As a company that specialises in houseplants one of the continual challenges is dealing with expectations…

We live in a world dominated by social media. Everyone seems to be doing exciting things, living in ultra chic houses and growing perfect plants. Of course, these Instagram and Pinterest images are someones highlight reel, not their reality.

Vertical gardens do NOT look as good as they do on Pinterest when you look close up. Olive trees indoors might look stunning indoors but honestly…they are very difficult to keep looking like that and were probably moved in for a photoshoot (or withered and died over the course of the coming months unless they were 6-8 hours of bright light). Succulents are not great indoor plants even though they seem ubiquitous on the ‘gram. And…plants DO die (but we tend not to see those images so we get down when our own plant dies).

So, what can you do to ensure you live well with plants?

1) Do some research. We try to provide detailed care instructions for our plants and it’s a great place to start. Also check out websites – we like Apartment Therapy’s Encyclopaedia of Houseplants and The Spruce. Want more detail? Check out our awesome book collection – these are the ones we return to again and again when we need help and we think they are worth the investment if you’re serious about your plants.

2) Don’t run before you can walk. You wouldn’t expect to run a marathon as fast as Kipchoge with no training. And you shouldn’t expect your home or office to be a plant sanctuary straight away…start small, learn from your mistakes and add plants as you go. We’d all LOVE spaces like Hilton Carter’s but I guarantee you he didn’t just wake up living in paradise and he’s also had his fair share of plant deaths!

3) Love the process. Most plant deaths when you are starting out happen because of two things; 1) people buy plants for decor and expect them to behave like a painting or a tray rather than a living thing…or 2) they don’t check in their plants enough! Learn to visually assess your plants at least once a week – poke the soil, watch out for excess water in the pot, look for dudus. Become part of the plant’s growing process and you’ll both grow together.

4) Take advice. We want to make sure your experience with plants is a good one. It’s why we recommend certain plants for certain light levels and try and steer first time customers away from fleshy leafed succulents! Why not see what takes your fancy from our beginner section online?