A deceptively simple question

Buying 20 plants for an office looks cheaper at first glance than renting them for a year. But that is exactly the point — at first glance. Most office plants without professional care do not survive longer than 6–12 months. And caring for them costs something — either your time, staff time, or an external gardener.

What the real costs of buying include

We will calculate this for an office with 20 plants in Prague in 2026:

Acquisition costs

20 medium-sized plants: 15,000–25,000 CZK (750–1,250 CZK each)
Quality decorative pots: 8,000–15,000 CZK
Delivery and installation: 1,500–3,000 CZK
Total acquisition: 24,500–43,000 CZK

Annual running costs

Gardener (every 2 weeks, 1 hour, 350 CZK/hour): 9,100 CZK/year
Soil, fertilisers, pesticides: 2,000–3,000 CZK/year
Replacing dead plants (average 3–5 per year): 3,000–6,000 CZK
Total annual: 14,100–18,100 CZK

Rental costs (Verdino)

Renting 20 plants from Verdino: 2,800–4,000 CZK/month, i.e. 33,600–48,000 CZK/year. Included: all care, replacements, seasonal rotation, insurance. No hidden costs.

Break-even analysis

Owned plants: acquisition 35,000 CZK + 16,000 CZK/year = after 3 years roughly 83,000 CZK total.
Rental: 41,000 CZK/year x 3 years = 123,000 CZK.

On pure maths, buying looks cheaper — but that ignores risks. If your gardener is unavailable, plants get sick, or you move office, owned plants become a burden. Rental transfers this risk to the supplier.

When buying makes sense

You have an in-house gardener or very attentive office manager
You are buying at most 5 low-maintenance plants (cactus, zamioculcas)
You plan long-term operation in one location without changes

When rental makes sense

You want more than 10 plants
You have no time or inclination to deal with watering and care
You plan green walls, living pictures or other complex solutions
You want to include plants in your ESG report as a measurable benefit
You are moving or planning office expansion

Hidden benefits of rental

Beyond money, there is value that is hard to quantify: seasonal plant rotation keeps the office feeling fresh, professional care ensures healthy and presentable plants, and for events or office photography you can add specific species. This flexibility is simply not available with ownership.

Conclusion

For most Prague offices with 10+ plants, rental is the more rational choice — it eliminates operational hassle, transfers risk to the supplier, and allows flexible changes without investment in depreciating assets.

Want a specific calculation for your situation? Read our rental pricing overview or contact us directly.