Can you think back to this same time in 2020? It’s easy for me. It’s the week of my favorite New Year tradition, even if it’s three weeks late. Normally I’m traveling across the country to join my Plantscaping industry colleagues from 45 states and 37 different Florida countries at the Tropical Plants International Expo, AKA TPIE.

Seeing all the new concepts and trends in indoor plant production, presentation, and design gets everyone at Good Earth Plant Company energized for the year ahead. When the show is over, I can’t wait to get back to work for our clients. Even after four decades in business, it doesn’t get old.

We made it to TPIE in 2020… but then COVID-19 came along. If you had asked me last March or even last summer whether I’d be at TPIE as usual, I would have bet on it. And I would have lost.

But you can’t get a good plant stylist down. Hey, we get a kick out of reviving a dead plant against the odds! TPIE 2021 is still taking place as a lot of conferences are. It’s gone virtual. We are still sharing new ideas and talking about the trends. So even though I’m only Zooming my way to Florida this week, I won’t let you down. Here are the 2021 trends we love best for 2021.

1. Go Big With Color

Soft colors are nice, but since we are mostly staying inside, bold colors bring a shot of energy to your WFH set-up and just the right change without committing to new paint, furniture or floors. Think hot pink, bright yellow, bold red.

2. A New Tradition With Clay Pots

Our friends at Urban Jungle in Florida bring us this trend, and we’re loving it. Put your bold-colored plants into traditional clay pots. They make the perfect container for nearly any plant. Clay pots created on a traditional pottery wheel go back to ancient Mesopotamia. From those roots, you will find terracotta pots in many new shapes and treatments to make these classics look fresh again for 2021. Plus, terra cotta “breathes” which is better for plants to grow.

3. Trick or Treat

It’s January, but our friends at LiveTrends Design Group are already in the Halloween spirit! There’s nothing wrong with a little plant humor! They’ve come up with crazy container designs in ceramics and glass featuring fun characters, including witches, mummies, and even Dracula. I’m ready to do the Monster(era) Mash right now!

4. Artificial Intelligence

We bet you think robots when you think about artificial intelligence, or AI. But AI is also about taking data to improve practices. AI is being used for breeding better, strong, healthier plants, keep track of plant maintenance, and even help match the right plants to clients’ spaces based on science. AI is even working with biofeedback so plants can tell us when they need water or fertilizing – or even if fungus gnats are bugging them! Wow! You won’t see our expert horticulture techs using AI right away – their brains are the only intelligence your plants need right now. But we admit being intrigued by this science fiction.

5. Indoor Plants Still in High Demand

When the coronavirus pandemic caused us to lockdown, people began buying more plants to keep them company in 2020. The shortage wasn’t quite as bad as toilet paper, but Good Earth Plant Company sometimes had to get creative with plant choices even with our connections. The shortage is predicted to continue in 2021.

6. Terrariums Take Off

One of those 1970s trends that keeps on truckin’. Terrariums let people get creative with tidy plant displays that stay neat and fit anywhere: a desk, a file top, a bathroom vanity, a bedside nightstand. While they are often small, there’s no rule about this – so let your imagination carry you away!

7. There’s a New Fig Tree in Town

Fiddle Leaf Figs had more than a moment in 2020. This year, the popular new alternative will be another type of fig tree, the Ficus altissima, or “Council Tree.” Like its famous cousin, it’s a large statement indoor plant. But it isn’t anywhere near as fussy as the fiddle-leaf fig and is easy care as it gets. Winner! Also, hot this year: look for anthuriums in even more colors (see trend #1).

8. Incredible Edibles

 

Especially for people who are ready to graduate to the next level as plant parents, edible plants are expected to grow in popularity this year (see what we did there?).  Nothing beats having freshly grown indoor herbs and vegetables for creative cooking and beverage garnishes on hand. If you are lucky to have a bright kitchen or dining room window, you have the perfect spot. But any spot with adequate light and humidity may do.

9. Plants Create the Post-Pandemic Office

 As employees finally start returning to the office, plants will play an important role in transforming office spaces by changing traffic patterns and workflow, making social distancing easier, and emphasizing the new recognition of overall health and wellbeing.

Here’s a secret: Good Earth Plant Company doesn’t really see this as a “new” trend. We’ve been enriching peoples’ lives with plants, including at work, for more than four decades. We know plants improve employee health, increase productivity, help increase workforce retention, and raise your biophilic surroundings.

One MORE secret: Our brand new white paper The Nature of the Post-Pandemic Workplace has an official launch date: January 26! Look for it in our blog next week.

Is this the year you get in touch with us? Let us help you find ways to take workplace wellbeing to a new level by integrating nature and plants into your environment in 2021. Give us a call at 858-576-9300 or email me at jim@goodearthplants.com. We can’t wait to hear from you.