Hi friends! Lemme just say-it has been so nice to have a lazy Sunday. We went to the farmers market, and the Pea ate a bunch of peaches and strawberries. Besides that we've just sat. And sat. And sat some more. I have been so busy the last few weeks. Thanks for not forgetting about me and continuing to read!
I am so excited to bring this interview to you today. I met Darya and Paolo a few weeks ago after my sweet momma-in-law bought me a get-well succulent after my surgery last month. This posed a problem: I kill all the plants. All of them. This is not an exaggeration. Compounding the problem is that I actually LOVE succulents. Like, a lot. I love them so much that I drown them. My love is too much for them to bear, I suppose. So I found myself in a "Succulent Care" class at the Castro Valley library-it was a game changer. I am happy to report that my plants are still alive and thriving-A WHOLE MONTH LATER. I know, right? So I had to learn more about these succulent wisperers. And so I bring you...succiko! A beautifully curated little shop on Center Street in Castro Valley, Darya and Paolo have created an environment in succiko that fosters creativity, sustainability, and good green vibes.
Get ready to have your black thumb turned into a green one!
Hi Darya and Paolo! Thank you so
much for taking the time to talk to me about your business. Would you guys like
to introduce yourselves (and your pup!) to the readers? Bonus points if you add
in one random, unique fact about your spouse!
Hey there, we’re Castro
Valley’s fairly new plant boutique and (hopefully) soon-to-be coffee bar succiko. For the curious (surely you must be), the company
name is pronounced “sah-chee-koh”.
Anyway, there’ll be more on the company in the next question. In the meantime, get to know about the
personalities behind the shop @ Center.
Foremost, an
unconventional company name cannot be without its eccentrically named founders:
husband-wife team, Paolo and Dasha, along with their beloved beast of fluff and
frustration* friendship Lohpi.
Paolo’s name was born
out of his mom’s best friend’s fascination for Italian culture. He is not at all of Italian descent. His obsessions include plants (lately it has
been succulents and bamboo), Ingress, and coming up with new projects for the
shop.
Dasha, also formally
known as Darya, is so-named because she actually is Russian. For her mom, the choice of names was either
Darya or Zhanna. We’d say Dasha looks
more like a “Darya” anyway. Her
fascinations are coffee, florals, and designing spaces.
Lohpi, on the other
hand, was a name created that personifies this ball of fluff. Inspired by the Norse god “Loki”, we named
this puppy “Lohpi” after we woke up to him curled up by a pillow… and he looked almost
like said pillow. Say pillow several
times and the sounds blend together to yield “Lohpi”.
*Note: Lohpi is the
puppy of friendship and frustration because he’s made us many friends by being
such an excellent conversation starter.
Albeit, the frustration comes from him greeting too loudly with his
barking to the point that some people get startled or fear him altogether.
So I know you probably get this
question all the time, but I love the idea behind it! Can you give us a
breakdown on the double-meaning of ‘succiko’?
Right, so what is a
succiko anyway? The naming of succiko is
essentially a portmanteau of Paolo’s loves: succulents/cacti, kombucha,
Japanese culture, and much to Darya’s relief, nothing to do with a girl named
Sachiko (save for the actual name itself).
Sachiko means “happy child” in Japanese and the only reason that Paolo
knew that was because he used to teach himself Japanese by watching Japanese
soaps during his teens.
Did you both grow up with a love
for plants? And more importantly-is the green thumb genetic?! Because my mom
has some ‘splainin to do.
While we don’t necessarily recall either one of us growing
up as a gardening prodigy, nature has, somehow, always been what bound us
together as a couple. Our dates to the beach or hiking trails have given
us the fondest of memories and visiting nurseries and gardens was our favorite
pastime.
As with all things worthwhile,
investing time in perfecting a craft is imperative. We disagree with the
notion that being a green thumb has to do with genetics. Rather, raising plants
is a cultivated skill acquired by mastery of appreciating every moment.
It takes a certain finesse to be attentive to a plant while allowing it
come into its own beauty. So, no. Mom is off the hook.
Ha! She will appreciate that!
Okay, so tell us about how succiko, the shop, came to be!
succiko is beauty out
of the not-so-pretty. It was the decision to be surrounded all day with plants
over papers. (Read on for a bit more on this).
What is the best part of being a
small business owner, and the worst part, that might not typically come to
mind?
Best
part: knowing that every bit of work we do goes towards creating what we’re
proud to stand behind.
Worst
part: the stuff not related to plants.
Your business specializes in
succulents/air plants. Is there a specific reason for that?
They’re
sustainable and constantly beautiful. The
only other specific reason would have to be that they’re tried and tested
before we set up shop. Paolo had amassed
a massive collection of these plants, and sad to say, has also learned the hard
way (they died) from a good number of them.
