Your $80 plant didn't die of thirst.
It drowned in good intentions. Here is how to read what your plant is actually asking for.
Instant download. One off payment. Yours to keep.
But you did everything right, didn't you?
You picked it out with care. The monstera, the olive tree, that gorgeous calathea. You watered it, turned it toward the light, even sent a photo around.
Three weeks later: yellow leaves. Brown edges. And you, googling at eleven at night what you did wrong.
Here's the painful part: you probably weren't doing too little. You were doing too much. Most houseplants drown in good intentions. And the little tag never told you that.
A grandmother's knowledge, for a generation that never inherited it
I'm Violet, sixty eight, and I've spent my whole life among plants. My mother taught me, her mother taught her. When to water, why a leaf turns yellow, how to get an olive tree through winter. Nobody wrote it down; it just passed from hand to hand.
And somewhere along the way, that stopped. Your generation buys the most beautiful plants there are, but no one hands you the knowledge with them. This booklet is that knowledge, written the way I'd tell it to my own grandchildren.
A plant doesn't ask for a green thumb. A plant asks that you listen for a moment.
Not from a book. Not from an influencer. From my mother, and hers before her.
This is what you'll know after reading
66 pages and ten chapters, no filler. Just what you need to keep your plants alive.
The six golden rules
The rules that hold for almost every houseplant. Read just this chapter, and most of your plants will make it.
Violet's diagnosis chart
Thirteen symptoms on a single table: this is what you see, this is what's happening, this is what to do. From yellow leaves to little black flies in the pot.
The fifteen plants, one by one
For every plant: the real cause of death, the light and water it wants, and the fix when it starts to slip. The forty euro monstera and the olive tree included.
The fifteen plants+
Monstera, philodendron, pothos, ficus lyrata, ficus elastica, calathea, areca, strelitzia, alocasia, spathiphyllum, zamioculcas, sansevieria, aloe, succulents, olive tree.
Violet's seasonal calendar
What to do each season, and what to leave alone. Including how to get an olive tree through winter without killing it.
Toxic for your cat or dog
Which popular plants are toxic, which are safe, and what to do if your pet takes a bite anyway.
Repotting and propagating without fear
When a plant actually needs a bigger pot, how to do it without shocking the roots, and how to turn one plant into three for free.
Feeding without guesswork
What those numbers on the bottle mean, how often is enough, and why more food is usually the fastest way to lose a plant.
Violet's toolkit
The few things that really help, and which are just marketing. With a moisture meter, you'll never drown a plant again.
The fillable plant journal
A log so you stop guessing when you last watered. Includes a worked example so you can see how Violet fills hers in.
The diagnosis chart as a poster
A printable one page version of the chart. Stick it inside a cupboard door and you never have to search again.
Two extras you can add in the last step
The booklet covers what to do. These two go further, and you can only pick them up inside the checkout.
Violet's Seasonal Guide
What every plant needs this season, plant by plant, with room to write down your own year. The booklet explains why. This guide is what you do.
Violet's Windowsill Herb Garden
Why every supermarket herb pot gives up within two weeks, and how you turn that basil of three euro into a plant that feeds your kitchen for months. Six herbs, plus the five steps that make one pot into three or four real plants.
Available only as an addition in the checkout, not for sale separately. As context: €9.95 each, or €14.95 for both.
How to get an olive tree through winter without killing it
Half the olive trees on balconies don't see February. Not because of the cold. Because of getting parked next to the radiator. In the booklet: exactly when it comes inside, where it should stand, and how much water it gets in those months.
One dead monstera costs more
No subscription, download instantly as a PDF.
- 66 pages and ten chapters, no filler
- Fifteen plants plus diagnosis chart
- Lifetime access, updates free
- Read it on your phone in the plant shop
Frequently asked questions
Who is this booklet for?+
Anyone who buys plants and accidentally kills them. No prior knowledge needed, Violet starts at the beginning.
Which plants are covered?+
Fifteen in total. Monstera, philodendron, pothos, ficus lyrata, ficus elastica, calathea, areca, strelitzia, alocasia, spathiphyllum, zamioculcas, sansevieria, aloe, succulents and olive tree. Plus rules that hold for almost every houseplant.
Is this a physical book?+
No, it is a PDF you receive right after payment. Read it on your phone, tablet or laptop, or print it. The diagnosis chart from chapter ten is laid out so you can print it separately and hang it by your plants.
I only have three plants, is this for me?+
Especially then. The six golden rules and the diagnosis chart apply to every houseplant, including the three you own now. And the fifteen plant profiles are there for the ones you buy later.
How do I get the booklet?+
Right after payment you get a download link in your inbox. It is a PDF you can read on any device.
I have a cat or dog, is this useful?+
Especially. A whole chapter covers which plants are toxic to pets, which are safe, and what to do after a bite.
What if it does not help me?+
Email within 14 days and you get your money back. No hassle.
Do I get updates?+
Yes. If the booklet is expanded or improved, you get the new version free.
What is the difference between the booklet and the two extras?+
The booklet teaches you what a plant needs and how to read it when something goes wrong. The seasonal guide tells you what to do in each month of the year, and the herb guide is about the pots you bring home from the supermarket. The booklet works on its own, and the extras can only be added in the checkout.
Your next plant is going to make it
You'll know what's actually going on when a leaf turns yellow. You'll water by feeling the soil, not by a schedule. And that $80 plant? A year from now it's still standing.
Questions? Send Violet a message on TikTok at @violets_plants.