If you’ve ever considered yourself a Plant Killer, you’re not alone. 

But don’t worry, we’ve been there and a big secret we’ve learned over the years is that - you will blame yourself even when everything you’ve been told/given has set you up to fail. 

You aren’t a plant killer. 

You just need to know how to set up your plants to succeed and which plants, planters, and soils to avoid.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A PLANT:

• DO find a hardy, easy to take care of plant that will do well in the space you want to put it
• DO make sure it has good color on it
• DO make sure it’s spines are intact if it is a cactus
• DO check its roots. You want to check that  roots are not dry and brittle or soggy and wet
• DO find out if they can acclimate to low light so they thrive in your home
• DO find out the right type of soil and planter to put them in
• DO double check the plant care instructions so you know what type of commitment your plants need

HOW YOUR PLANTS ARE SET UP TO FAIL:

Many plant sellers are focused on low cost and aesthetics, rather than the health of the plant which means:

• Selling plants that are hard to keep alive indoors, but saying they are easy to take care of (for example the pesky Fiddle Leaf Fig).
• Growing plants in really horrible dirt and soil meaning they are unhealthy when bought and already halfway dead. Usually they’ll live just long enough for you to believe it’s your fault when in reality, it was already gone when you got it.
• Selling plants in the wrong planters and in globes or glass for aesthetic reasons rather than the health of the plant. (Succulents and cacti will not survive in glass containers. People who are selling these ether don't know much about plants or  choose to continue using glass for aesthetic reasons knowing they won’t make it.)
• Gluing plants down into planters, flowers onto the cacti and succulents, or spray painting them different colors. 
• Give incorrect instructions for your plants. Be sure to talk to someone who understands the natural environment of the plant and how the plant’s needs change based on the correct planter and being indoors vs in a greenhouse. 

HOW WE SET YOU UP FOR SUCCESS:

• We grow all of our plants in our greenhouse and test them for at least one year in a variety of indoor conditions using the soil we mix for that plant and planters we hand make for their specific needs.This way we know the plants we ship to you are healthy!

• We only sell the hardiest plants. A lot of plants don’t make the cut to be in our shop - We have tested, and killed, so many plants in order to find the ones that are plant killer approved. I was given some “assistance” with finding the hardiest plants when I was pregnant and horribly sick over 6 years ago. We learned which plants survived not being cared for during my entire pregnancy. Alocasias didn't make the cut. And we still test which plants survive 3-12 months with and without care.

• We sell our plants as a kit, with a planter, soil, and sand that best replicates its natural environment - this way you don’t even have to think about how to properly set up your new plant.
• Each of our planters are handmade specifically for the needs and size of the plant to help it thrive. 
• We hand mix our soil to replicate the natural environment of your plant as closely as possible.

• We acclimate our plants to lower light in our greenhouse and plant nursery so they are ready to thrive in space with different light levels.

• We only ship plants that are photo-ready and look like something we would use for our feed (the weird ones we keep for our own collections!)

• We make sure they are in the right soil, sand, and planters for their needs and can stay alive in a variety of indoor environments. 

• We provide specific, tested instructions for best plant care for each of our plant kits.

When it comes to our plant kits, we focus on their health and how to set up anyone who considers themselves a Plant Killer for success. If you’re worried one of your current plants is set up to fail, check out our blog for tips and tricks to get it back on the path to health!