Brittany Aiello discusses how she finds comfort and stress relief through her hand-painted plant pot business

During the stress and isolation of lockdown, people have returned to pastimes such as art, dancing and writing. However, one of the most popular trends is planting. There is something therapeutic about nurturing plants that has convinced many people to rekindle their garden romance during this pandemic.

If you are a plant lover and have been researching local Hamilton businesses to support, you may already be familiar with The Crazy Planter Lady on Instagram. Behind the beautifully painted pots and cute plants is Brittany Aiello.

The artist started the Instagram page back in 2018 to share her extensive plant collection. After successfully debuting her hand-painted plant pots at a 2019 art crawl, she turned her planting and painting hobby into a business.

 

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Aiello fell in love with painting plant pots because planting and art enabled her to unplug and relax. She loves her job as an educational assistant for students with special needs, however, it can be very stressful and painting plant pots is the perfect hobby that combines her passion for both art and gardening.

She also appreciates the community connection she is able to build with other local artists, plant enthusiasts and small business owners.

“[Painting plant pots] is a really good escape for me, physically and mentally. But on top of that, I've gotten to meet lots of cool people and whether it be at shows, customers or just people asking me for advice on how to take care of their plants. I think the community of Hamilton as a whole has a lot of great people that are willing to support local and so I've met awesome other business people like myself and artists,” said Aiello. 

"[Painting plant pots] is a really good escape for me, physically and mentally. But on top of that, I've gotten to meet lots of cool people and whether it be at shows, customers or just people asking me for advice on how to take care of their plants."

The painting technique she uses most involves dish soap and acrylic paint to create unique, abstract patterns that also come in endless colour combinations. The most popular designs are galaxy and metallics.

Her pots can be purchased in a variety of sizes with or without a plant and custom typography can be added as well. Another collection the artist offers are the "tiny planter buddies" ranging from animals to miniature Starbucks cups.

Since uploading her first post on her Instagram page, her page has been flooded with support and love from the community. In fact, it was the same community that convinced her to sell her hand-painted pots. Behind the scenes, her husband who is a graphic designer helps with advertisements and social media posts.

 

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Outside of her social media page, Aiello also participates in art shows. Although her last show was in the summer of 2020, the supporters who come out to see her art motivate her to continue developing her business.

Aiello’s pots are available at Nest gift shop on Locke Street, which is currently closed due to the lockdown. However, her pots are still available for sale using contactless payment and pickup.

To fit the theme of a plant-based store, Aiello’s business is also eco-conscious and sustainable. All the packaging is made of recycled materials and she also offers plant rescues for her customers’ dying plants. Through this service, she is able to support new plant owners and share the values and benefits of planting with the community. 

“I just love having living decor that you can change and it really brings up your mood inside your living space as well,” said Aiello.

“I just love having living decor that you can change and it really brings up your mood inside your living space as well,” said Aiello.

For those who are just starting to care for plants, Aiello shared her tips.

“You really can't go wrong with getting a desert plant like a succulent because it really does only need water once a month and you can forget about it and it looks beautiful. I think people just need to remember, it's okay if you lose a plant because then you learned a lesson and you can get a new plant,” said Aiello.

Being a plant parent can provide solace, distraction or beauty during this time of hurt and uncertainty. Whatever emotions you may have during the pandemic, planting — with the help of folks like Aiello — might be just the outlet you need to reignite a little jubilation.

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