Operating as a coffee buyer for Proud Mary pre-pandemic, Mike Sullivan found his work drying up during Melbourne’s lockdowns. His plants, however, were flourishing. The slow patch “gave me a bit more time to be creative and tend to my plants”, he says.
“One night I was looking at all my beautiful plants that were thriving. One had a wonky stake in it that I purchased at Bunnings, and that’s when the idea clicked,” Sullivan explains.
The idea was Secateur Me Baby – what’s become a line of wavy, colourful, handcrafted plant stakes that literally elevate household greenery with energetic, linear forms. “They are a homage to old memories and shapes, and evoke a dreamlike feel,” he says.
Sullivan’s wares are fun but practical – the sculptural curves are made to support plant growth, with stems and leaves intertwining over wavy structures. They’re also designed to grab attention, which might be a product of their maker’s personality, Sullivan says. “Secateur Me Baby encapsulates who I truly am, which is a quirky, kind of loud guy.”
Admittedly “self-taught when it comes to product design and manufacturing”, Sullivan says his journey with the label has had some ups and downs. “There have been a lot of mistakes along the way when it comes to buying tools, trying new things and experimenting with materials,” he says.
“Luckily, I’ve received a lot of help from some amazing suppliers, friends and people in the industry. One of the best things about being creative is that if you’re completely honest with people, they’ll lend their hearts to you.”
With sustainability at the forefront of his designs, Sullivan’s initial creations are made with ethically sourced native timbers from Melbourne supplier Urban Salvage. He’s also branched out into working with powder-coated steel and recycled plastic in his Kensington studio.
“The plastic I use is all 100 per cent recycled HDPE, a high-density polyethylene which is great for construction,” Sullivan says. “This type of plastic comes from milk bottle lids, plastic bags and post-industrial plastic.” He’s also “jumped into steel, which is extremely sustainable” and started experimenting with twice-recycled plastic. “Any offcuts from the production I granulate again. This means none of the materials end up in landfill, and every little bit of microplastic is saved.”
Secateur Me Baby now boasts 10 different plant stake designs in evolving finishes and colourways. Sullivan is particularly fond of the Splice, which goes through two rounds of recycling, and the Boa. “I love them – they’re the big snake-like ones. I love how they turned out after they were plated and powder-coated. They’re just stunning, strong, prominent pieces.”
Sullivan clearly knows a thing or two about supporting house plants and helping them thrive. What’s his best tip for home gardeners? “A simple plant care tip is to ‘do less’. I think a lot of people get quite excited when it comes to tending to their plants and they over-water them,” he says. “If the leaves are starting to curl, it’s usually a good indicator that it needs water. Watering your plant only when it needs it will help you avoid getting root rot or yellowing leaves, which will create more problems.”
Currently, Sullivan’s computer is full of designs and prototypes he’s been working on that will be released in January 2023, so there is more Secateur Me Baby to come. “I want to take this as far and as wide as possible. I would love to have a bricks-and-mortar store one day and would love to grow into the commercial gardening space in the future.”