“Be like the bamboo: The higher you grow, the deeper you bow.”
For many years, I was on the board of the nonprofit Lan Su Chinese Garden, in Portland, Ore. Lan Su is an authentic Chinese garden, right down to its indoor plants! I was captivated by penjing, creations of carefully pruned trees and rocks planted and pruned to be small-scale renditions of natural landscapes. Often referred to as “living sculptures” or “three-dimensional poetry,” their artistic composition captures the spirit of nature. This ancient custom allowed families to tend and appreciate plants indoors, and Chinese families have been doing so since the early 700s.
In the 1970s, my mom had a macramé plant hanger with a struggling spider plant. Of course, every restaurant we went into had fern plants to peer around.
After years of houseplants being out of style and favor, they are back in a big way. Fueled by millennials who are becoming “plant parents” in droves and older buyers who are welcoming the return of plants in all of their new and amazing varieties, indoor plants are the trend.
Flower shop owners and floral-and-event designers are excited to utilize the re-emerging medium. Plants offer a longer and more stable product for the sales shelf. Mixed with florals, they can bring dimension to arrangements and give a big, luscious bang to event work. They are proving to be, creatively and financially, a great thing to be offering customers of all ages. Plants are the gateway for younger buyers to experience all that a floral store or design company can offer.
I am excited to see that the biggest houseplant trend for 2020 is predicted to be Citrus trees. My partner, Glenn, is presently coaching one on our patio. Who knew we could be this trendy!
Travis Rigby, publisher
travis@floristsreview.com
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