Meet Patrick Gonzales of Platt Park

Today we’d like to introduce you to Patrick Gonzales

Hi Patrick, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Open since November of 2023, Denver Plant Club had a vision to promote a more intentional lifestyle through fair trade, handmade, and eco-friendly products. Our store contains all that and more, including employees who are incredibly passionate about house plants and the store’s overall vision.

Denver Plant Club started as a passion project and has since blossomed into a successful new retail store for Denver Metro area plant lovers. Prior to the inception of the retail store, the owner of Denver Plant Club – Patrick – found an amazing variety of handmade products during his travels, specifically the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. This made Patrick eager to bring the products to the United States in effort to support and promote various businesses in Mexico. All products sourced from Mexico follow the same vision as DPC – fair trade, handmade, and eco-friendly. The curation of these products continues to inspire Patrick to source similar products from around the world.

At Denver Plant Club, you can find handmade pots from Mexico, pots made from 100% recycled material or biodegradable organic waste, non-toxic plant care products, room sprays and candles that contain all-natural ingredients and zero synthetic fragrance, and so much more. There is sure to be something for everyone!

And we can’t forget about house plants. Like many others, Patrick developed a love for plants during the COVID-19 pandemic, ultimately leading him to share his passion with others through a small business. All plants we source and maintain are cared for with love and precision. Our goal is to create happy environments for all the plant babies we bring into our store, as well as teach others to do the same in their homes. Every single employee you speak to at DPC has their own passion for plants and a depth of knowledge that they are eager to share with the community.

In addition to our storefront, we also offer a wide variety of other services including…
– Indoor Plantscaping (check out our plants at Upswell!)
– Terrarium workshops
– Other workshops focused around plant care
– Plant repotting and troubleshooting
– More to come!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Starting a business is much like caring for your plants—it requires patience, care, and a deep understanding of what makes each plant thrive. Just as we tend to our plants, providing the right nutrients, light, and water, an entrepreneur must cultivate their business with the right blend of branding, story, and mission. At Denver Plant Club, we’ve experienced firsthand the parallels between the growth of our plants and our business. Each requires constant attention and adaptation to changing conditions, and just as the right care leads to flourishing plants, the right business strategies lead to flourishing success.

Denver Plant Club started from a passion, therefore it cant be considered work. We are cultivating a community of like minded plant lovers. This is why we chose to use the word Club in our name. You belong to the club if you have the same love of plants. But it’s not just about the plants, its about a lifestyle choice. Yes, plants do bring life, beauty and oxygen into your space, but in a world with so many mass produced products we also need to be mindful of the lifestyle accessories that we allow into that space.

Finding the perfect products to stock our shelves is no simple task. Each product we consider must meet our rigorous standards for sustainability, quality, and ethical sourcing. This means we don’t just pick any item off the supplier line; instead, we thoroughly vet each potential product to ensure it aligns with our commitment to environmental responsibility and superior craftsmanship. Our dedication to these values means our selection process is meticulous and thoughtful, ensuring that only the best, most responsibly produced items make it to our store. This careful curation process, while time-consuming, is essential to maintaining the integrity and ethos of Denver Plant Club, and it’s why you might not find a vast, but rather a carefully selected range of products in our collection.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Denver Plant Club is far more than just a business to me—it’s a way of life and a deep-rooted passion. From the lush, leafy ferns lining our shelves to the rustic, head planters that cradle them, every aspect of the club is a reflection of a lifestyle deeply entrenched in sustainability and mindfulness. This isn’t just about selling plants; it’s about promoting a way of living that respects and cherishes our natural environment. Sustainability isn’t just a buzzword for us; it’s the foundation upon which our entire operation rests. We strive not only to sustain the beautiful variety of flora we house but also to contribute positively to the planet, ensuring that every product we sell meets the highest standards of environmental responsibility.

The spirt of Denver Plant Club has been significantly shaped by my late mentor, Richard Squire, the founder of Breckenridge Brewery. Richard taught me the steps of building a business are important, imparting knowledge and mentoring others provides an even greater level of fulfillment. His lessons went beyond brewing beer; they were about nurturing people and ideas. Inspired by his wisdom, at Denver Plant Club, we don’t just hire employees; we believe in growing our people to their full potential.

This process transforms our workplace into a learning community, echoing my journey with Richard. It’s about passing on knowledge, fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth, and preparing each individual to contribute meaningfully to our shared mission. Denver Plant Club is therefore more than a store; it’s a space where passionate individuals gather to learn, share, and expand their understanding of what it means to live sustainably. Every day, as I watch our team engage with each other and our customers, sharing stories and tips about plant care and sustainability, I feel a profound sense of pride and accomplishment. This club is a living testament to the values Richard instilled in me, and every plant we nurture is a leaf in the vast garden of our community’s growing knowledge.

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up I was a hard worker and always fell deep into the details of every project. I would take apart any electronic device just to see how it worked, then I would put it back together. I was deeply interested in how things work, but would also spend hours obsessing on the details of how things worked.

My love for plants is something that is just in my blood. All my relatives had tons of houseplants, and I always loved the look and feel of plants in my presence. My mother comes from generations of farmers that migrated from Norway to North Dakota in the early 1900’s and have been farming ever since. I recently had a conversation with my Uncle, who is now farming the land that my great grandpa had, and was a little surprised by his reaction of how much

Pricing:

• Handmade or Eco- Conscious Planters $25-$90
• Houseplants $15 – $1,000
• Crystals $4 – $300
• Candles $85
• Lifestyle Accessories $20 – $120

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.denverplantclub.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denverplantclub/#
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/denverplantclub

Image Credits
All product and store images Courtesy of Denver Plant Club. The one image of Patrick was taken by the photographer Aly McClaran