Owner Kristy Verdel says her business is much more than just a place to buy plants. She is creating a community hub that reflects both her passion for plants and creating a space for those who may feel ‘out of place’

By CALLY GUDROE | UNE Community News Fellow

Located on Main Street in downtown Biddeford, Moon Lady Plants is bringing a little more greenery to the city’s growing downtown community.

Inside the store, shelves and displays of houseplants, pots and botanical goods invite customers to slow down, browse and find something to bring a little bit of nature into their own spaces.

. . .

Kristy Verdel started Moon Lady Plants in the basement of her Wells home, inspired by the grounding sense of connection she found in caring for plants.

After holding a pop-up during Biddeford’s Art Walk in 2022, Verdel fell in love with the city’s downtown and began envisioning a permanent home for her business. A year later, in August 2023, Moon Lady Plants opened its current location.

“Community is the pillar of everything we do,” Verdel said. “Growing up, I always felt out of place, and I wanted to create a space for people who feel the same.”

That community-based philosophy extends to the workshops held inside the shop. Events such as terrarium building, tarot readings and aura painting give customers opportunities to learn, explore energy and spirituality — and meet others with similar interests.

For Verdel, the gatherings are another way to make Moon Lady Plants a place where people can spend time together and form connections.

“Community is the pillar
of everything we do.”

— Kristy verdel. moon Lady plants

Roughly 30 Maine artisans sell their work at Moon Lady Plants, filling the store with locally made artwork and goods.

“Energy is everything,” Verdel says. “When it comes to caring for house plants you have to be pouring from a full cup. Plants feel the energy that we give out and they respond to it.

“People will walk in and ask if our plants are fake because they look great, and a lot of it goes back to energy healing.”

For those new to plant care, Verdel recommends starting with a Curly Spider Plant, Pothos or Snake Plant. She describes these varieties as “communicative,” meaning they often show visible signs when they need attention.

“When it dries out, it starts to droop,” Verdel says. “It’s thirsty, it’s letting you know, it’s tired, it needs something.” Snake plants, meanwhile, are known for requiring very little care, making them a good option for someone looking for a plant that can be left mostly to its own devices.

The business offers more than what sits on its shelves.

Verdel provides personalized plant consultations, bringing her toolkit—including plant clippers, Moon Mist leaf shine and Moon Mix potting soil, all made in the shop — directly to customers’ homes and businesses.

She assesses the health of a plant, the environment in which it lives and where it is placed, helping customers determine what their plants need to thrive.

Verdel also offers plant design services for new homes and businesses, treating plants as living pieces of decor. Rather than simply filling an empty corner, she looks for ways to create dimension through different varieties, including trailing plants, statement pieces and arrangements that bring multiple plants together.

She has also designed living walls, including a project at The Hair Garden on Main Street in Biddeford, where Moon Lady Plants helped bring hundreds of plants into the salon as part of a wall installation.

That same philosophy of creating spaces that feel alive extends beyond the plants themselves. Moon Lady Plants recently expanded upstairs, adding an event space where Verdel plans to host plant workshops, tarot workshops, jewelry events and other gatherings.

The expansion reflects a larger goal for Verdel: to make Moon Lady Plants not just a place to buy plants, but a place where people can gather and feel connected to the community around them.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR | Cally Gudroe is a journalist and junior at the University of New England, where she studies communications, history and writing. A passionate local storyteller, she has spent two years reporting for Saco Bay News and contributing to her university newspaper. Her multimedia experience also includes working on documentary film projects highlighting the communities and narratives of northern Maine teens.