We caught up with Anna Waterfield, founder of Plant Pet Club, to hear about how she’s helping people keep their houseplants alive…
Tell us about Plant Pet Club
Plant Pet Club is a houseplant subscription service that sells Jungle Bundles. We focus primarily on busy urban dwellers and complete beginners, who might be catching the green bug. Our goal is to make the experience of being a plant parent as wonderful as plants themselves.
How did you come up with the idea for the company?
My friend messaged me saying “I think I killed Alejandro,”. There was a photo of his body, which had turned yellow in death. Luckily, Alejandro wasn’t a person or even an animal. He was her pet cactus.
So, inspired by Alejandro’s death, and in an attempt to prevent many more, the idea of Plant Pet Club was born.
A monthly indoor plant box with a difference – we deliver new plants, pots and care instructions to customers’ doors. Our service is designed as a programme: subscriptions start with plants that anyone can keep alive, then as confidence grows, we send plants that require more attention.
And for those who seek instant gratification – we can deliver a jungle on demand!
Why do you think more people are choosing to invest in house plants?
Interest in houseplants might be blossoming for a number of reasons. Fewer millennials and Gen Zs are buying homes and more are opting to move to cities to live in rented flats. Any metropolitan dweller will agree that with tiny spaces and unpredictable seasons, exposure to nature is often minimal. Which is where houseplants come into play.
Another reason is health; both physical and mental. Younger generations are very in-tune with health and making sure that their surroundings are good for them. Indoor greenery is said to purify air, decrease stress levels and increase concentration.
What advice would you give to other women looking to start their own business?
For those who are thinking about starting out, I would say someone will always be bigger and better than you, so concentrate on your product, target market and strategy. Launch, gain feedback, and pivot. Building the business is a journey, so it doesn’t need to be perfect as soon as it launches.
Our first order gave me the highest high! And then making it again and again makes you believe that you can do anything. This is what business is all about: you sell one thing once to one person and repeat…
What can we hope to see from Plant Pet Club in the future?
In a few years, I would like to have an established, smooth-running business. For me, Plant Pet Club is all about learning to create something from scratch and inspiring people to connect with greenery, not a launchpad to become an overnight millionaire… although I won’t say no to that!
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