2021 Garden and Houseplant Trends

We’re always on the lookout for new gardening and houseplant trends, and it came as no surprise that there are plenty of cool innovations and influences emerging this year. 2020 saw a massive spike in gardening and plant care, and this newfound interest in plant life has brought a surge of creative inspiration from designers, bloggers, and influencers across the globe. Here are the most exciting things we discovered in our search for the latest gardening crazes!

2021 Houseplant Trends and Gardening Fads

Styles and fads may come and go—some are brilliant, and some are befuddling—but these garden and houseplant trends definitely have the potential to blow up this year!

The easiest way to manage a multitude of houseplants? Stick to low-maintenance varieties with minimal care requirements that are easy to please and can thrive off a little neglect.

This Year’s Trendiest Colors: Illuminating Yellow and Ultimate Grey

Pantone, one of the leading design companies that forecasts and influences color trends, has named the top trendy colors for this year: a sunny lemon yellow shade called “Illuminating” and a classic neutral grey shade. Bringing this trendy color palette into your garden or houseplant collection couldn’t be easier: just opt for yellow plants and concrete containers!

Plain concrete containers are super in style right now; they’re easy to find, inexpensive, versatile, and work both indoors and outdoors! For your outdoor garden, choose plants with yellow flowers and golden-toned foliage plants like sedum, heuchera, and coleus. For indoors, choose vibrant plants with yellow accents like golden pothos, gold dust croton, yellow bromeliads, or yellow flowering kalanchoes.   

Hot Sauce Gardens

There are so many awesome hot peppers you can easily grow in our Texan heat, so if you’re a hot sauce lover who likes experimenting with the latest edible inferno in a bottle, why not start making your own? Plant a colorful assortment of peppers with different spice levels, like California reapers, ghost peppers, habañeros, scotch bonnets, and serranos. They look especially gorgeous in container gardens—the peppers almost look like colorful little ornaments!

To level up your homemade hot sauce game, it’s worth growing some fruits as well, since most fruit-based hot sauces are packed with flavor. Blueberries, peaches, raspberries, blackberries, and pomegranates all have deliciously sweet, tangy qualities that perfectly balance out the spice, making the perfect topping for shredded carnitas, steak fajitas, and all your other favorite taco night staples.    

Astrology Gardens

For those of you who can’t help but indulge in horoscopes, birthday fortunes, and all things astrology, you’ll love designing your own astrology garden! Every sign has its own “power colors” and natural elements, so look up your sign’s unique details and plan your garden accordingly. The end results are sure to satisfy your inner star child!

For example, Aquarius is an air element sign, and its power colors are light blue, aqua, and lavender. If you’re an Aquarius, you can fill your garden with light purple flowers, some cool-toned, blue-green ornamental grasses to dance in the wind, and add some wind spinners, chimes, and other wind-powered ornaments. Aquarius is symbolized by the water carrier, and it values innovation and technology, so an automated irrigation system will totally complete the package!     

Lose the Trellis — Buy a Pretty Mirror!

Got a vining plant like pothos, ivy, or tradescantia? Instead of using the same old lattice trellis or letting the foliage spill downward, train it to grow up and around a big mirror! Vintage styles with an ornate frame look best and have more nooks and crannies for vines to climb up. Check local vintage stores or Facebook marketplace to find something beautiful without breaking the bank. 

Place your potted plant directly beside the mirror on your mantle or on a floating shelf, and gently arrange the foliage to your liking. The finished results will be nothing short of gorgeous! 

 If necessary, a little bit of twine or florist’s wire can go a long way. Just make sure you tie it loosely so it doesn’t interfere with your plant’s growth. 

Cat Gardens with Feline-Friendly Plants

If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that the “crazy cat lady” wasn’t so crazy after all! With all this time spent at home and fewer opportunities for socializing, having a garden full of cute, fuzzy felines is kind of amazing. While your milkshake may be effective at bringing all the boys to the yard, it doesn’t quite have the same effect on cats. Plant these cat-friendly plants outside to attract some four-legged friends to your garden: 

• Catnip
• Cat grass
• Valerian
• Mint
• Cat thyme
• Licorice Root
• Lemongrass

Be sure to avoid using any chemical pest or weed control products on your cat garden! These plants are likely to get munched on, after all. You don’t want to risk exposing any of the neighborhood kitties to harmful toxins—or the local pollinators, for that matter—so stick to organic, natural pest control and herbicide solutions whenever possible.

Maximum Greenery

Sorry Marie Kondo, but minimalism is so 2019, and this year we’re all about fitting as many houseplants into our home space as humanly possible for a lush indoor jungle you can lounge in all day and the crispest air imaginable. The easiest way to manage a multitude of houseplants? Stick to low-maintenance varieties with minimal care requirements that are easy to please and can thrive off a little neglect. 

What are the Best Low Maintenance Indoor Plants?

Add some of these easy-care plants to your indoor jungle so that you can enjoy maximum greenery with minimal effort:

• Sansevierias
• ZZ plants
• Pothos
• Philodendrons
• Chinese evergreens
• Bromeliads
• Spider plants
• Jade plants
• Aloe
• Cacti

Ensure your plants all receive enough sunlight, and experiment with creative ways to make good use of space. Rolling clothes racks are excellent for hanging several plants without taking up valuable surface area, and small floating shelves will be your best friend!

Ready to start planning your spring garden? Visit Plants for All Seasons so you can gather all the seeds, containers, and supplies you’ll need to kick off gardening season like a pro. Every year brings exciting new plant and flower varieties we’ve never seen before, so come in and take a look at all the beautiful new blooms that are hot on the scene.