TOP PLANT PREDICTIONS

The team at Plant Life Balance share this season’s horticulture trends

Just like home decor, fashion and beauty, plants have predicted trends as well. So before you rush out to your nearest plant nursery, take a look at what’s on the hot list for horticulture this spring …

LOW-MAINTENANCE STATEMENTS

Over the past 12 months, two out of every five Australians bought a low-maintenance plant for their home. In this same period, 80 per cent of nursery retailers surveyed saw an increase in enquiries relating to easy-maintenance plants. But, sadly, Australians also managed to kill at least 72 million plants in the past year.

With our lives getting busier every day, and an ever-increasing need to be water wise, it’s no wonder low-maintenance plants are seen as an attractive choice.

“Hard-edged, man-made materials dominate today’s world, so it’s vital to incorporate greenery into the home for our health,” says Jason Chongue, Plant Life Balance ambassador and co-founder of The Plant Society. “Indoor trees, with their beautiful leaf structure and sturdy trunks, impart a strong style statement while being great for purifying the air.”

NATIVE GARDENS

With three in four Australians tending to backyard plants, Plant Life Balance expects to see lots of wild native gardens abuzz with pollinators and wildlife as neighbours trade edible produce and stories over the fence.

The renewed enthusiasm for more climate-appropriate or drought-tolerant varieties of native plants can be partly attributed to our sensitivity for sensible water usage. This is particularly at the forefront of the minds of many Australians in light of recent droughts – thought to be the worst in 800 years!

“Hardly any Australian native plants need to be sprayed for pests and disease, whereas a lot of exotic plants do,” explains horticulturalist Narelle Happ, a native garden designer at A Garden For Life. “So, just by simply choosing Australian plants, you’re contributing positively to the environment,” she adds.

HORTICULTURE FOR BETTER HEALTH

This season will see a rise in the use of gardening as a tool for mindfulness. Both active and passive forms of gardening can make a real difference to your mental health and physical wellbeing, according to horticultural therapist Toni Salter.

“Gardening activities such as digging, shovelling and playing with soil can provide instant gratification for your mind,” says Salter.

“Focusing on an activity like this can be a great distraction from feelings of anxiety and can produce a rewarding end result. It helps to ‘stay in the moment’ and appreciate the process.”

Salter explains that even the more passive garden activities like potting up seedlings or sowing seeds can be a form of relaxation, especially if the gardener is given the choice of what to plant.