Sowvital, a breath of fresh air in plant care
The House Plant Elixir - Photographer: Arnaud Le Brazidec.
With a vision for the future, Sowvital is continuously exploring innovative ways to enhance the plant care experience. Its founder, Jack Lewis’ love for plants stems from his childhood experiences. Growing up surrounded by lush greenery, he developed an appreciation for the natural beauty and calming presence that plants bring to our lives. This passion ignited a desire to share his knowledge and love for plants with others, ultimately leading to the creation of Sowvital. Sowvital is more than just a brand; it is a community of plant lovers who share a passion for nurturing and caring for the natural world. With its commitment to quality, sustainability, and innovation, Sowvital is poised to revolutionize the plant care routine, inspiring individuals to cultivate thriving indoor gardens.
Jack Lewis - Photographer: Stefano Carini.
Hello Jack. Could you tell us a bit about yourself? Where you come from and what you do?
I grew up in Brighton – a seaside town on the south coast of the UK. It was an exciting and creative place; you were right by the sea, but also a quick bus journey from the English countryside.
I spent a lot of time in the garden growing up. I had a little vegetable patch my dad helped me build when I was about 11. I also worked on one of the local allotments and regularly sold lettuces I’d grown from seed to the neighbours.
While I loved horticulture, I was also fascinated by the way society operated and in particular concepts such as fairness and justice. I saw the laws of nature play out in my vegetable garden each year. I also saw a world around me governed by laws constructed and imposed by humans. A curiosity to make more sense of the ‘rules’ we are governed by in society led me to read law at Cambridge, where I focussed on philosophy and human rights. After a brief interlude as a lawyer in London, I pivoted out of the glass skyscraper and back to the earth and my love of plants. It was then that I founded Sowvital.
What is Sowvital? Sowvital is a specialist in plant nourishment products.
We are pioneering a new generation of horticultural products – the essential tools for helping you grow plants and keep them thriving. Our speciality is fertilisers: the magical compounds you pour into the soil and spritz onto the leaves which fill a plant with the essential building blocks to create new foliage, healthy stems and more.
When, how and why did you start Sowvital?
Growing up I was endlessly fascinated by the plant world. I would spend hours after school pouring over different varieties of seeds, bulbs and plants in catalogues. Spending time gardening at the weekend – such as arranging propagations on a windowsill, or potting out tomato seedlings – filled me with happiness and a deep sense of satisfaction – an escape into my own botanical nirvana. You craft a little world composed of rituals, routines, teachings and tools when you start growing plants.
Something I’ve always found super satisfying and enjoyable is feeding my plants. Preparing a tasty and nutritious meal for your family or friends is a really wholesome thing. Feeding and nurturing others is something humans have been doing since time immemorial. Nourishing the plants we grow is an extension of this and something we should be more familiar with doing.
My goal was to bring plant nourishment out from the penumbra and back into the heart of our regularised care routines; not least because it makes such a huge difference to the health and longevity of a plant (far too many die early because of a lack of nutrients in the soil).
“We need to reconnect with the plant world, and fill our lives with greenery.”
Jack Lewis, childhood picture in the garden.
The House Plant Elixir - Photographer: Clara Mary Joy.
How did you come up with that name? What does it mean?
Sow = to plant or seed; vital = that which is essential for life. Sowvital is about sharing the things which are essential for growing and sustaining plant life.
Tell us about the philosophy underpinning Sowvital.
Our philosophy is multi-layered. The guiding principle is our motto: “Love Thy Plants” (thy being a nod to our English heritage). We want people to love and care for their plants, and engage in rituals and routines that support the plant’s health. The products we create are all carefully designed to help make the process of plant feeding and care as enjoyable as possible, while still remaining rooted in science.
The Seed Grow Kit Collection
Tomato, rocket, nasturtium, spinach, radish & marigold
It seems we both share a passion for botanical art. How is Sowvital involved in this field?
We definitely share a passion for botanical art. For centuries, botanical artists have captured the lives of plants in their intimate, detailed complexity, furthering the science of botany and our understanding of the plants that we share our planet with. I believe that the story of botany in art is one that should be shared and visually enjoyed, and through Sowvital I’ve organised a number of initiatives and community projects which celebrate, create and educate on the topic of botanical art.
Currently, we are involved in a project whereby five artists are creating botanical artworks inspired by the process of growing different varieties of seeds. We will be spotlighting our partnership with London based art collective, Farrago, to celebrate the creations.
How would you say Sowvital contributes to a greener Planet?
We were certified B corp earlier this year, a process which enabled us to really reflect on the impact the brand has. Our products help plants to thrive, and they encourage people to give growing plants a try. We need to reconnect with the plant world, and fill our lives (and in particular cities) with greenery. We have also planted 25,000 trees, which help fill our world with more oxygen and lock up CO2 from the atmosphere.
