Frequently Asked Questions

How long do you have the plants before selling them?

We allow our plants time to acclimate for at least a month before selling. If they're not ready, they're not ready! We will keep them for as long as is needed to make sure they're the healthiest they can be to travel to their new homes with you.



What potting mix do you use?

We create our own potting mix, tailoring it to each plants individual needs. We use substrates such as soil, activated charcoal, rice husks, coco coir, wood chips and orchid bark.



Why plastic free?

Here at Perky Plants we know the house plant collecting hobby isn't necessarily the most sustainable hobby to have, but we also know how incredibly life changing this hobby can be for individuals. Therefore, we want to do our part in making this hobby as sustainable as possible we choose to do this in a plastic free way. The pots we use are 100% rice husk, they will eventually break down and are able to go into the compost. They're guarenteed for five years. We use Kraft packing tape, which means it's able to be recycled along with the cardboard box. Our packing peanuts are 100% water dissolvable and cause no damage to marine life, or your drains! And the cardboard boxes we use are made from 100% recycled cardboard and the supplier we buy from plants a tree with every order!



Why don't you use perlite or pumice?

We don't use these two products as they're not sustainable. Both of these natural resources are mined from the earth for human use. The process in which perlite and pumice are harvested and prepared for consumption is not sustainable either. Rice husks, however, are waste materials from the food industry. Instead of them going to landfill, they are being used to create many different things, including our pots! Rice husks allow just as much drainage and air flow as perlite or pumice and is a sustainable, waste free, alternative!



Where is your shop?

Currently, we are an online only shop, the dream is to have a real life brick and mortar store, but we're taking slow and steady steps to get there. Watch this space!



Why are your plants more expensive than others?

All of the plants we sell are tropical plants, they have been imported from other countries. Importing plants isn't as cheap as it initially sounds. Yes, the plants themselves are cheaper than they are here in the UK, however there are many other costs involved in getting the plants into the country safely. Firstly, there is the phytosanitary certificate, this is needed to allow the plants access into the country. This certificate states that the plants have been treated and do not have any quarentine pests. If the plants arrive in the UK without this certificate they will be denied access and destroyed! Secondly, there's the shipping. Getting those plants across the world safely, securely and fast isn't cheap. Thirdly, there's the duty and tax you have to pay. To get the plants processed through customs there are added fees. Then, there's the inspection fee. For every order coming into the country that gets inspected there is an inspection fee of just over £190. And finally, there's the time, effort and care that goes into rehabbing these plants, making sure they're happy and healthy to go to their forever homes and that's not mentioning the added costs of keeping the grow lights on and the humidity just right! There is often loss with importing plants too, unfortunately you could place an order and all the plants arrive with severe root rot, or half of them are dead. There is such a huge amount of risk that comes with importing plants. This adds to the cost of the plants too. There are some photos attached here of some plants that have arrived to us in not the best shape, some will not make it, and we will have lost money, others will not be even remotely ready until next year.



Do you offer student or NHS discount?

Yes! We do, all you have to do is email us a photo of your student or NHS ID and we will issue you your own personalised 10% discount code.