Hello!

Apologies for the lack of newsletter last Friday - I was down with Covid and trapped in my bedroom feeling like death warmed up. As a result there's a bumper news section below, covering everything from human hair as a substrate additive to 'vegetal eroticism'. 

Just as I was falling prey to the virus, I took part in a recording of a Garden Masterclass with Noel Kingsbury - you can watch the recording here. It was probably the first time I have expressed in public my irritation that indoor gardeners are often looked down upon by those who focus their attention outside. 

Why is that? I suspect some outdoor gardeners just don't 'get' houseplants, and write off the whole indoor gardening world as frivolous and somehow less worthwhile than tending their gardens. I couldn't disagree more. Houseplants pose unique challenges: not least because there are none of the crutches outside growers can rely on. There will be no rainfall, roots cannot quest into new ground in search of water and nutrients, light is severely reduced, and substrates have to be spot on. 

Houseplants are like intensive care patients: they need us in ways that garden plants do not. There is a whole spectrum of knowledge indoor gardeners must grasp in order to succeed with their plants, and much of it is quite distinct from that needed by gardeners: and I would argue, more in-depth.

Perhaps the snobbishness also hides a degree of ageism - houseplants are seen as the domain of that much-maligned demographic, millennials. And yet, when you get deep into the houseplant community as I have, you realise there is an impressively deep reservoir of expertise here, covering everything from the intricacies of setting up vast terrariums and paludariums to the hybridising of aroids and even spare room tissue culture setups. Incredible gardens can happen anywhere, indoors or out. And that's why I love to celebrate everyone who grows houseplants. More power to your elbow.

I'm planning a Twitter thread on this subject, and would love to know your thoughts. Have you been patronised by an outdoor gardener? Do you garden both indoors and out, and which is harder? Drop me a line to theplantledger@gmail.com.

Jane's planty week: A botanical garden Lego set? Why not! | I mean, it's £160 but it does come with a pot? | Let's normalise dead plant tours | Yes this shack will do

News &c

Haunting display Grow Tropicals has announced details of its Great Pavilion display at the Chelsea flower show, teaming up with J.P. Wright & Company of Florida to create an Orchid Conservation Display. The centrepiece will be the rare Florida ghost orchid.

Box clever You heard about the Cabinet Cultures project in The Plant Ledger edition 27 - it's an academic research project looking at how we attach value to houseplants. If that piqued your interest, there's a series of talks at Queen Mary University in London this spring, kicking off with one on May 22 with the intriguing title 'On a date with a plant: our botanical relations and the history of vegetal eroticism'. Details here. 

Leith supply Hilda Houseplants in Edinburgh are opening their first physical shop in Leith, progressing on from their market stalls. Their online store is currently closed while renovations of the new premises take place: it should open this summer.

Hair raising I'm interested in this study from the Green Salon Collective claiming there are benefits to human hair as an additive and/or mulch for houseplant pots, but I would love to see a more in-depth study with more scientific rigour, and to know whether use of different shampoos or hair dye impacts the results. I sometimes do collect bags of hair from my hairdresser when I'm having mine done, but it always goes in the compost. Anyone tried it?

Opening apace New houseplant shop House Plants Express opens its doors in Bishops Stortford, Herts this weekend with a 15% discount and refreshments. It's a physical storefront for the existing online seller London Houseplants.

Tough times Hayley Stephens of cactus and succulent specialists Mint Plants in Bristol has opened up about the struggles facing her shop in an Instagram post. It's a reminder that running any small business is hard: running one involving an inventory of living things is even harder. Support your local independent plant shops because it's a "use it or lose it" situation here, people.

Junior botany In the US, plant subscription service Horti has launched a new offering aimed at children called My First Plant. It's a three-month scheme priced at $135 and will start shipping on May 15. If it comes with a chameleon watering can, I'm in.

Caladium crunch If you're finding it hard to get hold of Caladiums this spring, that is because there's a shortage. The cause is a series of extreme weather conditions (thankyou climate change) in the US where the vast majority of Caladium bulbs are produced. It has resulted in my usual Caladium supplier - aroid specialist Ben Candlin of Adventurous Plants - having no stock for sale this year, and peat free houseplant seller Harriet's Plants has had to pull out of the RHS Malvern Spring Show due to the dearth.

Peat's sake Houseplant nursery and seller The Little Botanical has launched a range of 100% peat free houseplants. That means all the plants they plant or root at their nurseries in West Sussex are potted in their own peat free formulation. They're working towards the goal of making sure the other third of their stock which is sourced from Dutch growers are also 100% peat free. Here's the full presser. 

Come on Chelsea I have never seen TV show Made In Chelsea, so perhaps that's why I wasn't aware of houseplant seller Bellr until I saw this piece in the Mirror newspaper. Sam Prince - who runs Bellr with fellow reality TV star Tristan Phipps - says in the Mirror piece that he has "always been obsessed with house plants and sustainability" - but I couldn't find a specific sustainability policy on their website. I've emailed to ask, but no reply as yet.

Events

Want to get the word out about a event? Drop me a line with all the details to theplantledger@gmail.com.

May 13: The Cornwall branch of the British Cactus and Succulent Society holds its annual show at Redruth, 10am-4pm. Details here.

May 13 and 14: The Scottish Orchid Society holds its orchid fair at Glasgow Botanic Gardens from 10am-5pm. Free entry, details here.

May 20: The British Cactus and Succulent Society's NW Cactus Mart takes place in Middleton, Manchester from 10.15am-2pm. Details here. 

May 20 and 21: Burnham Nurseries' orchid festival weekend is on from 10am-4pm and includes bookable spots on mini orchid terrarium workshops. The nursery is located near Newton Abbott in Devon. Details and bookings for the workshops here.

Hello! I'm Jane Perrone, host of houseplant podcast On The Ledge, and a freelance journalist specialising in plants. 

What do you think of The Plant Ledger edition #30? Get in touch at theplantledger@gmail.com.

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