Award-winning plant shop Grounded in Southsea set to bloom in bigger new Marmion Road home
A growing plant shop has moved to its new home - a well-known site in Southsea
Grounded in Southsea, the award-winning plant shop and community hub on Marmion Road, Southsea, is moving to a bigger premises on the same street, giving owner Sam Cooper room for more big plants, a new gift and home section, and a dedicated workshop space for the local community.
Sam opened the new store on Saturday (11 July) with a launch party that saw 200+ people visit the shop over the day with everyone who wanted one, enjoying a free glass of fizz.
Grounded in Southsea’s new home is 76 Marmion Road, which was previously the home of Artisan Kitchens and Furniture, formerly known as Victoriana. Sam has long admired the building and moving in is a business dream come true.
“I have always loved 76 Marmion Road and it’s the only place I would have considered moving to,” said Sam. “I love the quirkiness of the space, the size and the location, but the best thing will be taking all our lovely customers and the local community on this journey with us. Our launch party was amazing and I cannot wait to welcome more people through the door.”
Sam launched Grounded in Southsea in 2020, after 24 years as a teacher. Having moved into a ‘doer-upper’ of a house, she had filled it with plants to distract from the building work and found it difficult to buy good-quality plants at a reasonable price. Convinced other plant lovers felt the same, she began experimenting with pots made from eco-friendly cork alongside her mum, which went on to become Grounded in Southsea’s signature product.
The shop has picked up a string of local awards, including:
● Winner, Best Florist/Plant Shop in Hampshire and Isle of Wight, Muddy Stiletto Awards 2025
● Winner, Friendliest Small Business 2025 - voted for by the people of Portsmouth, organised by Stephen Morgan MP
● Winner, Greenest Small Business 2024 - voted for by the people of Portsmouth, organised by Stephen Morgan MP
The new premises are considerably larger than the previous location, with room to stock the bigger plants Sam has previously had to source for customers without space to display them, plus an expanded range of pots, soils and houseplant care accessories. There will also be a new gift and home section.
The biggest change is a dedicated workshop area, where Sam and her team member Zoe will continue to run their popular terrarium and wreath-making workshops, but now surrounded by plants rather than squeezed in. The space will also be made available for other local groups to run their own workshops and events, with interest already coming in from the community.
“I want the workshop space to be a way of bringing new groups of people and different community events into the shop,” continued Sam. “But most of all, I just want people to smile when they come in, and for our shop to be an integral part of the community.
“Running a small business is tough but it is a privilege to spend every day in this plant paradise with the people of Southsea."