Welcome to another edition of the PlantsofK weekly newsletter!

The holiday season is a whirlwind. I feel like everything speeds up after Halloween and next thing you know it is New Years. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. With another holiday already behind us, many people quickly turn to holiday gift shopping. With so much shopping and deals going on, I thought I’d share my gift recommendations for those of you shopping for the plant lover in your life! Want more ideas? Check back in future newsletter issues as I will continue to share more gift ideas throughout the rest of the holiday season!

If you have already been a subscriber, I am thrilled to have you back. If you are new, I am grateful that you subscribed! Each week, I strive to bring you tips, trends, and insights to ensure your houseplants thrive and bring beauty to your living spaces.

This week’s newsletter will cover:

• Gift Ideas for the Plant Lover in Your Life

• Plant Spotlight: Alocasia Bambino

• Upcoming Planty Events

• Ask PlantsofK

• As Seen on TikTok

My hope is to empower you with the knowledge and confidence to grow your own indoor jungle. As always, I value your feedback and input. If there's a particular topic or question you would like me to address in future editions, please don't hesitate to reach out by responding directly to this email. I am here to support you on your plant care journey, and I am excited to continue growing together.

I would love to grow this letter and reach more people interested in learning more about caring for their houseplants. If you enjoy this newsletter, share it with someone you know and help grow our community of houseplant enthusiasts. Together, we'll create beautiful and healthy indoor spaces!

Sincerely,

Kristen

Disclosure: This newsletter contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on a product link and make a purchase, I may earn a commission. This commission helps support PlantsofK at no additional cost to you and enables me to continue producing valuable content for you.

Gift Ideas for the Plant Lover in Your Life

Do you have a plant lover in your life? Unsure of what to gift them this holiday season? Here are some ideas ranging from practical gifts to gifts that will make them laugh or at least put a smile on their face! Want more ideas? Check back in future newsletter issues as I will continue to share more gift ideas throughout the rest of the holiday season!

Propagation Station: This wall-mounted propagation station was an amazing solution to all of my prop jars that were taking up a bunch of surface space. I love the way this propagation displays all my props in such an aesthetic way helping to keep countertops and table tops clear.

“Be Kind to Your Mind” Wall Sign: I love the quirkiness that this sign adds to my home while also being a good reminder to take care of myself. I think it goes great with a boho-style, indoor jungle apartment. Another variation I love for the plant collector in your life is this “It’s not hoarding if it’s plants” sign, for those who have a sense of humor about their indoor gardening hobby.

Botanical T-Shirt: This is currently one of my favorite t-shirts I own. It’s comfy and I love the botanical print. I have received lots of compliments whenever I wear it. It comes in men’s, women’s, and youth sizing and also has other color options. I also have this neutral fern print t-shirt that I really like. The two could be given as a set if you wanted to add a little more to your gift!

Standing Grow Light: I think most indoor plant collectors agree that one of the biggest challenges of indoor gardening is giving your houseplants adequate lighting. However, as someone who cares about ~aesthetics~ I don’t like the look of looking like I am running an indoor farm. I still like my home to look like a home. This grow light helps solve this problem by being a great light source while also being low profile. It also has a timing function so your recipient doesn’t have to remember to turn it on and off all the time.

Small Plant Grow Light (2 Pack): On the topic of grow lights, I LOVE these little grow lights. I bought them for my windowless cubicle at work after losing a plant because it was not receiving nearly enough adequate lighting. Since it is a two pack, I took one for myself and gave the other to my coworker. Our indoor plants are now thriving. I like that it has an automated timer that you can adjust for 4/8/12 hours, so it will even turn on on weekends when I am not in the office. They are small and stick right in the soil with your plant, and have an adjustable height for as your plant grows.

Palm Leaf Mouse Pad: This little mouse pad is a great gift for a stocking stuffer or a Secret Santa gift for your favorite houseplant collector. I love the trendy print. It is well-made and provides a smooth surface for your mouse. I have had mine for a few months and like that the durably-stitched edges keep it from curling and the print has not shown any signs or wear or fading from use.

