Patch - Plant club magazine

Bali Schefflera on lava ÂŁ30

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Featuring: Small plants with big ideas; Brand new exclusive pots and plant stands; What kind of plant parent are you? Take our quiz to find out; Head into the jungle with the plant hunter; The plant doctors answer your questions; Meet our (almost) unkillable houseplants.

Hello, I don’t think any of us imagined this year would involve quite so much time at home. It’s never felt more important that our home is a sanctuary, somewhere relaxing.

It’s amazing the way a few plants can make a space feel soothing.

The number of plants in my house has exploded in the last few months – I may have to start getting rid of furniture soon. I love it. A few minutes a day tending to your plants is time to clear your head and shut off the outside world.

At Patch, we believe plants should be easy and accessible to everyone.

Whether you’re a new plant parent or an experienced grower, these pages are full of tips on how to pick the perfect plants, care for them and use them to decorate your home.

We’ve just expanded our range with lots of new plants (I’m a bit in love with Pascal the neon pothos). We’ve also launched our own range of stylish pots. We spent a long time choosing the perfect colours and finishes, and we’re really proud of the results. We’d never say anything is more beautiful than our plants, but these pots very nearly are.

Head plant doctor

Why Patch?

The old way of buying plants, from garden centres and shops, can mean your plants spend weeks sitting in warehouses and on shelves. The Patch way gets the plants from grower to your home in as little as three days. That means happier, healthier plants for you.

Day 1 When you order your plant, it’s collected from our grower and taken to our fulfillment centre. We only source from the finest growers, with the Royal FloraHolland A1 badge of quality (that means they’re the best of the best).

Day 2 Your plants are quality checked by the Patch team and carefully prepared for delivery.

Day 3 Your new friends arrive at your door. We’ll also send you simple care instructions via email.

Venus Maidenhair fern £10, Effy Hedera helix ‘variegata’ £6, Clay hanging pots £20 - £24

Small space.

Big ideas.

You can turn even the tiniest room into an urban jungle. You just have to know how to make the most of your space.

Look up Use the room’s height and put trailing plants either in hanging pots or on shelves (or both). As they grow, their stems will dangle toward the ground.

Rapunzel Golden pothos £15

Use colour If you don’t have space for many plants, make sure the ones you have stand out.

Pascal the neon pothos or Tristan the calathea triostar will add some zing.

Tristan Calathea triostar £26

Use big plants cleverly Large plants can work in small spaces, if you use the tall, slim ones. Rick the corn plant or Phil the philodendron don’t take up much floor space but transform any room.

Phil Philodendron scandens £65

The little guys

Monstera adansonii £5

If you need some eye-catching plants that won’t take up much room, try these. Their pots are small but their impact is big.

Dischidia £18

Anthurium clarinervium £32

Wallace

Theodore Clare

All prices correct at time of going to print.

Penny

Aglaonema crete £16

Pilea peperomia £14

Watermelon peperomia £12

Schefflera on lava £30

Annie

Bali

Aggie

patchplants.com

Big plants

Homalomena rubescens £55

If you have the space, treat yourself to a huge plant, or several. They bring the room to life and are great for filling awkward corners.

Cocus nucifera £25

Jim

Cycas revoluta £22

Fera

Helena

Nicolau

Ficus elastica £8 - £55

Strelitzia £60

Chaz

Robin

patchplants.com

Monstera deliciosa £14 - £80

Meet the plant hunter Every plant in your home has a story. Each one is a descendent of a plant that once lived in the wild, in rainforests, mountains or deserts.

Finding and developing them so they can live happily in European homes can take years. It’s down to ‘plant hunters’ like Obed Smit, who travel the world searching for the most unusual and exciting species.

Obed is one of the growers that supplies Patch with world class plants. A couple of times a year, Obed makes trips to places like South America, New Zealand and South Africa, in search of new and rare species.

“I find growers and collectors all over the world, who know the hot spots in the wild where you can find new plants,” says Obed. With the help of local experts, he gathers cuttings of unusual plants (only cuttings are taken, so as not to disturb the natural environment) and brings them back to his lab in the Netherlands. The process of creating a new houseplant is not as simple as just bringing a plant home and letting it grow.

