“If I can’t look after a plant, how am I meant to look after a child!?” — Freddie Blackett, founder of Patch Plants

Our guest on today’s episode is Freddie Blackett, founder of Patch Plants. Freddie set up the company back in 2015, after discovering that he couldn’t find any decent plants that would survive on his small balcony in suburban London. Since then, Patch has become the purveyor of a very particular millennial status symbol, dragging the houseplant from its 1970s doldrums, and transforming it into a cultural phenomenon all of its own. This is a classic start up story — neat, disruptive idea; buckets of hard work; lovely branding; success. Although it’s never quite as simple as that, as Freddie explains. In a very fun episode of the podcast, Freddie explains how caring for houseplants spurred an existential crisis in him; why the unpleasant taste of Red Bull is oddly inspiring; and the overlooked secret to keeping your own plants alive forever. Enjoy!