The Plant Depot was born from a friendship spanning more than 15 years and a shared passion for plants that runs even deeper. Alex has spent nine years owning and operating nurseries, including founding Lomalagi in 2017. Horticulture has been a lifelong passion and he holds multiple industry relevant trade level certificates, he also draws on many years of small-team management in the hospitality industry.

Stuart brings two decades of business management experience from the hospitality industry, managing large teams across multiple locations in Newcastle and Sydney, and more recently owning and operating his own lawn and garden maintenance business.

When we looked at the Newcastle and Hunter Region, we saw a real gap: people had limited access to quality plants at affordable prices, and even less access to the kind of unique species and varieties we were passionate about. We also recognised that the convenience of shopping for plants online — browsing, ordering, and having them delivered to your door — simply wasn't available in any meaningful way locally.

Combining our backgrounds just made sense. With Alex based in South East Queensland and Stuart in Newcastle, we have direct access to exceptional growing regions and the ability to source and distribute plants all along the east coast. Much of what we sell, we grow ourselves — as organically and sustainably as we can — and where we can't meet demand, we partner with trusted, reputable suppliers.

Beyond plants, we're committed to giving back to the community. We're proud to employ people with disabilities and are working toward a mission of helping feed those most vulnerable in our region.