Wow! It feels weird typing in 2021. But here we are for better or worse!
My main objective for the month of January was to give Plant Club subscribers something fresh, exciting and meaningful to start the new year with.
The plants
Did you know that Calatheas can symbolise new beginnings? Think about it, they open each morning, close at night and without fail – reopen the next morning. It’s the dance of life and I wanted Plant Club members to be part of it. The beginning – or end – of the year, is always a reflective one and I think that opening your space to a plant that is beautiful and meaningful can be a great experience. That being said, a warning to new plant parents. Calatheas can be very fussy plants, even seasoned plant growers have the odd Calathea with dry edges and shrivelled leaves.
As a note, here’s what you can do when your leaves are behaving badly:
- Make sure they’re getting enough water – Calatheas like to be damp (but not soggy).
- Cut off the very unattractive leaves (no need to make yourself feel bad looking at them).
- If you live in an area like Gauteng that has very hard minerals in your water, consider giving them distilled water (yes, they’re THAT fussy).
- Make sure they’re not in direct sun (as in sunbeams sitting on their leaves).
- Make sure they’re not in an area with a draft or wind (Haha, way too fussy).
- They like humidity, so pop them in the shower with you (So you can look at those pretty colours up close and personal).
For the collector’s box, we pulled a miracle- we got hold of A-Grade Variegated Monstera cuttings. Don’t ask how we did it – much scandalous behind the scenes goings ons.
But we did it for you. The only drawback is that they are cuttings, and so the collectors have to root them themselves- I’ve got absolutely all the faith in them as this is not a hard process. They also received perlite and rooting hormone to help them along. If you’d like to see a video on how to do it, here’s a ‘how-to’ that I made:
The Gifts
We got hold of some lovely gifts for this month’s box. Firstly, a Growing Paper calendar. What makes this calendar so precious and unique is that it is made out of seeded paper – meaning that once you’re finished using it, you can plant it in your garden and watch plants pop out. It’s a no-waste product and I hope it helps you manage your year.
We also had an awesome SA Botanical Garden Gnat Solution in the box. I’ve personally kept a bottle aside for myself and have already seen results. If you’re not sure what a Gnat is – they’re the irritating flying bugs that circulate around your plants and their wet soil. It’s wonderful to have an all in one solution!
It was amazing putting this month’s box together, and I hope you stay tuned for what’s in the next box!
