Your Personal Plant Shop

It's crazy to think just 10 months ago I was running the GJ from my garden shed and just under two years ago from a tiny spare bedroom! I still find this mind-boggling. But, It's been the best (and the scariest) roller coaster ride I have ever been on and I can't wait to share the next ride with you guys!

Our brand new Jungle

We have just moved for the 5th and hopefully final time, as some of you may know we moved from my home in Sussex up to a new premise in London back March 2021. We're still in the same warehouse but had a new unit built from scratch - it's just lovely, self-contained, I even have my own office and feel very grown up. (lol)

The plant room which I've called, The warm room sits comfortably at 21 c and around 80% humidity walking in is like a breath of fresh air...And the plants are loving it!

I have added some new fancy LED grow lights to each shelf plus some T5 fluorescent LED lights on the high ceiling. This means we can provide the best environment for your plants until they reach their new homes. I can already see a big difference compared to our old unit (not forgot the shed!)

The packing area has two packing benches with everything easy to reach which has made packing your plants a lot more comfortable. I picked the astroturf flooring as I wanted to bring the outside inside and of course, we love the colour green!

Plants are personal!

From the very first day I decide to jump in the deep end and start The Ginger Jungle it's always been my mission to create a personal online experience. It's not just about selling plants - To me, plants are more than just objects...

They become your home - bringing your space to life, a healthy addiction that gives you that much need 'me-time and I know from my own experience and for many others a even lifeline!

Plants are personal and it's always been important to carry this message throughout this journey and I am so proud to finally have a space for our customers to come and enjoy, learn, and connect with.

Come and give us a visit!

We are open Monday's - Friday's via appointment and soon will be holding open days, every other Saturday. You can come and collect your order or come and have a browse and a cup of tea and a chat! You will get in-store discounts and can take advantage of our rescue plant section.

Take a peak at our new place

Our Journey snap shots

Eco-friendly Plants in an environmentally friendly box

We have introduced our Sustainable Shipping Practice.

As The Ginger Jungle continues to grow, we as a small business are doing our bit in becoming more sustainable for future generations and of course our lovely planet! We also need to make sure as a business we're running as smoothly and efficiently as possible. To do this we need to make a few positive changes. So I would like to share with you our new Green and Sustainable Shipping Practices and why this is important.

We have introduced a minimum order value of £25.00 and reduced our free shipping option from £100 to £75.00

Minimizing small orders means we can actually use less packaging which is far better for the environment, keeps your plants safer during transit and help us run efficiently. This also helps our couriers run more effectively making fewer stops.

Come and meet us and collect your plant for free.

We really want to encourage you to come and meet us and collect your plant for Free. Since our move to Stains up Thames, we have had the pleasure of meeting a lot more of our customers face to face (mask to mask) however doing this means you miss the delivery fee and we both use 99% less packaging. Just another step to becoming more sustainable.

We have extended our arranged Plant Pick uptime to Mondays-Fridays 9 am to 3pm. Via appointment only

Delivery

Our main couriers are Dpd and all our deliveries are delivered in C02 natural vans. Dpd does this by measuring their CO2 emissions, by striving to reduce them and offsetting the remaining emissions.

Eco-Friendly materials we have introduced.

Boxes

We now use serval different sizes of boxes. This means we can continue to pack your plants effectively as possible by doing this we have reduced the amount of packaging we use without compromising your plants.

All our boxes are also FSC-certified products.

Packaging Filler - We have introduced Biodegradeable starch packing peanuts. Made from GM free starch that is 100% biodegradable, compostable, reusable and recyclable.

Newspapers offcuts - Newspapers offcuts are recycled as well as recyclable. Newspaper offcuts are a good eco-friendly packaging solution and for us, they work the best at keeping your plants snug and safe.

Tapes

When we can we use gummed paper tape this is an environmentally friendly alternative to standard packing tape. Gummed paper tape is an adhesive tape made from natural resources such as paper or potato starch. It has a natural glue adhesive that becomes sticky when moistened upon application, meaning it’s fully recyclable.

We also use a manual tape dispenser which means we are not using electricity. We do still use standard packing tape although we are making a conscious decision to cut this out.

Print Labels Using Thermal Printers

Direct thermal labels are a more environmentally-friendly label choice since you’re not using ink, which leaves you with one fewer non-recyclable waste product.

Warehouse waste

We will be shortly introducing recycled materials that would normally just go to waste from our warehouse. Some of you may have seen this already. All cardboard from the warehouse is sorted and recycled in our recycling compactors & plastic balers.

As a lover of all things green we are determined to become the best sustainable company we can and will continue to do so. As the future of our planet depends on the sustainable work we do today.

One Love

Suzanne & Team

The Ginger Jungle Guide for Your Home Office

Our Easy-Care Houseplants for Your Home Office...

The world's pandemic has forced many of us to merge our office and personal spaces together. Now that the novelty of working from home has worn off, what better time to add some green into your workspace - especially as winter digs her wellies in...

Create Your own Green Environment!

Our environment impacts our experience, thoughts, emotions and behaviours, as well as our general health and well-being... It's amazing what adding a few plants can do for your mood (Check out our top 5 mood-boosting houseplants). Remember that you can also use plants to divide your workspace from your home life which will improve your air quality and increase work productivity!

With this in mind, we have come up with a shortlist of easy office plants to add to your space, along with some simple tips that are easy to put into practice. We can help you carve out your own little jungle to keep you feeling motivated! 

