Potting Bench

Keep real houseplants alive

Twenty real houseplants, each behaving the way it does in a real home, running in real time. Read the leaves, check the soil, make the call. A minute or two a day, and you'll come out knowing how to keep the real ones alive too.

Play in your browser Free · works offline · Android app coming to Google Play
A golden pothos named Gerald thriving beside the window, with a ZZ plant on the bookshelf below.
Every spot has its own light
The plant card asking: does it need water today? Decide, then check the soil.
Make the water call, then check
The nursery shop listing plants with their light needs and prices.
Pick new plants at the nursery
The progress page with check-in streaks and achievements.
Streaks and milestones
The same window at night.
Day turns to night with your clock

How it plays

  1. Find the right light

    Ten spots in your home, from a sunny windowsill to a dim hallway. Put each plant where it's happy. Light also changes how fast its pot dries out.

  2. Make the water call

    The moisture is hidden, like in real life. Decide if it needs water, then check the soil. Get it right and you earn coins. Too much water is the real killer.

  3. Read the plant

    There's no health bar. Droopy, yellow, crispy or leggy: the leaves tell you what's wrong, and the field guide explains why.

  4. Grow and share

    Repot when roots fill the pot, take cuttings, cut a plant back, give one away, and fill your home.

Nothing ever dies

A neglected plant shrinks back toward a stump and looks awful, but it recovers once you fix the problem. Damage like sunburn, crispy edges and leggy growth stays as scars, just like a real plant, until you cut it back. You start with a Golden Pothos and a ZZ Plant, which want opposite amounts of water, so you can't care for them on autopilot.

What's in the greenhouse

A field guide
A page for every species: where it grows wild, its light and water, the mistake that usually kills it, and whether it's safe around pets.
Real pests, real fixes
Fungus gnats, spider mites and mealybugs, each with its real cause and real treatment.
Daily jobs
Turn the pot so it doesn't lean, dust the leaves, and feed, but not too much.
Pots and roots
16 pot styles. Terracotta dries out faster than glazed, just like at home.
Make it yours
Two home styles, pieces for the walls, and a cat you can name.
While you were away
Come back to a time-lapse of how your plants did, with day, night and rain that follow the clock.

The twenty plants

  • Golden Pothos
  • Snake Plant
  • ZZ Plant
  • Spider Plant
  • Peace Lily
  • Monstera
  • Jade Plant
  • Aloe Vera
  • Boston Fern
  • Fiddle Leaf Fig
  • Heartleaf Philodendron
  • Chinese Money Plant
  • Cast Iron Plant
  • Chinese Evergreen
  • Christmas Cactus
  • String of Pearls
  • Wax Plant
  • Prayer Plant
  • Rubber Plant
  • Moth Orchid

Questions

Is it free?

Yes. The web version is free, with no ads at all. Coins are earned by playing, and there's nothing to buy.

How long do I play each day?

A minute or two. Plants grow in real time, so a pothos wants water about once a week. Check in, make your calls, and come back tomorrow.

What if I forget about my plants for a while?

They'll look terrible, but they won't die. Fix what's wrong and they grow back.

Will this help with my real plants?

That's the point. Every species behaves the way it does in a real home, and the field guide explains what just happened and why. The habits carry over, especially "check the soil before you water".

Does it send notifications?

No. It never nags you. Your plants will be there when you come back.

How do I back up my garden?

Open the settings (the gear) and choose Save to this phone or Send to Drive or email. Use Restore on the new phone. More on moving progress.

Your Golden Pothos is waiting.

Play Potting Bench