Boutique speak We speak to Harry

Boutique S P E A K

We get to know Harry Mc Anulty, founder of Belfast’s The Plant Alchemist

Describe a typical day… My day usually

starts with getting up and walking the dogs – I have a beautiful greyhound and my partner has two dogs. After a much-needed coffee, I head over to the shop for the early morning rush and prepare for the day with my team. Our plant deliveries arrive early in the morning, and we price and display plants to get them ready for their new homes. On a daily basis, we have an eclectic mix of customers buying plants, flowers, coffee, tea, wool and anything from ribbon to buttons.

What can we find at your shop? The

Plant Alchemist is a bit quirky: think old-world haberdashery meets modern-day coffee hangout and plant paradise. In a previous

Harry took inspiration from his favourite Aussie haunts

life, the shop space sold wool and trimmings, making it an institution in the local community, and we had to continue this legacy.

Our coffee is roasted by Lone Ridge Coffee Roasters and our traybakes are made by the bakers at French Village – it’s important to us that we support other local businesses. We also run a range of different workshops, including making kokedama (hanging moss balls), cacti desert bowls and candles.

What inspired you to set up shop?

I returned to Belfast from Australia during lockdown in 2020, after living ‘Down Under’ for almost a decade. I resided for many years in a town called Bendigo – people from this side of the world may not know of Bendigo, but it’s such a cool little place! I developed an appreciation there for great coffee, food and banter. After a hectic lockdown and working from Zoom screens for two years, I decided I wanted a career change. Inspired by my Bendigo favourites, The Plant Alchemist was born. Belfast’s first plant social hub and café: an integration of great coffee, beautiful houseplants and craic and banter, all set in a curious shop that hadn’t been touched in 60 years!

How do you use plants in your own

home? I love having plants in my home and watching them grow. For me, plants remind me of places, experiences, family and

Some of my favourite things

1. ‘This candle smells of fresh stubbles of hay burning in the distance and is enriched with the warming scent of honey and amber.’ El Viaje Scents Irish Trail candle, £14 2 . ‘Marimo moss balls are a species of green algae known for its unique round shape and fluffy complexion. When you adopt your moss ball pet, you’ll receive a care guide telling you all about them and how to take care of them.’ Moss ball pet, £10 3. ‘Made from sustainably sourced coconuts, our peat-free coir compost is perfect for growing houseplants, herbs, fruit, vegetables or cacti.’ For Peat’s Sake compost, £5.50

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Photo Mark Mead

I love having plants in my home and watching them grow … Plants remind me of places, experiences, family and friends

An expansion is also being planned

friends. One of my favourites is a Christmas cactus plant propagated from a cutting of my late grandfather’s plant. Each year on the anniversary of his passing the plant is in full bloom, reminding me of the day we took the cutting. I also have a little aloe vera succulent that reminds me of my house in Australia, where an aloe vera family had taken over the side of a railway track. I’m not so sure my aloe would survive an Irish winter outside, so my bathroom is the perfect spot for it!

35 Springfield Road, Belfast, BT12 7AB theplantalchemist.co.uk

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