Fun fact: part of the reason we created the retail store was when
Darya’s dad joked around saying that our pre-shop collection was enough to
start a shop.
I
know there are a couple new projects in the works at your shop this year! What
can you tell me about plantParcel?
Essentially, plantParcel is a subscription box service where subscribers pay a flat-rate to receive a nifty package of plants and other plant-based trinkets. We aim that a “typical” box would be non-existent in that each one should be a pleasant surprise. Anyway, plantParcel is an idea we’re still trying to hash out mostly due to logistical matters.
Essentially, plantParcel is a subscription box service where subscribers pay a flat-rate to receive a nifty package of plants and other plant-based trinkets. We aim that a “typical” box would be non-existent in that each one should be a pleasant surprise. Anyway, plantParcel is an idea we’re still trying to hash out mostly due to logistical matters.
You’re also working on Planting Futures-
can you tell us about that and where the idea for Planting Futures came from?
The Planting
Futures Initiative is an effort to fulfill our philanthropic mission to help
the youth. Education is, by large, the
most underappreciated part of our society.
We’re hoping to change that by bringing more plants as teaching aids
into schools. In its early stage, the
initiative works by having guests that visit the shop purchase plants for a
school that they designate. The succiko Team
then pools the plants for pickup by/delivery to our respective school contacts
on a monthly basis. The next phase of
the initiative would be to have succiko match donations. The ideal end goal would be to have
sustainable gardens for every school in our community that can be enjoyed and
learned from by generations.
What is a ‘succiko Social’ and what
happens there?
‘Socials’
are our way of saying “workshops”.
Guests who follow us on social media/our newsletter are invited to join
us in these monthly events to create a nifty composition while enjoying
refreshments and the company of other planthusiasts in the community.
Okay- I have to ask a couple questions
about succulents for the greater purpose that mine may live to see another day.
ONCE AND FOR ALL: How do I keep my succulents from dying? How much
water/sunlight do they need, and does that depend on the season or any other
specifics?
Succulents
thrive on gentle neglect. Allow your
plant friend to do what it’s used to doing –living without needing much– while
intervening only when necessary. We
always say that succulents are more of a “sit back and enjoy” kind of
plant. Besides, plant rearing should be a stress-free and relaxing
experience.
Just
make sure that they get bright, natural light as much as possible. Direct sun becomes more mandatory the bigger
a succulent gets. Once you have your
plant friend in the right place, do an in-depth check on it every two weeks or
so for drastic changes to foliage
and soil moisture.
Your shop also has lots of air plants
hangin’ around! What is an air plant? What does their care and maintenance
entail?
Airplants
are epiphytic bromeliads. “Wait wut?”
you say? Epiphytes are plants that grow
on/outside of a surface. Bromeliads are
a family of plants of which famous members are the pineapple and, of course,
tillandsias.
Tillandsias
are special in that they absorb water through their leaves instead of their
roots. They generally come from humid
environments and are spread by being blown in the wind. That said then, their care involves a
simulation of this environment: regular, thorough misting, good air
circulation, and filtered light.
If my succulent seems to be dying, is
there any way to save it, or is it doomed forever?
There are ways to save a succulent
from dying:
Prevention
would be the best cure. (See the basics a few questions back- proper lighting
& water!)
If
the plant is showing signs of rotting, check for and salvage any healthy parts
of the plant and place in fresh, dry soil.
Hopefully the plant will re-root, though success isn’t guaranteed.
If
things do go awry and you don’t know what to do, don’t fret. The succiko Team is also happy to look at and
give advice on plants (even if not purchased through our shop) to the best of
our ability. Please note that this is
based on our Team’s availability and with advance notice.
What do you think plants do for a
space, aesthetically speaking?
Love of plants is innate in all of us. There’s
something about verdure that naturally uplifts the spirits and makes any space
aesthetically pleasing. When we walk into a place with plants, we feel at
peace, reconnected, and grounded.
We feel it’s our duty to facilitate this for the community.
Finally- what do you see in the future
for succiko? Do you have any 5 year goals you’d like to share?
We have goals and dreams for a bountiful future for
succiko. A nice indoor/outdoor garden
setting where people can feel at peace and enjoy the company of plants is the
basic vision. Coffee bar, relaxing live
music, community events, and collaborations with other like-minded businesses
are definitely in the 5-year plan.
The endless possibilities are exciting! We treat the company like life –as a
journey. How we’ll get there remains a
mystery to us, but therein lies the fun.
One thing’s for sure: we know that it’ll all work out.
Thank you so much Darya and Paolo!
Be sure to head over to their shop and show them
some plant love! You're sure to find all kinds of living treasure there. Pro tip:
drink the kombucha! Just do it.
19577 Center Street
Castro Valley, California 94546
t: 650 892 3042