“Sometimes plants grow under special circumstances that you can’t recreate in a greenhouse,” says Obed. “When I go overseas,

I may come back with 100 cuttings, but only one or two will eventually become commercially sold plants.”

Once gathered, plants are taken to a high-tech lab, to understand them better and see what conditions they favour. That can take well over a year. Following testing in the lab, they have to be tested in a normal home, to make sure they’ll thrive. In some cases, the time from discovering a plant to selling it can be decades.

That was the case with delosperma echinatum, which we know better as Xena the pickle plant.

“I first found that plant in South Africa, 20 years ago,” says Obed.

“We were not successful in growing it. It was too difficult. Three years ago, we tried again. We had a lot more experience now and we grew it successfully.”

Obed has been growing plants for over 40 years and he says the joy of discovering new things has only increased over the years. “There is a whole new group of people interested in plants now – the people Patch is selling to, I think. I’ve been collecting a lot more rare plants recently, so there are very exciting things to come.”

Big Ken Kentia palm £50 - £120

Your five favourites These fab five are our most popular indoor plants.

They’re all stunning and easy to care for.

Zamioculcas £25

Fiddle leaf fig £240

Golden pothos £15

Aglaonema ‘silver bay’ £20

Rapunzel

Anna

Raven

Fidel

patchplants.com

Pippa Peace lily ÂŁ10 - ÂŁ55

Air purifying plants City air is heavy with pollution, indoors as well as out. Plants can help to suck up nasty toxic compounds and make the air cleaner.

Dracaena fragrans £35 - £80

Ficus benjamina £25 – £80

Boston fern £3 – £30

Ficus elastica £8 - £55

Bertie

Rob

Mick

Ben

patchplants.com

What kind of plan Start here

Have you ever owned a plant?

Never

How confident are you feeling, out of 10?

A few

So many I’ve actually lost count

How many are still alive?

6-10

They’re dead.

They’re all dead

How often are you prepared to water?

1-5

Independent plants suit you best.

Try anything from our (Almost) Unkillable range. They hardly ever need attention and look fantastic.

Turn the page to meet them.

When I remember, which will not be often

nt parent are you?

Most, if not all

OK, we’ve got ourselves an expert.

You sound ready for our Drama Queen plants, like Fera the coconut palm or Venus the maidenhair fern. They need extra care but you’re up to it.

Do you enjoy a challenge?

Once or twice a week is fine

Prefer an easy life

You’re embracing plant parenting and can deal with plants that need weekly attention. Any of our Easy Care plants will suit you, like Pippa the peace lily or Chaz the monstera.

Bring it

Cassie Zamioculcas £7.50 - £57

(Almost) unkillable houseplants We know it’s not nice to be guilty of plant murder, but don’t let a total lack of experience or a chequered history of plant parenthood stop you.

These are the world’s most easy-to-please houseplants. They will forgive you for the odd missed watering and less than ideal light levels.

Rapunzel

Chamaedorea elegans £7.50 - £30

Golden pothos £15

Dracaena fragrans £8 - £80

Snake plant £20

Rick

Zey

Sharon

patchplants.com

Susie Sansevieria trifasciata £10 - £125

Shady characters All plants need light, but some need less than others.

If your space is more shady than sun-drenched, you can still fill it with beautiful, colourful plants.

All of these houseplants will be perfectly happy in a room with low light. Just don’t forget to water them.

They’re resilient, not immortal.

Juliette

Dieffenbachia seguine ‘tropic snow’ £25

Calathea £20

Asparagus fern £10

Calathea sanderiana £18 - £26

Gus

Julia

Dana

patchplants.com

Ezra Cissus discolor £75 in our Dipped pot £14 – £65

Brand new pots We’ve created our own range of pots, designed to fit our plants perfectly.

