Plant Seads: Sustainable Gardening Products Coming to a Walmart Near You

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‍Born and raised in Tulsa, Bryan Meador spent the most recent 12 years of his life in NYC missing the connection to nature that the midwest offers in abundance. So, what did he do? He founded Plant Seads, a sustainable company whose debut product is a vertical garden planter. And last year, Bryan packed up the company, moved back to his hometown, and landed Plant Seads planters in over 450 Walmart stores across the country. Dare we call it a grassroots movement??

So where did Plants Seads come from? The whole thing started when Bryan was living in NYC. Coming from the midwest, he was used to being surrounded by plants and trees, and city living wasn’t giving him the connection to nature that he craved. He started by planting a few things in aluminum cans, which blossomed into the vertical garden planters that Plant Seads makes today.

Planting things and watching them grow is not only good for the environment, but also good for us as human beings. Bryan’s mission is to give everyone the opportunity to grow something, no matter where they live or how much ground they have to garden. Plant Seads makes sustainable products that empower people to live well in a changing environment. They do this by creating adaptive solutions that mitigate the effects of climate change in simple and practical ways.

Plant Seads designs are manufactured in the USA from sustainable materials and offered at a price point that is accessible to everyone. Their first product is a planter that helps people transform any space into a vertical garden. The planters are made with 100% recycled plastic right here in the USA. They can go just about anywhere, but they clip into chain link fences perfectly so you can turn chain link fences into vertical gardens in one easy step.

But what’s so great about vertical gardens? Well, they contribute to urban environments in a variety of ways. Vertical gardens absorb CO2, and excess rainwater which contributes to flooding. They also help cool the environment and dampen noise pollution, all of which help create a more livable (and beautiful) environment.

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Oh, and to sweeten the deal -  for every 5 planters sold, Plant Seads plants a tree in an area suffering from deforestation. It really is a green project through and through!

“Like many people, I can get pretty anxious about climate change, and I wanted to give people a tool to help mitigate some of the effects of a warming planet," Bryan says. "Now, I’m not saying that this project is going to solve climate change, but it can bring us one step closer to a better future. One where cities are just as green as the countryside and people have a closer connection to nature no matter where they live.”

We’re so proud of Plant Seads for many reasons, but we’re extra excited to announce that they’ve landed a deal with Walmart! Starting in March, Plants Seads planters will be available in over 450 Walmart stores nationwide! The momentum from this deal has allowed them to think more broadly about how the company can grow over the next 3-4 years.

“Starting a company is a really hard thing to do, so having a community of other entrepreneurs to bounce ideas off of is invaluable," says Bryan. "I feel so lucky to work alongside a whole team of people who have gone through a similar experience, and it’s inspiring to see their own endeavors grow. Finding this new entrepreneurial ecosystem and the 36 Degrees North community were a huge part of that process and I’m really grateful for that.”

When Bryan’s not at the Incubator, you can find him in the garden (obviously), playing music, and hanging out with his foster dog, Rocky! His favorite spot is the Gathering Place, where he loves to soak in all the beautiful landscaping that is intricately woven into the park. For Bryan, it’s like a masterclass in landscape design and gardening! 

Keep an eye on Plant Seads. They have big plans for the new year. They’re really excited about bringing Plant Seads manufacturing and supply chain to Oklahoma. This helps bring their emissions down even further, while also being able to tap into the recycling program that we have here in Tulsa for raw materials. They also have a few new products up their sleeve that will expand their selection of urban gardening tools.