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2026 Garden and Houseplant Trends: My Main Takeaways from Northwest Flower and Garden Festival

2026 Garden and Houseplant Trends: My Main Takeaways from Northwest Flower and Garden Festival

Author: Maria Failla- Happy Plant Lady and Author of Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness March 10, 2026 Duration: 51:03
Growing Joy with Plants - Wellness Rooted in Nature, Houseplants, Gardening and Plant Care
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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 (Festival) is
  • [05:15] How the display gardens work!
  • [06:11] What are the biggest 2026 garden trends?
  • [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] Ripe Tomato Revolution by Frank Hyman
  • [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

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

 

For my favorite plant installs at the NWFGS 2026,

check out the full show notes and blog here! 

 

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Espoma Organic

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

Quarto: Ripe Tomato Revolution by Frank Hyman

Grab Ripe Tomato Revolutionat quarto.com and wherever books are sold.

 

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

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

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet! Get your FREE 2-week trial here!

Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

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There’s a quiet, accessible kind of wellness waiting for you on a windowsill or in a patch of soil. Growing Joy with Plants explores that very idea, moving beyond basic tips to examine how our relationship with the natural world directly nurtures our mental and emotional health. Hosted by Maria Failla, a self-proclaimed Happy Plant Lady and author of "Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness," this podcast feels like a warm conversation with a knowledgeable friend. Maria guides you through the practicalities of keeping your houseplants alive and thriving, but the discussion always circles back to the deeper connection-how the simple acts of watering, repotting, or simply observing growth can become anchors of calm in a hectic day. Each episode digs into how gardening and engaging with nature, even in small urban spaces, offer tangible tools to manage feelings of anxiety and overwhelm. This isn't about achieving a perfect indoor jungle; it's about finding moments of peace and genuine happiness through the process of care. The underlying message throughout the podcast is a powerful and gentle reminder: tending to your plants is fundamentally an act of tending to yourself. You’ll come away with not just better plant care knowledge, but a refreshed perspective on cultivating joy in your daily routine, learning that the serenity you might seek on vacation can be rooted right in your own home.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

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Growing Joy with Plants - Wellness Rooted in Nature, Houseplants, Gardening and Plant Care
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