Big plants, little plants and everything in between: Emily Wight wants people to be surrounded with them.
And she wants it to be as simple as bringing the greenhouse to your living room without stepping outside the house.
The Burlington woman, wife and mother of three, operates Foli out of Aldershot. The business, which she started out of her living room, allows people to experience the joy and convenience of a one-stop shop for all your indoor gardening needs.The premium tropical plant delivery service has shipped more than 40,000 plants across Canada.
Foli has continued growing more each year, creating jobs and greenery for people across Canada.
Wight's hoping to spread her love of plants to others – all the way across the country.
Wight grew up in downtown Burlington and spent a few years in Toronto before returning to her roots and settling in Aldershot, where she’s happily able to mix having a young family with running a successful business.
Foli offers rich, luscious greenery, cactus, pet-friendly plants and large plants for large spaces.. There’s also a multitude of planter choices available, along with all the accessories plant lovers might need, from sprays and fertilizers, soils, watering cans and micro-green growing kits, right down to name-brand socks.
Foli got its start in 2019. Wight believed in the power of plants so much that she wanted to spread the joy of connecting people with plants. In that time, she’s been able to connect plant lovers, gifters and corporate plant initiatives. In the first year alone, Wight shipped 25,000 plants – from Bird of Paradise, snake plants to cactus and more. Each shipped plant comes with easy-to-follow care instructions and special gift messages if desired.
Wight says Foli plants are a welcome addition to corporate gifting where chocolate and alcohol products might not be enjoyed by recipients.
Again this year, Wight is offering seasonal planters delivered to home across the GTA for free. All the planters feature plants that are natural and modern as well as long-lasting and locally grown. More than 1,000 planters have been delivered in the past, including fall and Christmas-themed planters.
Foli operates a 5,000 sq.-ft. greenhouse in Watedown, where they grow their plants; from there, they are shipped out of their Aldershot store-front and warehouse on Plains Road.
Wight is proud to be part of the local community too, by providing fun plant-related activities on site, including a re-potting event on Saturday, April 13, when residents can book time slots to come and re-pot their plants with soil and ideas awaiting. This is the third year for the event, and she expects a large turnout.
Wight said they provide the space, advice and education for those looking to grow their plants; she said the re-potting event is popular because people become attached to their plants, sometimes for sentimental reasons.
“We provid
e ideas and tricks on how to do it the best way possible,” said Wight, who noted Foli is her third start-up; the first was a Greek yogurt marketed out of Union Station. "It was for me the training wheels of start-ups."
Foli's storefront location at 355 Plains Rd. E. is open weekdays, and also features ROAM, a boutique clothing section that operates Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and once-a-month in a retro-trailer at the rear entrance to the business.
As seen on Dragon’s Den in November 2022, Foli is a budding business built on a strong foundation with a clear vision. Wight’s goal is to be the largest provider of indoor plants and plant gear to Canadians. She sought $250,000 for a 10 per cent share of her company.
On the show she says she’s “not the only crazy plant lady there is,” and said she isn’t alone, citing high numbers of Millennials who also have a soft spot for plants.
She said the plants are a better value than a bouquet of flowers that dies after a week or two. After making her pitch, every dragon made her an offer.
