Meet Miranda and Tom, Founders of Plantera

PlantEra is on a mission to bring nature back into our lives in the city. They're life-long nature lovers, and their beginnings can be traced back to one BBC article they read at the beginning of lockdown in London. Millions of plants across the country were about to be binned after Garden Centre closures meant they were stuck, unable to reach Londoners who’d love them. It was a difficult time, but one when people across the city were getting outdoors, re-discovering their homes and gardens and noticing nature re-awakening all around them. PlantEra rescued and delivered 30,000 quality plants direct from Grower to Garden, and donated their profits to charity.{{divider}}

The next generation of urban gardeners who are passionate about plants and nature. They had two simple obstacles to overcome: finding the right plants, and knowing how to care for them. These stood in the way of them creating their own green urban oasis. PlantEra exist to make growing simple and rewarding for urban gardeners. Why? Growing helps us feel calmer through connecting with nature every day, connecting our lives to the health of the planet. PlantEra are building an urban community of environmentally-aware plant-lovers who can collectively make a big difference.

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Tell us a little more about your role within PlantEra, including how and why you got into the start-up industry?

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Tom and I are co-founders at PlantEra. We’re urban gardening company on a mission to make growing rewarding so that more of us can reconnect with nature. Since we’re an early-stage start-up, we’re both doing a bit of everything, but I generally spend more time on our marketing and impact, while Tom is more focused on tech and finance. We first met in our previous jobs at an innovation consultancy, where we bonded over our shared interest in sustainability, and initially launched PlantEra as a side project back in the first lockdown.

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How has Plantera adapted to the changes instigated by the COVID closures?

Lockdown was the spark that initiated PlantEra after Garden Centres closed in March. It was a perfect storm for the horticultural industry, which generally does the majority of its sales in Spring. Growers around the country were left with millions of plants destined for scrap as they weren’t set up to deliver them to customers, so we launched a London-based plant-delivery service to prevent waste, bring joy to Londoners stuck in lockdown, and raise funds for NHS Charities together. It has been estimated that there are now 3.5million new gardeners, and we’ve seen first-hand the positive impact gardening has on urban nature and peoples’ wellbeing, so we decided to take the business full time.

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What are your thoughts on the role of the Triple Bottom Line for the years to come? (people, planet, profit)

We’ve reached a point where business as usual can’t continue - we will all pay the price for damage done to our environment, climate, and society.  Many established businesses are beginning to change, but we’re always particularly inspired by the start-ups who are using business as a force for good. Building positive impact into the core of PlantEra is very important to us, so we take lots of inspiration from the other businesses in x and why and the wider impact community.  

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When it comes to business – it’s common for people to feel the need to decide between higher education and learning on the job, what is the value of each?

The great thing about careers is that there are lots of options, and you don’t have to think in binaries. From side hustles, to freelancing, to apprenticeships, or part-time education, there is something to suit everyone. A couple of years ago, I did a MSt in Social Innovation alongside work, which meant I didn’t have to choose one or the other.

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When it comes to higher education, I’d say it’s great if it’s right for you and will help you get to where you want to go, but shouldn’t just be a default option. I definitely benefited from the education I got at University and wouldn’t want to have missed it (it was also very fun), and there is something to be said for stretching your mind academically before the long career you have ahead of you. That said, I found the transition from being a student to my first job a very big shift. Writing essays gave me critical thinking skills, but definitely did not prepare me for the corporate world!

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What is your favourite interview question? (And how would you answer it personally)

I was recently asked: What is the best and worst piece of advice you’ve ever received?

I think that’s a great question, especially because as a founder, you’re given lots of advice and you have to work out what’s right for you.

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What motivates you?

Tom and I are both very motivated by having a positive impact and challenging ourselves to make PlantEra the biggest success possible so that we can make nature more accessible in cities, and ensure that our plants and service are delivered in as sustainable a way as possible.

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What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned?

Go for it! It’s always so easy to come up with reasons not to do something, but some times you’ve just got to give it a go.

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What’s the smallest change that’s given the biggest return, personally or professionally?

This year, I started exercising in the morning rather than after work. As a non-morning person, it had a dramatic effect on my morning energy levels, and running is definitely cheaper than coffee!

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How do you balance your life whilst remaining disciplined, and what % of your time do you keep unscheduled?

I recently listened to a podcast from the author of Atomic Habits and his view was that a schedule creates freedom. While this doesn’t sound particularly fun, it is true. If you plan your work effectively, you can then have much longer chunks of time off. At PlantEra, we do Wednesday Wisdom, where we spend half the day learning, reading up on important topics, and generally indulging our curiosity.

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Do you think entrepreneurial attributes are innate personality traits, or skills that can be developed?

Entrepreneurship definitely comes more naturally to some people, but like anything, it can be learned! You have to be willing to take risks and find the uncertainty exciting rather than terrifying, and be willing to try anything and think differently to make something work, however hard it seems.

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What is your vision for the future, personally and professionally?

PlantEra’s vision is a world where people and nature are thriving together. WE take a lot of inspiration from David Attenborough and his vision for a future where we all come together to live well, but never at the expense of nature and the planet.

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When working on your passions, it can be difficult to put on the breaks and is easy to burn out. How do you prevent this, and manage anxiety and stress?

At the start of this lockdown, Tom and I decided it was important to get outside during daylight hours to have a break and beat the winter blues, so we’ve stuck to that.

Personally, I find short bursts of meditation (10 minutes in the morning) make me feel calm, and regular exercise. You also have to keep things in proportion. Setbacks in the business are rarely the end of the world.

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Are there any books or blogs on your reading list?

There are always loads! I’ve been told The Start-up Owners Manual is a dense but ‘must-read,’ so I had better read it… I’m reading Our Final Warning at the moment (Mark Lynas’ book about climate change), but am having to go in chunks so I don’t get too downhearted. There are lots of good novels I’m looking forward to reading over Christmas too.

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What do you love most about x+why?

We love the atmosphere, friendly welcome, and community of likeminded people, and the attention to detail in the building stands out. For example, the fact the outdoor chairs are made of reclaimed pallets is great, and brings the ethos of x and why to life. We like the x and why garden so much we decided to have our company photos taken there!

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