Aperçu is a specialist house plant and botanical provisions store based in the Southside of Glasgow
Since opening in 2018 it has become the place to go to pick up beautiful plants - as well as pots, terrariums and dried flowers - and get plant care tips and tricks from their lovely (and super knowledgeable) team. We recently caught up with Helen and Ryan to have a quick chat and capture them doing what they do best.
What are the values around what you do?
Mindfulness, environmentalism, and biophilia. We aim to be a welcoming space where people can talk about plants, learn about plants and simply come in and admire plants. Our relationship with greenery is so important – being around nature and plants is proven to improve mental health and wellbeing. We also hope to foster a slower, more considerate approach to consumption by offering quality, carefully sourced objects that people will love for years to come. And ultimately, we aim towards creating the most sustainable business possible – quite a challenge in the horticultural industry, where plastic is so prevalent!
What is your favourite thing about building a business like this in Glasgow?
Glasgow is a great home for independent businesses. There’s such an independent spirit to Glasgow, which is backed by a real sense of community. The independent businesses in Glasgow really lean on each other and support one another – it feels like everyone tries to build each other up and feels a success for one is a success for all.
What is your relationship with Jennifer Kent and the brand?
Living in Scotland, you rather need a good knitwear wardrobe and several of us have collected a stash of Jennifer’s jumpers over the years. It’s a lovely brand with really timeless designs, super quality and beautifully considered colour. And Jen herself is an absolute gem.
Shout out some of your favourite independents in Scotland/UK?
We adore our lovely neighbours – Bawn Textiles, Wild Gorse Pottery, Little Hoi An and Ranjit’s Kitchen to name just a few. Other independents we love are For Peat’s Sake and Shell on Earth – great businesses whose sustainable houseplant products we’re proud to stock.
You can follow more of Aperçu’s journey at https://apercu.store / @ApercuGlasgow or visit the store at 617 Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow
Thanks to Helen + Ryan x
Photos: Stephen Lister