What plants are flying off the shelves this year? If you’ve been hanging out with me on Instagram or listening to the podcast lately, you know that part of my job is traveling the country to speak at plant shows. I love getting to see what’s new, what’s trending, and honestly… just being surrounded by thousands of plants and planty people. It fills my joy tank like nothing else.

So I thought, why not bring the magic of one of these events to YOU? This episode is your virtual behind-the-scenes pass to the recent Northwest Flower & Garden Show in Seattle. I spent three days running around with my little mic, interviewing vendors, influencers, and anyone who would talk plants with me. I came home with so much planty intel, sore feet, and a heart full of joy.

In this episode, we learn:

• [00:26] What I did at Northwest Flower and Garden Show!
• [04:06] Andy from Andy’s Orchids
• [05:30] Molly from Rancho Cacto Nursery
• [07:16] Cheyenne from Chey D Plant Lady
• [10:21] Gardenia Gardens and Design
• [12:43] Justin from Costa Farms
• [15:19] Wind River Chimes
• [17:01] Gabrielle from The Lily Pad Bulbs
• [18:50] Mark from Little Prince Plants
• [20:15] Anne from The Dahlia House
• [23:50] Cameron from Urban Jungle Plant Shop
• [27:47] The Plant Farm
• [29:09] Kevin from Epic Gardening
• [34:27] Kamili from Plantblerd
• [38:20] Jaques in the Garden
• [42:54] Davida from Condo Plant Mama
• [46:05] Krystal from Plants with Krystal
• [48:08] Derek from Chocolate Botanist
• [49:42] Tim from Greenlife TPG
• [51:07] Robbie from Visit Our Garden

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The Smell of the Show

If I had to sum up the show in three words, I’d say: chaotic, floral, magical. You walk in and immediately get hit with this wave of jasmine, mulch (yep), and lavender. And while the plants are obviously the stars, the people, aka vendors, creators, and plant nerds alike, are what make it truly special.

Plant Trends I’m Seeing Everywhere

The show was packed with themes and patterns you couldn’t ignore. If you’re wondering what’s “in” this year, here’s what kept popping up:

• Aroids + Anthuriums: These plants are still having a moment. Everyone was swooning over their velvety textures and variegated leaves.
• Ferns are back?! Yes. Multiple people told me they’re seeing renewed interest in ferns (like Cheyenne from Chey D Plant Lady and Davida from Condo Plant Mama)
• Statement plants: People are looking for BIG, dramatic plants that make a room. Plants that are trailing monsters, fenestrated giants, and anything variegated in white, pink, or silver.
• “Rare” is out, resilient is in: So many vendors and influencers echoed the same thing: don’t chase trends. Find what works for your space and your lifestyle.

Planty Showstoppers I Fell in Love With

One of my favorite parts of these shows is discovering plants I didn’t even know I needed. Here are a few standouts:

• Neofinetia falcata orchid from Andy’s Orchids – it smells like jasmine, it’s deeply fragrant, and it’s a total romantic dream. I need to add it to my fragrant orchid collection.
• Miniature collector succulents from Molly at Rancho Cacti – these South African gems are tiny, weird, and wonderful. Not your grocery store succulents.
• The Purple Tomato – genetically modified tomato that has the antioxidants of a blueberry and tastes AMAZING. I ate it. I swooned. I want to grow it.
• ‘Monkey Face' Succulent – that’s its actual name. And yes, it looks like a tiny alien.

The Best Advice from Plantfluencers

I chatted with some of your favorite plant influencers—Kevin from Epic Gardening, Kamili from Plantblerd, Derek the Chocolate Botanist, Krystal from Plants with Krystal, and more—and asked them everything from what plants they kill the most (mostly calatheas and hoyas) to their best plant care advice:

• “Right plant, right place.” – Justin from Costa Farms
• “You don’t grow plants. You create an environment in which plants grow themselves.” – Kevin from Epic Gardening quoting Khaled Majouji from ThePlantCharmer
• “Stop chasing all the trends and just really find the ones that speak to you.” – Krystal from Plants with Krystal
• “ Killing a plant doesn't mean you're a bad plant parent. It just means you're learning better for next time.” – Derek the Chocolate Botanist

Also, Kamili wins for best hot take: “There's no such thing as rare. Truly rare plants are in a conservatory.”

My Takeaway? Just Keep Growing Joy

Honestly, what I loved most about this experience, besides the gorgeous plants, was seeing the community. Everyone was there to learn, connect, and share their love of plants. This plant world has space for each one of us.

If you ever get the chance to go to a garden show, do it! But if not, don’t worry. I’ve got the full video interviews over on YouTube and I’m sharing clips on my Instagram too.

Keep blooming and keep growing joy, plant friends.

Vendors: 

• Andy’s Orchids
• Rancho Cacto Nursery
• Chey D Plant Lady
• Gardenia Gardens and Design
• Costa Farms
• The Lily Pad Bulbs
• Little Prince Plants
• The Dahlia House
• Urban Jungle Plant Shop Seattle
• The Plant Farm

Influencers: 

• Kevin from Epic Gardening
• Kamili from Plantblerd
• Jaques in the Garden
• Davida from Condo Plant Mama
• Krystal from plantswithkrystal
• Derek from Chocolatebotanist
• Tim from Greenlife TPG
• Robbie from Visit Our Garden

Plants featured:

• Neofinetia-falcata Furan Orchid
• Tylecodon schaeferianus
• Crassula deceptor
• Anthurium doc bloc x luxurians
• Conophytum “monkey’s face”
• The Purple Tomato
• Ranunculus Sfumato
• Orchid cactus-epiphyllum beavertail
• Mystery lipstick cactus from The Plant Farm

Thank you to our episode sponsor:

Wind River Chimes

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