Grow your own houseplants

Sustainable living has been the main focus of my life for more than a decade, so when I set up my houseplant nursery Harriet’s Plants in 2018, its impact on the environment was a huge priority.

The horticultural industry has many unsustainable practices. Some of the worst are clocking up air miles by importing plants, the extraction of peat for use in compost, all that plastic (both single use and recyclable), and the reliance on harmful chemicals.

In my glasshouse in Lichfield, Staffordshire, I spend my days sowing and propagating houseplants in peat-free compost with no single-use plastic. I would love more people to try growing houseplants from seed themselves, which would not only mean more greenery at home, but also a reduction of the carbon emissions and plastic pollution associated with importing houseplants from overseas.

It’s not nearly as difficult as you might think, and a warm, bright windowsill is the perfect substitute for a greenhouse. There’s nothing quite