Patch: Revolutionising Our Approach to Plants | Spencer Thorpe Bloghttps://spencerthorpe.tumblr.com/post/166067770399/patch-revolutionising-our-approach-to-plants_=_ Keeping a plant alive can be tricky and for many of us having even a basic knowledge of plants is a pipe dream. However with the rise in popularity of botanical interiors and house plants good advice is always welcome no matter how much knowledge you possess. This is why we met with Freddie Blackett the founder of Patch the online plant company who are revolutionising the gardening industry and helping us all make an educated and well-informed investment in our plants. We want everyone to be given the chance to feel the benefits of having plants in their lives however inexperienced or time-poor you might be. The Story of Patch Patch co-founders Freddie Blackett and Ed Barrow IDEALIST: How did Patch come about? The story of Patch started when I moved in with my girlfriend back in 2014. Clemmie had this unloved empty balcony that I was determined to transform into an urban oasis but I realised quite quickly that firstly I knew absolutely nothing about plants nor gardening and secondly I was going to have to drive to the suburbs to find a half-decent garden centre. Even when I got there I didnt know which plants I liked or which ones would work for my space. Through conversations with friends I realised I wasnt the only one struggling with a first foray into the world of plants and thats when I came up with the idea for Patch. IDEALIST: How did you realise there was a need for Patch? Over the last year weve consistently grown by a third every month with a lot of our customers coming back many times and more and more positive chatter on Instagram. I suppose its a combination of all this that has encouraged me that theres a whole bunch of people out there who want a new accessible and reliable way to bring some life into their homes and offices. An Evolving Process IDEALIST: From your initial thoughts to actually setting up Patch as a business how long was this process? The idea came to me back in 2014 but I knew I couldnt commit to starting this business unless I developed a passion for plants myself. So I spent a year or so growing (and killing!) some more plants and gradually I found that I was getting the hang of it and falling in love with it. It was then in April 2016 that I left my job and went full time. Uniqueness IDEALIST: What makes Patch unique as a brand? We make it easy for anyone to enjoy all the benefits that plants bring especially to urban homes. We do this in lots of different ways; from swapping out the Latin names of our plants for easy human names like Chaz and Howard to providing detailed care instructions for every plant we sell. We want everyone to be given the chance to feel the benefits of having plants in their lives however inexperienced or time-poor you might be. IDEALIST: How did you market your brand in the initial stages? We hand-delivered 10000 flyers to new builds with balconies in East London over the Summer of 2016 then we started running ads on Google to people in London searching for plants. Now we focus on offering really inspirational and educational content on our Instagram website and email newsletter hoping to earn the attention of potential plant buyers by being genuinely helpful. Challenges IDEALIST: What have been your biggest challenges so far? Weve been expanding quickly so of course there have been growing pains. The gardening market is a very old-fashioned one getting to grips with that has been both our biggest challenge and probably our most important achievement. Top Suggestions IDEALIST: Regarding plants in the home what are your current top 3 suggestions for those living in London who have little time? Do some research before you get started. For example choosing the right home for a plant in your space i.e. a sunny vs. shady spot is half the battle of setting up the right environment for it to survive. We have great care instructions for each of the plants we sell on their product page and a beginners plant guide which can be downloaded for free here. Buy in quality plants. Theres a big difference between buying plants from a supermarket and buying from a good plant retailer. It costs a bit more but theyll be far harder to kill. Finally a big one that lots of people dont know is that over-watering is often worse for plants than under-watering. We find novice plant-owners will reach for the watering can too soon when a plants looking a bit worse for wear. The best way to find out if a plant needs water is to stick your finger in the soil two inches down and feel how dry it is. The gardening market is a very old-fashioned one getting to grips with that has been both our biggest challenge and probably our most important achievement. IDEALIST: For a start up like yourselves what are your top 3 advice tips? Dont bother doing something unless you can do it excellently. Know that saying yes to something has to mean saying no to something else. Enlist 5-6 people outside the business to be your own personal board on whom you can rely great honest advice when you need it. The Future IDEALIST: Where do you see Patch in 5 years time? Having helped a million people to discover the joys of living with plants. IDEALIST: Are there any exciting developments on the horizon? I cant go into the specifics but suffice to say that were working hard on making technology that help more people to discover and look after beautiful plants. You May Also Like Ken Howard amp; Friends The Auction Modern Heroes: Venoor Living Modern Danish Hero: Jonas Krger of Brdr. Krger All photos courtesy of Patch. The post Patch: Revolutionising Our Approach to Plants appeared first on The Idealist. from The Idealist https://www.theidealist.com/patch-homes-gardens-uk/ from The Idealist Magazine https://theidealistmagazine.tumblr.com/post/166067582363