Botanical Brew: Coffee meets Plants

I'm not a big Facebook person, but I occasionally scroll when I'm bored and usually get off once I see people worship God in one post, then complain about how their life isn't good enough in the next. I just hurt some people but maybe that's what they needed to hear from an 18-year-old girl today. However, one day I was scrolling and came across the most Pinterest worthy, aesthetically pleasing, best idea since Quizlet I've ever seen: a coffee AND plant shop. Mind. Blown. This is the best idea ever. Coffee shops are getting more and more unique every year. But this... wow. That's one smart idea. So I sent a text to my bestie and sent her the link to Botanical Brew. Her mind was also blown. We picked a day the week after to go and visit the cute little shop in downtown Lyman.

Botanical Brew opened its doors on October 1st of this year. In the midst of the covid season causing many small businesses to close, it's refreshing to see entrepreneurs jump out on a leap of faith and be their own boss. I will always admire self-made individuals and respect all the sacrifices and long nights they went through to open their own business. I was a little shocked to see they were located downtown Lyman. I mean, there is nothing, NOTHING, there. At all. The place has a lot of through traffic, but the store fronts themselves are mostly vacant apart from a hair salon and barber shop. Botanical Brew is definitely a hidden jem for sure. We walked in and were blown away by all the amazing plants. To the left was an inviting corner with a sofa and more plants all around it. I wanted my room to look like the inside of this shop. We browsed all the succulents, snake plants, and ferns until we decided to order a coffee. I've visited a lot of coffee shops and every time I visit a new shop I have high expectations but often leave disappointed. Their menu had so many flavors to choose from, more than the classic caramel and vanilla. Some unique flavors were butterscotch, cinnamon bun, and lavender. They also had a great variety of non-dairy milks, including oat milk! I was already a happy camper. I choose to order an iced white mocha with oat milk. I believe my friend got pumpkin spice but I can't remember. We sat on that comfy couch, pulled out our computers to start our school work, and waited for our drinks.

First off, how cute are these cups? The sticker transforms the drink. I mixed everything together with the straw, took a sip, and looked over at my friend who was also drinking hers. We both had the same look. The coffee was delicious. We had just found one of our favorite coffee shops. It was nearby, inexpensive(my drink was around $4.50!), and so good. We continued to sip our coffee while writing essays and crunching numbers. The college life is a busy one.

This place is the cutest. with stringed lights and hanging plants, there was no better place to study that morning. Now that I've told you how amazing their coffee is, lets move on to the second part of this business: plants. As I've said before, I am a plant killer. I just bought some plants last week and one is already looking different. I don't know how I do it but I do. There were two individuals working that day. I didn't catch her name, but the kind lady answered every question I had about plants. This woman was so knowledgeable on plants. She confidently answered the literal thousands of questions we asked. I'm pretty sure we asked questions and talked about plants for 20 minutes. I knew I wanted something small for my room. Something that was low maintenance and wouldn't die if I forgot about it. She directed me towards a snake plant(pretty sure that's what it's called.) It was so cute and the perfect size. I looked to see how much it was just for curiosity and it was only $5! The prices here are amazing.

I was checking out but my friend was still looking around. Behind some other plants she saw a specific plant and gasped. She had always wanted this plant but could never find one within her price range and size she wanted. She had picked up a Pitcher Plant. When I think of Pitcher Plants, I always think back to learning about plants in 1st grade. I specifically remember the Venus Fly Trap and the Pitcher Plant. This guy was so cool, the perfect size for her window, and only $18! For a plant like this that price is a steal. We both left happy campers.

My trip to Botanical Brew was 10/10!

The workers we the nicest people ever, the coffee and plant combo made my entire week, and the prices we awesome. If you ever find your self near Lyman or Greer, make an effort to visit this little business. That's it for todays post! Thanks for reading! Stay caffeinated and happy exploring!

-b