Whether you like the minimalism of Concrete or the tactile texture of Fractured, our pots will make your plants look even more beautiful.

patchplants.com

Fractured pot £16 – £75

Ceramic glazed pot £5 – £20

Ceramic pot with saucer £20

Concrete pot £14 – £32

Dipped pot £14 – £65, Wooden plant stand £24 – £55

Take a stand Made from acacia wood, our exclusive plant stands are a smart way to elevate your plants, both literally and visually. They turn your plant into a stunning focal point, so it gets the attention it deserves.

Our 22, 25 and 30cm pots fit our plant stands perfectly.

Wooden plant stand £24 – £55

Concrete pot £14 – £32

Straight edged pot £6 – £16

Dipped pot £14 – £65

Sansevieria trifasciata £10 - £125

Monstera deliciosa £14 - £80

Zamioculcas £7.50 - £57

Plants for your workplace

We’ve helped thousands of businesses green up their office, shop, cafe, restaurant or event space.

Our website makes it easy to pick the right plants for your space and to schedule a delivery at a time that suits you. However, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to get in touch.

The website was easy to navigate, clear and gave me the information I needed to make informed choices.

We are thrilled with our new greenery and would recommend Patch.

Professional, efficient and personable.

Laura McCarthy, TCS Media

The guys from Patch immediately understood what we wanted to do with our newest cafe and how plants could enhance the space.

Bosh McKeown, The Attendant

Join over 200,000 customers that have brought their homes and workplaces to life.

If you have any questions, click the smiley speech bubble on our website to send a message to the team.

Excellent 4.8/5 3,207 Reviews

How to not kill your plants

Houseplant parenting course

Indoor Plants This video course, delivered via email and consisting of one bitesize lesson per day, will make you aware of everything you need to consider to keep your first houseplants alive.

Picking the right plant Watering Light Safety around pets Cleaning your plant Plants and humidity

Sign u p at

Choosing the right soil Pruning Bugs Winter plant care Dropping leaves

patc h p l a nts .com/free - cou rse

Urban gardening course

Outdoor Plants This course covers the basics to start growing outdoor plants in your urban garden, balcony or window box.

Picking outdoor plants Containers How to pot up plants Light Water Extreme weather Fertilising

Sign u p at

Weeding and pruning Pets and wildlife Bugs Going on holiday Growing herbs Growing from seed

patc h p l a nts .com/free - cou rse

Ask the plant doctors Rich and Rich, the Patch plant doctors, answer your burning questions.

The plant doctors are here to help all Patch customers. If you have a plant care question, go to patchplants.com/plantdoctor

I live in a basement flat with very little light. Can I have any plants or am I living in a greenery graveyard?

Sarah, Hackney

I keep reading that I should mist my plants? Why? Isn’t watering them enough?

Dipalee, Bakewell

My plant has some yellow leaves. I’m very worried! What’s wrong with it?

Gus, Manchester

You’re not alone, Sarah. While all plants need some sunlight to live, they don’t all need lots.

There are plants that will be very happy in your low-light home. You just need to pick tough ones.

Howard the aspidistra is sometimes known as the cast iron plant because he’s near indestructible.

Low light, cold, infrequent watering - all fine with him. Or try snake plants, like Susie or Zey, which come in a variety of patterns. They’ll survive in shade. At Patch, we have a range we call The (Almost) Unkillables, because they’re virtually immortal. All your answers lie there.

Do you use moisturiser on your skin? Misting plants works in a similar way. Like us, plants take in most of the water they need by drinking it, albeit through roots, not mouths. But they also absorb water through leaves. Without this surface moisture they can get a bit crispy, same as us.

Not all plants need misting. If your plant is from a dry, drought-prone environment, like snake plants or cacti, they don’t need misting. Plants originally from tropical forests are used to basking in very high humidity. A regular spritz, or a steamy bathroom, reminds them of home.

A few yellow leaves are usually nothing to worry about. As plants mature, they let old leaves yellow and drop, to make room for new ones.

Widespread yellow leaves are usually down to over or underwatering. Soggy soil and limp leaves mean you’ve probably overwatered. Dry soil and leaves mean your plant is likely thirsty. To test if your plant needs water, dip a finger in the soil up to the second joint. If you feel moisture, it’s fine for now.

If it’s dry, time for a drink.

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