By Ellen Spitaleri
Leonard and Andrea Allen, owners of the new ECOVIBE shop on the corner of SE 23rd Ave. and Hawthorne Blvd., want everyone to know that this is a family owned and operated business, with roots in Portland that go back six generations in Leonard’s family. The spacious new store in the Marilyn Building opened in May. It sells live plants, plant pottery, candles, pillows, throws, rugs and kitchenware items.
The couple opened their first location on NE Alberta St. in 2019 and had been wanting to open a second shop in SE Portland since 2020. “We wanted to expand because we knew that we already had a lot of customers in the area who had been shopping at our NE Alberta location or who had discovered us during the pandemic when we started doing home deliveries,” Andrea said. She noted that her husband went to Cleveland High School and the neighborhood still feels like home to him in a lot of ways.
“The new location also provides us with a lot more space to grow, which was something we knew we wanted in our second location,” Andrea said. The larger space allows them to better showcase their products, while providing customers with more room to shop. “We also were able to add a DIY potting station in our plant area where we can help people build their own terrariums and custom plant creations,” she said.
ECOVIBE offers a range of houseplants, from easy-care to more rare and unusual varieties. “Some of our most popular plants are the trailing pothos plants and snake plants in all variations, because they are easy to care for, can grow in low-light conditions and are easy to propagate and share,” Andrea said. She added that the shop’s plant specialists will help set people up for success by providing care instructions and tips on how to help their plants thrive.
Customers also like the home decor appeal of dried flowers, reeds and grasses. She said that these dried botanicals can be added to a favorite vase or pitcher to be placed on a table or shelf instead of a fresh flower bouquet.
ECOVIBE also sells locally made products, including candle and fragrance line Broken Top Candle Co., handmade in Bend. “We also sell artisanal salts and local honey from Jacobsen Salt Co. and a variety of delicious beverage mixers from Portland Syrups,” Andrea said. Most of the shop’s jewelry is handmade in Portland, and ECOVIBE also carries pottery from Pye Ceramics, books from local authors and plants from local growers.
Two other things are also important to the couple–sustainability and giving back to the community. “Building a business grounded in sustainability has always been a driving force for us,” Andrea said, adding that the name ECOVIBE “has always been a core foundation of what we are doing.” The couple’s giving back programs are a part of their sustainability mission and they make a point to give back to local organizations that work for environmental and social causes that matter to them.
Among the organizations they work with are 1% For the Planet, where they give one percent of sales to local nonprofits, and Equitable Giving Circle. Also, online shoppers can support causes important to them through the ECOVIBE Round-Up Campaign. “After you’ve completed your purchase, you will see the option to ‘round up’ your total order value. This rounded-up amount will be donated to the charity of your choice.”
The shop is open daily, 10 am-6 pm.
ECOVIBE
2380 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
971.888.4015
ECOVIBE owners Leonard and Andrea Allen. Photo by Melissa Babasin.