Plant Repotting Mat: I have so many good things to say about this mat. A practical gift, it is a game changer for the indoor gardener, especially if you are working with limited indoor space like an apartment. I love how easy it is to clean (I just fold it to create a “funnel” when dumping remaining dirt in the trash and then just wipe it down). I have the smallest size which provides plenty of working space, but I like that it also comes in larger sizes. The sides are sturdy when snapped to prevent dirt from getting on other surfaces. It folds up to basically nothing so it is SO easy to store.

Glass Spray Bottle: If you have a plant-lover in your life you probably know that there is no such thing as too many spray bottles. From misting our plants for humidity to mixing our own homemade leaf shine, pest treatments, and more, there is always a need for another spray bottle. While I try to clean up all my plant care supplies when guests come over, this bottle is so pretty I don’t mind it being out because it looks like decor itself! It also comes in other colors and textures.

Funny Wine Glasses: Know a plant lover who also enjoys a good glass of wine? Make them laugh with these funny wine glasses! They make a great Secret Santa gift.

Funny Plant Stakes: These humorous, irreverent plant labels come from my new handmade shop on Etsy. 13 phrases to choose from or customize with your own phrase, your can order one or create a set to make the plant collector your know laugh out loud. Made from weatherproof materials, they can be used indoors or outdoors.

Do you want more planty gift recommendations? Check out my Pinterest board, where I have curated tons of gift ideas for the plant lover in your life! I will be adding to it frequently throughout the holiday season as I am doing shopping of my own, so check back for updates. Don’t forget to give me a follow while you are there!

Plant Spotlight

Plant Spotlight highlights a new houseplant and its basic care tips.

This week’s Plant Spotlight is the Alocasia Bambino.

The Alocasia Bambino is known for its slender leaves with vivid veins. The leaf blades are usually 15-18cm long and 5cm broad, with a dark purple underside. This plant is a slow grower and can reach approximately 12” tall when potted indoors. This evergreen plant is stunning, elegant, and incredibly simple to care for.

This increasingly popular plant is already sold out in many online shops, but my affiliate Succulents Box still have them in stock for now, so snag one while you can! PLANTSOFK93 gets you 15% here. 😄 

If you love alocasias like I do and would like to check out others to add to your collection, here are some other varieties to try!

Upcoming Planty Events

Here is a round-up of upcoming virtual events for plant parents to learn and meet others in the houseplant community!

• Snake Plant 101 Online Workshop (Wednesday, November 29th, 2023 5-6:30 PM CST): Join The Sill for a free Snake Plant 101 Online workshop. Tune in to learn the best care practices, propagation and fun facts about Snake plants! All you need is internet access to join - instructions will be provided in your order confirmation email.

• Indoor Garden Building Class (How to Assemble/Build Your Garden) (Saturday, December 2nd, 2023 6-7 PM CST): Join the Denver Indoor Gardening Meetup Group for a FREE indoor gardening workshop. This class is for you if: you know what you want to grow indoors, you have the materials ready, you have questions on how to get set-up or what to grow, you are growing indoors already and have questions or problems. This is a free weekly class.

@plantsofk93

dusting and cleaning your plant's leaves can help deter pests and clears away dust to allow the leaves to photosynthesize better! I don't ... See more

Want a simple recipe for a homemade leaf shine mixture? Here is what I use. Watch my TikTok for the ingredients and to learn more about why I dust my plants leaves!

Disclosure: This newsletter contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on a product link and make a purchase, I may earn a commission. This commission helps support PlantsofK and enables me to continue producing valuable content for you.

I am committed to providing informative and engaging content about houseplant care and community. I carefully select products and resources that I believe will be of interest and benefit to you. The inclusion of affiliate links allows me to earn a small commission from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you.

Please note that my recommendations are based on my own research and experience. I only promote products and services that I have used and found value in myself, and that I think will be valuable to you as well.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding these affiliate links or the products I recommend, please feel free to reach out. I appreciate your feedback.

Thank you for being a part of my plant care journey and for supporting my efforts to bring the joy and humor of houseplants to others!