The Plant Rescuer: The book your houseplants want you to read

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This course has now passed, but you can be the first to know about the next one - and other workshops like this - by signing up to our newsletter here. Welcome to our exclusive interview series featuring houseplant professionals! In this series, we dive deep into the world of indoor plants and gain insights from experts who have a wealth of knowledge and experience in caring for and cultivating houseplants. We all need them for health, wellbeing, happiness and balance, but as our gardens get smaller, how can we make our spaces greener? A living wall can instantly transform a seemingly cramped, dull space into a vibrant, colourful oasis. In 2022 you released your first book The Plant Rescuer – The Book Your Houseplants Want You To Read. Can you give us an overview of the book’s central themes or messages?

The Plant Rescuer | United Kingdom Houseplant Care | The Plant Rescuer | United Kingdom

Sarah, also known as @theplantrescuer, is a self-taught houseplant obsessive who firmly believes every plant deserves a happy life. Her determination to see beyond the ‘perfect plant’ and to rescue unloved plants makes her the go-to guide. Woven throughout The Plant Rescuer is a message of sustainability and being less wasteful when it comes to our plant habits. I explain why we should be buying plants which don’t look perfect and why we should care about so many that get thrown away. Plant production is a multi-billion-pound industry and with it comes all the environmental costs associated with mass production: energy and water consumption, peat consumption, chemical use, emissions from air and freight travel, not to mention the amount of non-biodegradable plastic used. In the first hour, you will discover how to help your houseplants thrive, such as understanding the importance of light and water, and how to identify how much is enough. You will also find out why a good potting mix can combat ‘overwatering’, and how to repot your plants. If you have any plants in need of repotting, you will be invited to do it with Sarah in real time. Sarah Gerrard-Jones, aka @theplantrescuer, will teach you how to help your houseplants not only survive but thrive, in this virtual masterclass

Notes to editors

In our House Plants Box and Outdoor Perennial Plants Box numbers will vary week to week. We usually include 3 plants per box but there is sometimes more or less depending on value. Introducing the Plant Rescue Box in collaboration with author & writer Sarah Gerrard-Jones. Sarah AKA @theplantrescuer is a plant lover and goes above and beyond to save the botanical beauties that she comes across in her daily life. I’m excited for my next book and I’d love to see the Plant Rescue Boxes in even more stores and countries worldwide. I don’t believe in the notion that people are ‘serial plant killers’, nor do I believe people are born with ‘green fingers’. Growing plants that thrive is simply a case of taking the time to understand what your house plant needs to survive and what it’s conveying through changes in its appearance. She lives in Hertfordshire with her husband, daughter, cats, dog and hundreds of rescue plants, which she somehow still manages to sneak into their modest semi-detached house.

Plant Rescue Box Give a houseplant a home – RHS Plant Rescue Box

Can you describe your creative process for developing content and engaging with your audience as the plant rescuer? How do you inspire and educate others to adopt sustainable practices? Do your research. Find out the name of your plant and where it comes from in the wild. This will give you all the information you need to care for it effectively. I’m obsessed with an Ikea cabinet that I converted to house my rarer plants. It has grow lights and fans to circulate the air. The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) was founded in 1804 and is the UK’s largest gardening charity.If you consider yourself a serial plant murderer, this book will give you the confidence to stop your killing spree I’d experienced such a sense of fulfilment from saving the orchids and seeing the dumb cane grow under my care, I couldn’t wait to find my next patient. I stepped up my search, scouring the local plant shop shelves at least once or twice a week looking for neglected and damaged plants. My heart would skip a beat, not when I saw the most beautiful plant, but when I came across the one with the bent stem or crispy brown leaves – it was that plant that I swiftly marched to the till. You will be sent a link to the webinar two hours before the start time of 6.30pm (BST). Information on Guardian Masterclasses The resurgence in popularity of houseplants is a sign that people want to once again be enchanted by nature and make space for it in their lives. Buying a plant, swapping cuttings or sowing seeds – just to experience the magic of watching them grow – has become a priority in many people’s lives. By placing yourself within the circle of life, in solidarity with plants, you reinvigorate the connection that society works hard to break. Make room for plants, physically and mentally, show them kindness, engage your senses, learn what they love, and in return they will show their gratitude by enriching your life.

The Plant Rescuer: The book your houseplants want you to read The Plant Rescuer: The book your houseplants want you to read

In the second half of this workshop, you will learn about the importance of paying attention to a leaf’s colour and texture. This will enable you to diagnose common houseplant ailments and how to remedy them, how to recognise different pests and treat them, and why you might want to consider propagating to ‘save’ a dying plant. Are there any specific moments or milestones in your career as a plant rescuer that you are particularly proud of or that have had a significant impact on you? Since we launched our boxes, they have been very popular and a massive success! We have been speaking to some of our suppliers and are now accepting our supplier's rejected plants and using these in our plant rescue boxes as well as any in our shop that arent in tip-top condition.

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It was a tremendous honour to partner with Sarah at RHS Chelsea, where her expertise and love for plants played a leading role in the concept and design securing a prestigious RHS Gold Medal. Today, we are delighted to offer you an intimate glimpse into her journey as she shares her extensive knowledge and experience in the world of houseplants.