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We’ve seen a surge in subscription-based service businesses, fulfilling the current consumer mentality of “I want it, but I want someone else to bring it to me.” Now, everything from organic meals to luxury-brand clothing can be delivered right to our doors.
Philadelphia-based entrepreneurs Dan Nichols and Paul Kawoczka jumped on this trend, launching Enliven Planters in 2013. Their seasonal-planter subscription service delivers fresh, artful arrangements to homes four times a year, specifically for containers and window boxes.
“People assume we’re a landscape company, but we’re not,” says Nichols. “What sets us apart is that we don’t do anything outside the plantings in the container or window box.”
Nichols and Kawoczka witnessed the demand for their service first-hand: People wanted beautiful outdoor plants, but they didn’t have the time or the expertise to do it themselves. “Clients always tell us that they have ‘black thumbs,’” says Kawoczka. “It’s not about not having a green thumb. It’s really about plant selection—selecting the right plant, for the right spot, for the right season.”
Enliven’s projects range from plantings in a single container at a home’s entryway to multiple units throughout the property. During each client’s free design consultation, the Enliven team assesses the property and suggests a subscription plan. The cost is based on the size of the container, whether the client already owns it or buys one from Enliven. The plants are low maintenance and sourced from local growers.
“We have a customer who says she smiles every time she comes home and walks past her front door,” says Kawoczka. “They’re getting deliveries every season. It’s instant gratification.”
