This was an amazing month! We hit a record with 50 members and rolled out the Collector’s Edition, where members could subscribe to a package that included a rare plant. It took myself and McDonald two whole days to pack the boxes in our garage and with the rain pouring outside it wasn’t easy. But we were ecstatic when we sealed our last box and it was with great excitement when the boxes got loaded up and sent off. So without further ado, let’s take a look at what was in this month’s boxes:
The Plants:
This month we had Plantify help us source our plants- they generally have their fingers on the plant pulse and are able to tell us when anything comes in that is Plant Club worthy. This month they did not disappoint. For the Classic Subscription box we sourced some amazing Painted Lady Philodendrons and for the Collectors Subscription box- Dischidia ovata.
I love Painted Ladies, because of their coloring: with bright pink stems and blotchy neon green foliage, they are extremely striking. One of my first videos was about dividing a Painted Lady -I found a HUGE one at a clearance sale. You might even see that you received two plants in your pot, so if you want to divide them, you can follow these instructions:
Some extra tips to keeping your Painted Lady happy:
- Bright indirect light is a must. So think to the side of a window where they get some light but not directly shone on.
- Water when the top soil is dry. Depending on your soil and its water retention, this will probably be around once a week.
- When repotting, go for an ‘airy’ light mix- one with bits and bobs like bark and vermiculite. You don’t want a heavy mix of peat and soil.
The Collector’s box was a tricky one to find a plant for, but when I recently bought a Dischidia ovata, I knew that it was a perfect fit for the month. With it’s watermelon-fleshy-like leaves and pale pink to green coloring it certainly is cute and it’s relatively easy to look after and fuss free.
I look after mine in the following way:
- I keep it in bright indirect light under a window. Did you know if it gets too much light, the leaves will start to turn red?
- The current potting mix is rather a heavy and impenetrable mix. So I soak my plant in a bucket of water for the day and then leave it for the next week or two. I think at some time in the future, with repotting it could do with a lighter mix.
- I keep mine in close proximity of a humidifier so it gets a bit of humidity once a day.
The Gifts:
Quite a few month’s ago, I struck up a partnership with Joburg based KrisKros Macramé. The original idea was that we were going to send out macramé hangers with the March package, but due to Covid-19, we had to adjust our plans. Come June, KrisKros was given the go ahead to make 40 more hangers for the July package and it was a bit of a tooth and nail ride getting everything ready in time, but we did it and the hangers are beautiful!
I’ve always loved Mia Melange and their products and have wanted for a long time to include them in a package. Their products are made from locally made, organic cotton and they strive to have great employee standards. In my eyes, this makes them a premium product and a perfect match for the Collector’s package. You can find more products from them here.
Our subscription list for August has been filled up. We still have some space available for our September boxes, so if you’re keen to sign up or sign up again, please send me an email- [email protected].
