Have you been driving by 91 Main Street ever since Let’s Get Wired moved down the road, wondering what is going on behind the paper-covered windows? Well, on Friday, November 8, 2024, Joz's Jungle, the newest addition to Stafford’s growing collection of quirky small businesses, will open its doors (just in time for Arts on Main) so everyone can get a glimpse.
Owner Josie Cyr and her husband Brandon Mundell have been hard at work reworking the space to be a haven for tropical plant enthusiasts like themselves. They both have full-time jobs, but they have spent nearly every spare minute painting, building live-edge shelves, collecting pots, and finding suppliers to supplement their collection of tropical houseplants.
Behind the paper on the windows is a vibrantly painted room, which combines purple and teal—representing suicide awareness—and green to show the connection between plants and mental health. In the corner is an old clawfoot tub, home to Fern and Fin, a couple of koi fish that help produce the nutrient-rich water the couple uses to water their plants (sadly, they were feeling camera shy, but be sure to ask about their origin story).
“This has been a dream of mine forever,” says Cyr, who once worked on a farm and busied herself tending to plants as we discussed the new business. After Friday's opening, the store will be open Thursdays from 4 - 9 p.m. and on Fridays and Saturdays from 1 - 9 p.m. Both Cyr and Mundell imagine a future when they are able to host private events to teach people about plant care, paint pots, or make terrariums.
Joz’s Jungle boasts a collection of plants that range from inexpensive household staples – like spider plants and succulents – to $400 albino monsteras for serious collectors. The couple has also made hanging planters with their 3D printer and has everything from plant-themed earrings to stickers for sale.
Like most other businesses I’ve talked to lately, Joz’s Jungle says the other businesses on Main Street have been very welcoming. Mundell says he has spoken with Mike’s on Main about making centerpieces for the restaurant to help raise awareness about the new plant store just a few doors up the road. So, be sure to pitch in and stop by to show Stafford is behind all of downtown’s businesses.
