While the rising COV I D - 1 9 cases, vaccination drives and other pressing pandemic-induced crises kept most of us distressed and distracted, Priyanka Sonthalia was busy spreading positivity with Wandering Roots. Taking the sustainable and conscious gifting motto seriously, the spirited entrepreneur sold a total of 1,558 plants in the first year of its operation during the ongoing pandemic. Today, her brand tops the list of conscious gifting options in the city with her excellent plant memo and alluring presentations. Wandering Roots is a personal journey for Priyanka, who started it in 2020 while stuck in the rut of a work from home routine.
“We turned one last September and the journey has been fruitful; spreading greenery and blooms all around. It’s 1,558 plants in 365 days. That’s how we ended the first year,” she enthuses. Talking about the trend of gifting a plant Priyanka avers, “Gifting a plant is a step towards sustainability; it’s a gift that grows. A plant is more than just a décor piece in your home or garden, they are a living reminder of what is truly important for our survival — coexisting with nature. It’s been overwhelming for us to see the change and shift, primarily with the younger generation also moving towards plant gifting.”
While the prime modus operandi for Wandering Roots is Instagram, Priyanka has also participated in a few pop-ups held sporadically in the city and promoted the concept of conscious gifting. With winter ushering in new blooms, Sonthalia’s fresh stock will include kalanchoes, chrysanthemums, petunias, marigolds, dianthuses and other seasonal delights that will lift any mood and room. Her hampers have a lot of indoor plant options which come with proper instructions on how to take care of them. The green entrepreneur has observed a major spike in demand for sustainability and organic products and thus she has started creating hampers with products that encourage local crafts and add to the gifting experience.
“We have a variety of hampers with tea, coffee and organic honey from the Sunderbans, candles and ceramic mugs besides a few other local products. We have been promoting local products like sabai grass mats and wooden products made by artisans from Bengal, Odisha and Assam,” shares Priyanka, whose best-sellers include jade plants, lucky bamboo and snake plants. In the coming year, Priyanka plans to reach out to a larger audience and make people aware of the benefits of gifting a plant and how to take care of them. Also, there will be more tie-ups with local artisans and women entrepreneurs to grow together and move towards a better environment.