Arium Botanicals
A plant shop in Portland that does it all just that little bit differently, from the plants they stock to how they think about the environment.
Go here if: you are a collector or seeker of botanical curiosities no matter your existing knowledge about houseplants.
What is it: As much for plant lovers as curiosity seekers, Portland’s Arium has become known for its wide variety of different species and types of plants. In a city that has an abundance of plant stores and a fervent plant community, you’ll find here special interest and rare plants that you may not be familiar with or haven’t seen before, as well as the advice and information that makes you confident about taking them home (they may be unusual but that doesn’t necessarily make them hard to care for).
Partners in business and life Anthony Sanchez and Tylor Rogers started Arium online before finding their forever home in a former Land Rover repair shop. They transformed the garage into a bright open space with white walls and a garage door that opens to let in the light, and brought in wall-to-wall foliage, with hanging displays, moss column growing plants, and greenery seemingly everywhere.
Why you’ll love it: We’re in the midst of a houseplant boom that’s been tied to social media posting millennials who understand the wellbeing benefits of bringing plants indoors: four in five 16 to 24-year-olds own at least one houseplant, with a fifth of plant owners buying them for their wellness benefits. One-third of new gardeners are millennials.
With leaves of subtle colors or unusual shapes, decorative patterns, and broad textures, Arium steps into the space that owner Tyler Rogers grew through his own wildly popular Instagram account, @Urlocalplantboy. The space celebrates ornamental horticulture and searches out truly unique specimens while making them approachable, if not coveted.
Each plant is given its botanical name, from the huge leaves of the Alocasia “Regal shield”, a sweet Ficus Altissima, and cork growing Hoya Obovata Mount. When you go there might be Begonia “Cracked Ice”, Philodendron “Pink Princess” and Alocasia “Silver Dragon”.
What you need to know: The name ‘arium’ is a play on terrarium (earth + container); here the store is given its Latin meaning: ‘a space or vessel that contains something’. It’s rather magical to think of Arium as the container of the green world owners Rogers and Sanchez have conceived to inhabit it.
How to bring this into your life: Currently Arium is open to the public with COVID-care measures in place, though workshop programs, book signings, and events are not yet back up and running. Look out for announcements on social media for when they begin again. They also ship within the US.
Why we think it's different: A vegan and queer-owned business, which the owners have declared a safe space for “all sexual orientations, gender identities, religions, and races” and that also takes its conservation standards seriously. Arium donates monthly to Conservation International and doesn’t stock plants on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. All their plants are ethically sourced from certified U.S. nurseries, and they use their space to educate about plants that face extinction or habitat loss, condemning the poaching of plants or wild collection. Beyond horticulture, they also support the local creative community in Portland by stocking a selection of ceramics made by local makers.
In their own words: “We initially started Arium as a means of making unusual plants that can be implemented in design and in the home. We firmly believe there is a plant for everyone and that no question is dumb or illegitimate. Like us, we all started somewhere. Making our space welcoming, a place for learning, and geek out about plants. We are proud to be a space for beginners all the way to avid collectors.”
Something to do: Our plant parenthood journey started small – as many with a single succulent. Choose a plant that you love to cultivate and bring into your home (doesn’t have to be the celebrity Fiddle Leaf Fig). Build up your gardening muscle slowly. It's ok not to have a collection of 60, start with one and see how it makes you feel. Do you like owning a plant, do you like looking after it, does it make you feel good? If it's too much pressure, feel free to abandon your houseplant journey. But if it incites something positive, bring in plant number 2.
Outlet PDX
An intimate maker space in Portland printing above its weight.
What is it: Artist Kate Bingaman-Burt opened Outlet PDX in April 2017 as an experiment in making, community, and retail. It’s a combination studio space (Bingaman-Burt works from the semi-open mezzanine level) and public education, retail, library, and event space (accessible on the lower level).
Why you’ll love it: During normal times (we can discuss what that means another time), Bingaman-Burt extends her love of print across the space hosting small-scale workshops and pop-up projects. In-house Risographs Baraba, Janet, Lill’Tina, and Corita are available to experiment with posters and zine formats. During the closed times, you can still remotely print posters, flyers, and zines and attend workshops virtually, on zine-making, the basics of riso printing, and working with watercolors amongst others.
