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This is my third year attending the Northwest Flower and Garden Show in Seattle, and I come back with all the plant tea! Every year, this festival just keeps getting better. The only way I can describe what it feels like is that I walked into a convention center and forgot I was in one. In front of me, there were 20 full garden landscapes installed on the concrete floor. The lights are dimmed, and you can hear birdsongs and smell mulch and something floral. I gave a talk on my plant parent personalities and co-hosted the House of Plants pop-up with Costa Farms. But I always leave with more than I came for because every year, the garden installs and what vendors are selling tells me something real about where gardening and houseplants are headed. So here are my main takeaways from the 2026 Northwest Flower and Garden Festival!

In this episode, we learn:

• [02:05] What the Northwest Flower & Garden Show is
• [05:15] How the display gardens work!
• [06:11] What are the biggest 2026 garden trends? (whimsy, escapism, etc.)
• [07:50] My 3 favorite whimsical garden installs! 
• [14:09] Why you should do whimsy/storytelling in your own gardens!
• [14:32] What are the newest houseplant trends in 2026?
• [16:36] Why plant parents are craving low-maintenance plants
• [18:14] How Espoma Organic helped bring me to the NWFG!
• [20:41] Learn how to grow better tomatoes with Ripe Tomato Revolution by Frank Hyman!
• [22:01] My mini interviews with plant creators
• [22:45] Krystal (Plantswithkrystal) on diverse plants, terrariums, and ponds
• [24:48] Justin (Costa Farms) on variegation trends and golden monstera
• [25:20] What’s the one thing plant parents still get wrong?
• [26:42] Zach (Soltech) on bold statement plants and grow lights
• [30:04] Kamili (Plantblerd) on evergreen favorites and the lure of “unicorn plants”
• [32:48] Farmer Nick on variegation overload and the limits of “rare plant” culture
• [37:18] Cassidy (Succulents and Sunshine) on why rigid watering schedules don’t work
• [41:52] Claudia (In the Garden with Claudia) on houseplant energy at a gardening show

Order my book!

Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants) by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

The Biggest 2026 Garden Trend: Whimsy

If I had to summarize the biggest garden trend I saw this year, it would be whimsy. It’s magical and kind of escape-y, and I don’t think that’s a coincidence.

We’re in 2026, where news is heavy, and a lot of us are craving an escape. And a garden is where you go to forget emails and the to-do lists to just… breathe. The designers took those ideas and turned them all the way up!

My three favorite installs from the show:

• Relish Gardens’ The Jewel Box: A Moment Preserved – It had a fully set backyard patio scene surrounded by plants, but in the soil were upside-down mason jars (that looked like a mychorrizal network) filled with preserved goods in every color you can imagine.
• West Seattle Nursery’s Where Stories Take Root – They built a full enchanted woodland bookshop inside their garden plot! There were fire pit, a pond with moving water, and tiny fairy chairs.
• Hello Garden Designs’ The Garden Maker’s Atelier – It was a full working greenhouse inside! It’s got art with mushrooms growing out of it, bark, moss, a pincushion made from moss, a whimsical sewing machine, collected vintage furniture, etc.

Houseplant Trends in 2026: More of the Same

Apparently, there’s no hot new “it” plant to report this time around. Before, plant culture was kind of about collecting rare and expensive plants, or the plants with the wildest variegation. 

This year, the people want EASE. A lot of plant parents are now moving towards a low-maintenance garden mindset. They still love plants, yes, but they just don’t want their plants to stress them out.

My friend Kamili said it perfectly: “ You don't need to chase the unicorn plants.” You might feel like a fool for spending $200 on a single leaf. Farmer Nick also encourages people to get back to practice instead of collecting.

I've moved fully into my low-maintenance plant parent era. I'm pregnant, we're renovating a house, and I need my plants to survive without me hovering over them. So I'm reaching for self-watering planters, drought-tolerant plants, and the classics that I know will just do their thing!

If you’re not sure what your plant personality is, you can take my plant personality test!

Plants and Mental Health

I asked every person I interviewed the same question: how do plants affect your mental health?

In a gist, they all confirmed that plants help slow us down. Because in a world that moves fast and rewards hustle, having plants in your living space is very important. We can’t rush a new leaf or a bloom. It teaches us that we just have to create the right conditions and wait.

Plants also work like a mirror because when life gets overwhelming, our plants will usually show it before we do! We can see it in their browning leaves and neglected soil, and they reflect what’s happening to us on the inside.

How to Bring Whimsy Into Your Garden in 2026!

After walking through those amazing and whimsical display gardens all week, I came home with a real desire to insert more magic into my own space. I encourage you to do the same!

I’m not saying we have to build a full enchanted garden in our backyard, but maybe we can add more whimsical details like:

• a tiny fairy chair on a plant bed
• books beside your plants
• grow lights (which are also functional aside from whimsical)

Pick a theme/feeling and let it guide your plant and decor choices!

Again, the theme is ease and joy, so there should be less stressing or chasing. Instead, there should be more presence and beauty in what you already have.

Mentioned in our conversation:

• Northwest Flower & Garden Festival
• Costa Farms
• Relish Gardens’ The Jewel Box: A Moment Preserved
• West Seattle Nursery’s Where Stories Take Root
• Hello Garden Designs’ The Garden Maker’s Atelier
• Krystal @plantswithkrystal: Website | Instagram
• Justin from Costa Farms: Website | Instagram
• Zach from Soltech: Website | Instagram
• Kamili Bell Hill @plantblerd: Instagram
• Nick Cutsumpas @farmernick: Website | Instagram
• Cassidy @succulentsandsunshine: Website | Instagram
• Claudia @inthegardenwithclaudia: Instagram

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Espoma Organic

Whatever plant you're planning to grow next, Espoma will have the perfect product to help you succeed! At the Northwest Flower and Garden Festival, Espoma highlighted their Rose-tone and Holly-tone organic fertilizers for plant parents who are thinking of growing first-edition roses and hydrangeas! Espoma Organic is dedicated to making safe indoor and outdoor gardening products for people, pets, and the planet. They have an amazing variety of high-quality, organic potting mixes, garden soil, fertilizers, and pest control products that are organic and eco-friendly. To top it all off, they have a huge sustainability commitment with a 100% solar-powered plant, zero-waste manufacturing, and eco-friendly packaging.

Visit espoma.com to find your local Espoma dealer or check my Amazon storefront.

Quarto: Ripe Tomato Revolution by Frank Hyman

What gardener has not dreamt of growing ripe, juicy, delicious tomatoes in their garden and inevitably run into tomato issues? Frank Hyman dives into everything you need to know about growing tomatoes successfully in Ripe Tomato Revolution. This book will guide you through making the best tomato cages, choosing your mulch, watering properly, and preventing the common blight and hornworm problem tomato growers face. This book is detailed, practical, and backed by Frank's 40-year experience as a tomato gardener.

Grab Ripe Tomato Revolution at quarto.com and wherever books are sold.

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Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants) by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

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