(www.theplantsociety.com.au)