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To transport your plant inventory for your home business from the greenhouse to your home it is easiest to bring along your own plastic trays instead of using the cardboard or wooden boxes supplied by the greenhouse. Such trays are also good lighrweight carriers to use when you take your plants to the party. Here is another tip: Are you familiar with the aluminum shoe racks which you put at the bottom of a closet? If you bend the holders over they are just perfect for carrying a number of smaller plants. And that way they don't spill.
The plants you can chose are coleus, grape ivy, English ivy, Swedish ivy, prayer plant, dieffenbachia, begonia, Christmas cactus, pothos, snake plant, draecena, fittonia, ferns, peperomia, piggyback plant, wandering Jew, philodendron, schefflera, spider plant. These are described in later Houseplants articles.
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Besides the plants you will need potting soil (buy the largest size available, usually 50 pounds). pots, pebbles, gardening tools, an area in which to pot your plants, and a potting table which can double as a display table for your parties. I also bought a nice tablecloth to use to cover the display table, one with leaves or flowers will do. A metal portable table works great,
Store your potting soil in a large dishpan or metal tub. It is easier to dip into than a bag is. Cover it with a sheet of plastic in order to retain moisture. Keep your pebbles handy since you must use them on the bottom of every pot to promote adequate drainage. Again, try to buy all your supplies wholesale.
Keep a file card listing the characteristics and care required for each plant until you know a snake plant from a spider plant. You will only have to familiarize yourself with these for a limited number of plants which will be discussed later. You can also ask your nurseryman to put an identification tag on each plant you buy until you get to know them. And mark each plant's price on the tag.
It is a good idea to have business cards made up that say something like "June's plant parties" so you can show them to the nurseryman in order to purchase plants wholesale, although this is not absolutely necessary. These are also great to leave at many locations including laundries, stores, etc. in order to get people to book parties. Be sure to include your phone number on them.
You can charge more for your plants than shopkeepers can for similar ones because you are educating the new owners about plant care at the parties. After all, you are an expert, or will be soon! I price most of my four-inch potted plants at $5 or $6 dollars, and hanging plants at $8 to $15, depending upon their size. Since I purchase my plants at wholesale prices I can reap a sizeable profit. As you become more proficient you will probably begin to grow your own plants from cuttings, thereby enhancing your profits. Someone I know sold 30 coleus plants propogated from the cuttings of one large coleus that was bought for $4.
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