Local plant nursery blooms inside abandoned police kiosk in New Jersey

JERSEY CITY, New Jersey -- Shayla Cabrera, the owner of Tia Planta, is bringing an abandoned police kiosk to life.

Cabrera's love for all things plants and her experience nurturing over 200 plants of her own, inspired her to share her plant knowledge and secrets with the world.

"Before this, I was a career nanny. I worked for celebrities, athletes, and politicians. This business began during quarantine with my massive plant collection. I sat and I thought how can I share all of this information, so I started making videos and sharing them on Instagram and TikTok," said Cabrera.

After the launch of Tia Planta on social media, Cabrera began having pop-up shops locally, until she was reached out by the city of Jersey City in New Jersey to take over an abandoned police kiosk and convert it into a greenhouse.

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"This space was previously unoccupied for about 25 years. It was a police station post for a few years and then it was shut down. The city approached me with the opportunity to turn it into a tiny greenhouse and the community is amazed to see how it has transformed the square," said Cabrera.

The 150 square feet kiosk houses hundreds of plants, of all different sizes.

From cacti to rare plants, Tia Planta handpicks every plant in the shop to ensure they're in a healthy shape before selling them to her customers.

"We want to make sure everyone stays happy, grows with their plants, and continues their plant collection and their hobbies. Tia Planta is here to teach you and help guide you through the process," said Cabrera.

Tia Planta's kiosk can be found in Jersey City at 722 Montgomery or on Instagram.

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