It’s time to build your kitchen garden

As you receive your beautiful plug plants, you’re probably excited to start growing your kitchen garden.

And here at Lazy Flora, we’re excited for you too! 

As we mentioned in the leaflet provided, we’re really sorry we can’t guarantee certain fruit, veg or herbs at this time, but as you can imagine, our growers are having a very tough time right now.

Why did we choose plug plants?

Plug plants are at that gorgeous stage between sprouting and full maturity. They’re just coming into the prime of their life cycle, which means, depending on the plant, you won’t have to wait TOO long to get your harvest.

Please note, though, that your kitchen garden probably won’t immediately be replacing your weekly shop - but it will provide a wonderful replacement to some of the fruit, veg and herbs you currently buy. It’s really easy to plant your plug plants. 

They’ve already been carefully nurtured from a little seedling, and they should be healthy and happy by the time they arrive at your door.

Here’s how to pot up your plug plants:

Step 1) You'll need to remove plugs from their packaging and plant them up into small pots of compost. This lets their roots expand and you'll soon notice that plants will begin to grow rapidly. Do not tug on the stem to pull the plant out of the packaging! If you do need to handle the plant, always hold it by a leaf, and never by its stem.

Step 2) Fill a small pot with compost and gently firm the compost down. Leave a gap of about a centimetre at the top - it'll allow you to water the plant without water spilling over the edge of the pot and making a mess. Use your finger or a device called a dibber to make a hole in the centre of the compost that's slightly bigger than the plug plant.

Step 3) Hold the plug plant by its rootball and place it in the hole, at the same level as it's currently growing. Gently firm the compost around the plug and water lightly. Job done!

Step 4) To settle plants into their new pots, place on a window sill or in a heated conservatory or greenhouse for a few weeks. Check the compost regularly and water before it dries out. The plants you’ll receive are tender and must not be exposed to frost. That means they'll need to be kept indoors and not planted out into gardens until all risk of frost is over - that's usually mid-May in the south but can be as late as early June in Scotland - keep an eye on the weather forecasts.

Plug plants take all the hassle out of grow-your-own. We've sourced great varieties, but bear in mind they’re still delicate babies and some of them will need protecting until all threat of frost has passed.

Growing your own fruit, veg and herbs is an amazing feeling, and knowing that your food is free from pesticides is also a bonus.

We’d love to see your videos of you planting up your kitchen garden! If you’re shy, don’t worry, just send us some stills instead.

Tag us in your creations using the hashtag #lazyfloragarden and @lazyflorauk on Instagram.

We’ll pick a person at random at the end of May who will receive a mystery outdoor plant gift!