Why we think it’s kind of special: Though a pop of color, a spirit of play, and walls heaving with handdrawn creative expression, Outlet has also made a serious commitment as a white-owned business to support Black, trans, queer, Latinx, Indigenous, and disabled communities with action. Over 2020, Bingaman-Burt has pushed Outlet PDX to respond to the wider public conversation, around Black Lives Matter, gender expression, our current reckoning with our colonial past, and political divisiveness, including that stoked by the recent election. Words, and the dissemination of the messages they carry, matter here; Outlet PDX has created protest posters, de-escalation zines, and its 2021 calendar is aimed at creating more just and equitable futures.
This space has supported the work of local community organizations such as People’s Crisis Line PDX, and Agencies of Change, raised $10k for local BIPOC artists and community organizations through the exhibition 5x5, and donates what they can to local BIPOC organizers and mutual aid projects in the printing and distribution of flyers and zines. That’s no small feat at a time when independent and community spaces such as Outlet PDX are themselves struggling to survive.
In their own words: “We believe print is power and an important medium for elevating marginalized voices and disseminating information, which is vital to any kind of resistance. We want to do our part to work to create equity in printmaking and will be offering workshop scholarships for marginalized and disenfranchised folx wanting to take our workshops, as well as discounted print services and assistance.
Something to do from wherever you are: Consider which words you’d want to disseminate into the world. Which messages of support would you want to create for those within your community? Learn the skill of printing and give form to these words. You don’t need to be an artist, just a thoughtful person in the world hoping to counter messages of hate, division, and isolation that we’re now bombarded with. Or if that makes you tired, learn to draw your coffee mug.
Herbivore Clothing Co.
A cruelty-free clothing store that proves that shopping small and shopping ethically can make you feel good too.
What it is: Cruelty-free clothing store (but really so much more) located in Portland's Vegan Mini Mall (yes, this is real).
What sets them apart: Herbivore Clothing Co has always been more than just a shop. Founded in 2002 by Michelle Schwegmann and her partner, Josh, Herbivore got its start as a modest operation with a simple purpose: "We wanted good looking clothes, ethically made, that would show the world we believed animals deserved respect, love, and to be free from harm. We wanted to spread the word about living cruelty-free." With designs featuring phrases like "Eat Like You Give A Damn", "I'm Vegan and I Love You" and "Humane Meat Is Yuppie Bullshit" their messages act as catalysts for reflection and, in our experience, are great conversation starters, as well!
Why we think it matters: From hosting events, speaking at veg-fests, donating time to sanctuaries, and co-founding an animal rights conference, Herbivore has made a name as a company with a conscience. In addition to the work they've done to further the animal rights movement, they've also donated time and funds to human rights and social justice movements, believing that dismantling oppression, at every level, is the only way forward. "Our approach has always been to show veganism as a positive choice that gives you back so much more than you give up. Compassion Is Invincible!"
Why you’ll love it: We know from research (and being people in the world) that aligning our lives with our values is one of the quickest ways to feel good. The choices we make have an impact, not just on the world, but on ourselves. Whether it’s for shopping small, shopping ethically, shopping cruelty-free, or simply for supporting some amazing people who work every day fighting the good fight, choosing Herbivore, and all of their amazing offerings, is a choice that makes us feel good. That, and, they have some incredible designs. Whether you’re shopping for graphic tees, books, shoes, wallets, purses, buttons, or snacks, Herbivore has got you covered.
In their own words: (in reference to their Vegans Are Radical tee, but we feel like the sentiment carries) “Vegans. Are. Radical. Living with the intention to cause the least harm is radical. Though Veganism has become more popular, real change for animals is a challenge that requires work from the ground up, systemic change. Yes, let’s all eat plants, not animals. And let’s talk about radicalizing our food system to be more compassionate, to animals & people & the planet.”
How to bring this into your life wherever you are: In addition to their incredible online store (re: high-quality vegan versions of everything you’ve ever wanted), you can also follow @Herbivoreclothingco on Instagram (where you’ll see their kindness, activism, and lockdown cooking skills shine through in every post). When the world is not in lockdown, you can also meet Michelle and Josh at veg fest across the US!