Here’s the dirt: Plant World mobile bus takes show on the road

Published 12:01 am Sunday, May 28, 2023

SALISBURY — A Salisbury plant shop is spreading its seeds via a new mobile bus shop.

Plant World owner Kailey Geller explained that the bus is already making a big difference.

“Being able to have the bus has been really great,” Geller said. “It gets us out in the community. Instead of having to rely on people to come to us, we can come to them. It’s also a different and unique experience because you actually get to go onto the bus.”

Geller and company planned to add a plant bus to their services earlier this year but were hit by tragedy when it unexpectedly caught fire overnight.

“We were really excited to expand our store into the bus,” Geller said. “We got the bus a couple of months after we opened the store. We were in the process of getting it finished, and the night my mom was finishing the flooring on it, at 11:30 at night, it caught fire.”

Geller pointed out that it could have been much worse.

“Her dog woke her up to the bus on fire,” Geller said. “Thankfully, it was out by her detached garage [and not near the house]. The whole front of her garage burned. My stepfather’s family antiques were damaged. It was a big fire. The bus was totaled.”

Not to be deterred, the team returned to planning a second bus.

“Now we have our new bus up and running,” Geller said. “We are excited to take it to events. We take the terrarium bar with us. It’s been really cool. We are in [downtown] Salisbury, but it has been really cool to get out in the community.”

It was important for Geller that the bus feels like an extension of the store.

“I wanted to make sure the two felt cohesive,” Geller said. “We are all one, but it’s a different experience you get while on the bus shopping.”

So how does a mobile plant bus work?

Geller indicated that they take the bus to all sorts of events, from weddings to birthday parties.

“We don’t set up at weddings and say just come shop,” Geller said. “It is more like how people do favors for their guests. Those guests can come on the bus. A lot of people do succulents or plants. They can come onto the bus and take it or kind of trail out, or we can set up out front.”

Geller’s business specializes in terrariums, which they have incorporated into the bus setup in a way that can be fun for wedding guests.

“If you wanted to have everyone do a terrarium during cocktail hour or while the bride and groom are taking pictures, it can be some sort of entertainment,” Geller said. “It’s just something unique that you don’t get to see at a lot of other places.”

Plant World is located at 109 East Innes Street, in Salisbury. Hours are 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1-5 p.m. on Sunday.