Shop Spotlight: Meet Chad of Frondly
Jun 17, 2025
Photo by @frondlyyvr
At LBE Design, we’re inspired by plant shops that blend personal storytelling with thoughtful design—and Frondly in Vancouver is a beautiful example. Founded by Chad in 2020, Frondly began as an online-only venture born from a life-changing diagnosis and a lifelong love of plants. Drawing on his Caribbean roots and e-commerce background, Chad created a plant delivery experience that’s approachable, joyful, and rooted in community. Now with a bright storefront in Kitsilano, Frondly offers not just plants and pots, but also in-store services like repotting and soil refills—making it a true hub for local plant lovers.
We caught up with Chad to hear how Frondly grew from his living room into a thriving shop—and what it means to help more people feel like plant people.
Frondly started as an online shop during the pandemic. What motivated you to open a storefront, and how has that changed your connection with customers?
Honestly, it happened by accident. I was operating out of my 500 sq ft apartment, and at one point had over 200 plants in there. I found a tiny storefront with great light, filled it with plants, and within days people were knocking on the window asking to come in. We started opening on weekends, and I quickly realized the storefront wasn’t just a space—it was essential. People want help choosing plants, and being face-to-face lets us meet them where they’re at. I like to joke I’m Plantman now—saving one overwatered pothos at a time.
Photo by @frondlyyvr
Your background includes both gardening with your family in Trinidad and working in e-commerce. How do those experiences shape the way you run Frondly today?
Gardening is a generous term, but I did spend a lot of time hosing down my grandmother’s plants and pulling weeds. Growing up in the tropics gave me an intuitive sense of what these plants actually need—light, heat, humidity. Add in my past experience in marketing, ecommerce, and retail ops, and I had a head start. Retail is hard and expensive, and if I didn’t have those skills, Frondly probably wouldn’t still be here. Today’s shoppers want to browse online, visit in person, and get things delivered. We’ve built Frondly to support that.
Photo: frondlyplants.com
Frondly is known for making plant shopping feel easy and fun—even for beginners. What’s your approach to helping customers feel confident about bringing plants into their homes?
Simplify! Most people don’t consider themselves “indoor gardeners,” but they still love having plants around. The variety out there can be overwhelming, and the advice isn’t always helpful. So we curate everything—only stocking forgiving plants like ZZs, snake plants, and monsteras—and skip anything too fussy. I want people to succeed, not feel like they failed because they didn’t use rainwater on a calathea. We’re a plant store for beginners and self-proclaimed plant killers.
Your Kitsilano shop offers services like repotting and soil refills. Why was it important for you to include those hands-on offerings in-store?
They bring people back into the shop and let us create a more sustainable footprint. Reusing soil bags and bottles—and sourcing our materials locally—is a small but meaningful shift. The soil and fertilizer we sell are high quality, which makes caring for your plants so much easier. Repotting is something people constantly ask for. It’s a lot of work, and some days I don’t want to do it, but it helps people keep their plants longer—and they usually pick out a new decorative pot while they’re at it.
Photo: frondlyplants.com
Are there any local spots in Vancouver—cafés, parks, or shops—where you like to recharge?
I’m not from Vancouver, so I get to appreciate it the way only an outsider can. My go-to is Prado café, just down the street. I grab a coffee and walk the seawall for a mental reset—and often spot a few harbour seals. I also love running my dog through Pacific Spirit Park, walking out at low tide at Spanish Banks, and hiking Quarry Rock for views over Deep Cove. It’s kind of unreal here—we’re spoiled.
Do you have a go-to LBE Design product that resonates with your customers?
The Round Two Planter has been a favorite of mine since before I started Frondly. I love the shape, the sizes, the ceramic quality, and especially the Olive and Oatmeal colors. It elevates every plant and is a dream to repot into—I’ll never get tired of it. I’ve also recently fallen for the Rancho Terracotta Planters. It’s nice to have an alternative to the standard cylinder, and I think it pairs beautifully with something like a small olive tree or a Fernwood Mikado snake plant.
Photo by @frondlyyvr
