Setting Up Shop Online

Ellen C. Wells

Want to set up an online shop but don’t have the time, patience or funds to figure it all out? There’s a new company that is making it easy—and free!—for growers and garden centers to sell plants via the Web. DoLeaf (www.DoLeaf.com) is a self-described “team of passionate, Web-savvy gardeners” who have launched an online marketplace to connect those with plants to those who want them.

DoLeaf actually consists of a husband and wife team in Atlanta (Sarah Toton and Micah Wedemeyer) and their friend Ryan Felton in Kansas City who share a love of gardening and technology. Apparently they became frustrated with the plant selection and lack of expertise provided by their local big box garden centers. After going to community gardens, farmers’ markets and plant swaps, they realized the number of great growers in their area who lacked the time and technical expertise to connect with people online. And, DoLeaf was born!

The DoLeaf site is still in its beta phase (computer-speak for “testing phase”), but the company is actively recruiting independent garden retailers who are interested in setting up a DoLeaf storefront. According to DoLeaf, your own online storefront can be set up and active in less than 10 minutes.