I love this time of the year, the world slowly starts heating up and all the festivities start rolling in. So I always want to end the year with a bigger plant than usual to celebrate.
The Plants
Philodendron Selloum (or Tree Philodendron) is what it’s all about! These beauties were lush and looked amazing and I just couldn’t resist them! They are so versatile in styling – I have one hanging over my bed and another that welcomes people into my home.
Their new name is actually Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum, which is a huge mouth full and not many people know it by the new name, so you are welcome to call it what you want.
I’ve always grown these guys in indirect bright light (basically filtered light or light shade), but according to resources out there it can also grow in direct sunlight. If you do want it in a sunny spot, move it slowly over time to that position as it has been grown in a shade house and will get a bit of a shock if immediately positioned in a different set up.
The Collector’s box included a Monstera pinnatiparita that was gigantic! Nowhere else in South Africa would this plant, this size be available to the public. And I must just mention that a plant this size would usually come to the value of around R3000 – an absolute score!
Apart from how much they cost, these beauties are absolutely worth the hype. They look a bit like Monstera peru when they start out with their juvenile leaves and later on, the mature leaves get large fenestrations that start to look like decurisiva. WOW.
The Gifts
This month we had the extremely talented Tamzin from Moon and Brush collaborate with us by putting in her watercolour gift tags and for the Collector’s box- a botanical themed Celebration Calender. Tamzin lives on a apple farm in Elgin and is a watercolour enthusiast. What started out as a hobby has blossomed into a small business. Apart from calendars and gift tags, you can also find that she also rocks at creating beautiful note pads, cards and custom illustrations.
We were also lucky enough to have Plant Matter include their 10l grow bags in this month’s box. Kyle, the founder of Plant Matter started it up in 2019 when he realised that grow bags weren’t affordable. These bags are very popular and not only do homegrowers use them but also large scale agriculture and medical Cannabis farms across South Africa and Lesotho.
These grow bags – simply put- are used to replace a pot. So you would put soil directly into the bag. You can use them for just about any plant from vegetables to succulents. The bags not only have great drainage but the fabric allows for the circulation of air. This reduces the chances of your plants getting root rot or being overwatered.
If you haven’t yet – don’t forget to purchase a subscription for January to avoid disappointment. It like all the others, will be a great month.
