This was my first foray into plant-con. Obviously I am late to this party by the number of people stacked up in line to get in.
I arrived just after opening around 10:30. The line was out the front door around the corner and back up to the parking lot by the stadium. LINED UP like a 5th grade class walking to PE. Folks had carts with them, and they were READY. Who wasn't ready? Plant-con. They had such a small venue. This was held in the smallest space. They had one tiny table and ran out of everything pretty quickly. This was the only place that supplied water, as there were no fountains in the main area. And only one bathroom area, with a waiting line looking like a Bruno Mars concert out and around the corner. They easily hit capacity and capped entry.
All that said, plant-con focused 98% on indoor plants. There was not an outdoor presence. Maybe this was known to those in the know, I, however, did not. Even so, the variety of indoor plants was really cool. They had other vendors as well with different offerings like planters, shirts, grow kits, and other products. We ended up buying a dessert rose, and some blueberry tea. Prices varied depending on vendor, product, and size. While some seemed a bit pricey, much of what we saw seemed reasonable. Especially considering the varietals that you don't see here regularly. Definitely worth wandering about and comparing what you see, even if you're fighting a crowd to do it.
Overall a cool experience. I think they could use a larger space with more support, and water. A few extra bathrooms would go a long way too. Kudos to the registration folks. Y'all were in the thick of it, and i know that was a grind.
Will definitely be back, and better prepared. read more