Pots2Go, The Kirkland Wednesday Market at the intersection of Third Street and Park Lane East, 11:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. through Oct. 13; and The Redmond Saturday Market at 7730 Leary Way, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. until Oct. 29. 425-828-9098. http://www.pots2go.com/.

Business sells: Pots of flowers and plants along with on-site custom planting services.

Price range: $40 for a small (12 inch) pot of flowers; $60 for a medium (13 inch) and $80 for a large (15 inch).

On-site custom planting costs vary, depending on the job. They can run $200 for one existing 24-inch pot to $1,300 for nine existing 19-inch pots.

Who owns it? Stay-at-home moms Kelli Curtis and Beth Day founded Pots2Go in February.

Day came up with the idea of selling preplanted pots of flowers as an inexpensive solution to her dad's frequent trips carting heavy containers home after they'd been planted at nearby nurseries for a hefty fee.

Curtis is a master gardener.

The longtime friends, who met while working at a start-up company in the high-tech industry 10 years ago, work out of Curtis' driveway in Kirkland.

What's unique? Pots2Go's bouquets are planted in biodegradable pots that can be dropped into any existing container from iron garden baskets to terra-cotta urns.

The light, brown-colored pots are 100 percent paper, so they'll break down in about a year, said Day. And everything's recyclable, compostable and organic. They use no pesticides.

"Because our containers are made of paper, they're very waterwise," Curtis said, and the pots will introduce color into a yard even if residents don't water their lawns.

What's functional ? Customers include gardeners as well as those who are "terrified of gardening," Curtis said.

The pots are well-suited to individuals who live in small spaces, such as apartments or condominiums. These container-ready pots can brighten up a balcony without the residents having to haul soil through the house or attempt to garden in the kitchen.

They're also easy to dispose of — some customers like to pull out the entire pot and toss it along with the contents at the end of a season.

How does the store work? Although there's no permanent retail storefront, there are three ways to get colorful blooms from Pots2Go:

• Buy them from the pair at the Kirkland or Redmond farmers markets.

• Call or e-mail in a preorder to pick up at the Pots2Go stall at either market.

• Arrange for an on-site custom planting.

Day or Curtis will visit, often with a child or two in tow, to consult with customers about color preferences before bringing the necessary plants to fill existing containers.

The team has also planted pots at entryways to help sell people's homes, and has added pizzazz to pots for people throwing parties.

One thing customers should know: "We anchor every pot with some large perennial," said Curtis. Customers can transplant the lavender or ferns into the garden or leave in the pot to bloom again next spring.

Judy Chia Hui Hsu, Seattle Times staff reporter