Easy-Care Plants for Your Office...

The Chinese Evergreens - Aglaonema

The Chinese Evergreen family is a perfect choice for any new plant lover who needs a bit more colour and life added to their environment. Also known as Aglaonema, the Chinese Evergreen has to be one of the most easy plants to care for and they come in all different vibrant shapes and sizes. Aglaonemas have also been proven by NASA studies to remove nasty toxins from the air, boosting air quality.

How to look after her...

Water - water her every 7-10 days, letting the top part of the soil dry before each watering - if the soil is still wet the next time you water - hold back a little longer. 

Light - as long as you don't give her hot direct sunlight she will be a happy plant! They work well in many light conditions but the more vibrant and colourful ones need a little more light. 

Feed - feed her 1-2 times a month - this will increase her growth rate and keep her happy! 

The Aglaonema maria awesome camouflage foliage! Just £17.99

Aglaonema's are a great choice if you want to add some colour into your home.

Easy Trailing Houseplants for Your Office

Philodendron Brasil and Marble Queen and the Scindapsus Aureus N Joy

For me, this plant trio looks ace together and they are all super easy to look after. You could have these scattered around your office, or grouped together to create a wall of green, which is what I have created in my home (see below). They will stretch towards the light source, which means you can train them to climb up a pole or even a wall.

How to look after her...

Water - water her every 7-10 days, letting the top part of the soil dry before each watering! 

Light - not fussy at all when it comes to light which makes them perfect office plants! Just keep these out of hot direct sunlight.

Apologies for the naughty word ;)

Create a Tropical Vibe with these Big Plants!

Any larger plant will create an instant jungle feel, perfect for adding some life into those gloomy corners of your office. In my home, I have a mix of larger plants and smaller ones placed on the floor - this creates a beautiful green frame around each room. I also lack surfaces in my home, so having these placed around the room allows me to have more plants together. Take a look at our selction on large easy to care for plants here.

Why not create a beautiful green frame around your office?

Ceropegia Woodii variegated

Ceropegia Woodii variegated

The string of hearts is one of our top selling houseplants here at the jungle. I actually have 4 in my home and, since working with me, Hayley and Ashlee couldn't resist taking a few home. These will trail down, creating a fountain of hearts and look great perched on a shelf. They are very easy to look after as long as you don't overwater them, they won't need repotting for some time, and work well in bright and low light! What more could you ask for? Oh, and they are also non-toxic!

Water: Only water once the soil is dry in the winter months - once a month should be enough. Let her sit in water for no longer than 5 minutes, or gently water around the edge of the pot. Remember that the roots are very small so too much water will cause root rot!

Note: These are succulents and can hold water in the leaves for a while.

Light: Bright light to low light. The variegated varieties will benefit from a little more light as this will keep her foliage nice and pink.

This is a picture of one of our lovely customer's snug office space features with our Ceropegia Woodii 'variegated'

Peperomia Hovaria®

The Peperomia Hovaria®

This is a new variety of Peperomia that has been specially grown with easy-care in mind. It's tall, soft to touch and elegant, really making it stand out from the bunch. Try placing these on your desk or on a windowsill, watering only every 2 to 4 weeks - so so easy! 

Care: Water her every 2-4 weeks and let her sit in a shallow tray of water for no longer than 10 minutes - this way she will take what she needs and will store water away in her plump leaves!

Note: As we head into autumn/winter, I would water every 4 weeks.

Light: Bright light to low light. 

The Calathea Family

The Calathea family has such a vast choice of colour and leaf pattern like no other houseplant. These naturally grow all over the jungle floor and underneath the tropical jungle canopies, so only require dappled light - this means that they are a popular choice for any home environment. Some can be a little tricky for beginners but the Calathea is definitely worth the extra effort.

Calathea Orbifolia X-large: Super cool foliage! The Calathea Orbifolia is native to Bolivia with beautiful large silvery green leaves. It’s one of the largest Calathea with leaves that can reach 30cm across. It's also a great air purifier which makes it a perfect statement plant for any home or office - and it's pet safe! Available in two sizes: X-Large with a pot diameter of 27cm, and a total height of approximately 80cm for £85; or 10.5cm for only £16.66. View all our Calathea

Calathea sanderiana: This Calathea has the most incredible glossy foliage. The leaves are a deep purple colour with pink pinstripes - a really special plant!

What Else Can You Do to Improve Your Workspace?

Crafting a healthy work environment can help you and your work reach new heights!As well as having plants to boost your mood, here are a few other options to mix up working from home.

Change is a Good Thing! 

If you've been stuck working from home for a long time, maybe it's time to move your office about! Even a small change, like moving your desk closer to your window may help. This will give you a sense of change and enjoyment as you walk into "work", giving you that much-needed boost!

Flowers...

I didn't used to be that interested in flowers, but when lockdown happened, they really helped to perk me up - I was surprised to feel such joy every time I saw them!

I always go for bright coloured flowers and find that the mix of colour amongst the green really pulls the room together.

Please support and have in mind your local florist rather than the big chain supermarkets, especially as winter kicks in... They will need your support as much as any small business in these challenging times.

Philodendron verrucosum with some Orange Roses creates a nice contrast.

Add Some Botanical Aromas

Set the mood by adding some different smells to a room such as a candle or incense - this can really help boost your space and mood.

That wraps it up for today! If you have any further questions on what plants would work for your home office, please get in contact with us - we are always here to help! If you have any further tips on working from home, please comment below.