The House Plant Elixir - Photographer: Clara Mary Joy.
Sowvital’s Three Step Kit - The Aqua Leaf Cleanser, the House Plant Elixir, and the House Plant Spritz.. Photographer: Charles Negre.
Could you give us more details about your products? They are all 100% animal-free and certified vegan, is that right?
Yes, Sowvital’s products are all 100% animal free, registered vegan and certified B Corp. Our three hero products are:
The House Plant Elixir
The Sowvital Elixir is an element-packed serum for your plants, providing trillions of vital nutrients like Nitrogen, Potassium and Magnesium in activated form. You dilute a few drops into a watering can and every week or so feed your plant. Just like humans need nutrients like Iron, Calcium and Manganese in order to grow healthy tissue and respire, so do plants. Most house plants are chronically nutrient deficient, which stunts growth, and effectively puts the plant into a weakened semi-dormant state. The Elixir is the easy solution to prevent this. It also uses circular-supply-chain ingredients which makes it the first low-CO2 house plant fertiliser to ever exist.
The Aqua Leaf Cleanser
Just as a shelf in the home collects dust, so do the leaves of your house plant. The Sowvital leaf cleanser is a scientifically formulated bioactive solution which you spray onto the leaves and then wipe away to kill microbes, fungus spores and revive shine. The key active ingredient is Aomori Hiba Essensia™, which we get from Japan. It comes from the Hiba tree, which for centuries was revered and used by the emperors of Japan to build their shrines and temples (the remarkable antimicrobial properties of the wood are highly resistant to rot).
The House Plant Spritz
The Sowvital Spritz elevates humidity levels while delivering additional micronutrients directly into the plant’s leaves. The direct delivery system enables nutrients to be absorbed into the metabolic systems of the plant exceptionally effciently.
Would you agree if we say Sowvital is about connecting science, wellness and design?
Entirely. Sowvital’s fertiliser products are underpinned by science, are uncompromising in supporting the wellbeing of your plants, and are designed to be a joy to use and bring into the home.
What and who inspires you the most?
People who are continuously curious about exploring the world we live in and are motivated to understand it to the fullest extent.
The visual identity is absolutely gorgeous. It’s been designed by Leslie David Studio in Paris, is that correct? Could you tell us a bit more about this collaboration?
We are endlessly grateful and lucky to work with Leslie David and her studio in Paris to craft the visual world of Sowvital. I approached Leslie in 2020 to design the identity of Sowvital. I was inspired by the exceptional quality and breadth of her work, which has included designing visual universes and campaigns for the likes of Diptyque, Isabel Marant and Glossier. She is a uniquely gifted creative director, who masterfully constructs with dexterity and rigorous detail every element of a brand’s visual universe.
Could you tell us what you and Sowvital have been up to lately? (London, Paris, New York popups and events…)
Sowvital has been spreading its root system throughout London, Paris and New York. We are lucky to have a global community who like to Cleanse, Nourish and Spritz their house plants, the Sowvital way.
We are about to embark on a special Christmas collaboration at Le Bon Marché in Paris, where we will debut a number of limited-edition gardening products hand crafted in England and Paris.
Could you tell us about your book Study Thy plants that is just about to be released?
Study Thy Plants is a practical handbook for understanding both the theory and also practical elements of keeping house plants healthy and thriving. We worked with a team of award-winning plant scientists for over two years to distil into just over 100 pages the core topics someone needs to understand the essential science. We then worked with Leslie David and her studio to construct a visual language to present the concepts and information, anchored around illustrations hand drawn by Leslie.
Could you tell us a few words about the poster that goes along with this issue?
This limited-edition poster celebrates the essential three steps for keeping your house plants happy and thriving. Cleaning and grooming, nourishing with fertiliser and spritzing and watering.
Our last issue is a tribute to stories, tales and legends… What’s your favourite book of all time and why?
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari. It forces you to confront just how powerful (and at times destructive) our imaginations are as humans.
What can we wish for Sowvital in the months / year to come?
Come and visit us at Le Bon Marché this Christmas in Paris! Then stay tuned for a very big 2024 which will see a family of new products brought out to the world.
How do you see yourself and Sowvital in 5 years?
I think Sowvital and I will still be in a happy relationship. It can be testing at times building a business (especially if you’re a total perfectionist), but it’s also one of the most rewarding things in the world. There’s still endlessly more things I want to design for the world of Sowvital: further products, rituals, stories. All inspired by the community that continues to grow with us.
What does your perfect secret garden look like?
An immaculate lawn surrounded by ancient cloisters with mature wisteria in full bloom dripping up and down the old stone.
Visit Sowvital.com to discover their products range.