Australia’s obsession with greening the home is stronger than ever. Find out which leafy indoor and outdoor trends to embrace with the 2021 Plant Trend Report.

There’s no denying COVID-19 has changed our lives and homes forever. For many of us, our homes became our only sanctuary during the pandemic, which has to adapt at record pace to the way we live, learn, work and play in this environment. The longer we spent indoors, the more we came to value the outdoors. As we divided ‘essential’ from ‘non-essential’ in our lives, fresh air, sunlight and the sense of calm we get from nature were firmly put on the essential list, for us to stay physically and mentally well.

We’re looking back at the way COVID-19 has transformed our homes and reignited our connection to nature. If one thing is for certain, the future of the home is green and Australia’s obsession with plants and trees is stronger than ever. Join us as we take a look at the plant trend forecasts for the year ahead. Scroll down to see a snapshot of the report, or for a full trend analysis download the full report.

Trend one

GREENING WHERE WE WORK

Work-from-home, flexible arrangements or hybrid working models – whatever you are calling it – it is here to stay for many of us for the foreseeable future, with up to 60 per cent of Australians wanting to split their working time between home and office in the long term. But have we set up work spaces in our homes in the best way possible for productivity and happiness?

The prediction:
Green workspaces for greater productivity.

How to bring this trend to life:
Utilising shelving and hanging planters will allow you to add lush greenery whilst maintaining precious desk space. An office nook can often be lacking in natural light so make sure you choose low-light tolerant plants.

Trend two

A DAILY DOSE OF VITAMIN G(ARDEN)

Our study found during the pandemic, the majority of Australians used their home as a space for relaxation, mindfulness or fitness. Some plant trend forecasters believe this is the start of a wellness movement in our homes as we recognise that a connection to nature is a connection to better wellbeing.

The prediction:
Nature based practices and remedies offer re-leaf.

How to bring this trend to life:
To access the healing power of plants, grow herbs like lemon balm and chamomile to consume fresh or dried in a herbal tea. You can also green any meal with hardy culinary herbs with medicinal qualities such as oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme, known for creating a grounding and wholesome effect.

Trend three

LEARNING NATURE’S LESSONS

As families cocooned away in the safety of their homes, learning moved from school to home, and for many, children’s habitual daily connection with nature was lost. However, demand for nature play has never been higher.

The prediction:
Nature embraced as an everyday teacher

How to bring this trend to life:
Create a ‘nature station.’ True to its name, a ‘nature station’ a space within the home where a child can delve into unstructured play to explore the intricacies of plant life and objects sourced from nature. This can be as simple as a cushioned corner with a few leaves, stones, and feathers to interact with, or it can be a child-friendly backyard jungle packed with nature-based activities and native plants to attract the birds and the bees.

Trend four

INTRODUCING THE PLANT-ERTAINER

With lunch and dinner dates off the table, the home became the hub for all our entertaining. Coupled with a return to making and baking – and a new found passion for self-grown produce – spending time with those we love in our homes is not going anyway any time soon.

The prediction:
Entertaining is all about the garnish from food, to table setting, to decor.

How to bring this trend to life:

Tie the flavours and theme of your meal in with your table setting. For example, If you’re doing a middle eastern theme, decorate the space with big beautiful artichokes in vases and put fig leaves and citrus onto the table.

Trend five

GROWING FOR THE GLOW

During the pandemic the question of food security was thrown to the fore. We saw it with the empty shelves across supermarkets and hoarding in homes. Scrambling to find some sense of certainty in such an uncertain time, we turned to growing our own food, many for the first time. But there is more to growing our own food than enjoying the fruits of labour, for many it was about enjoying a new hobby and that sense of fulfilment.

The prediction:
Growing your own is levelling up from ‘food to fuel’ to ‘inner fulfilment’.

How to bring this trend to life:
Try planting native edibles. Especially in urban environments, this contributes to biodiversity which we are losing at an alarming rate, and also reinvigorates country and spirit. Natives are more resilient and best adapted to our environment, use less water and are often the most beautiful and oldest examples of flora in the world.

While the first waves of the pandemic are behind us, the lessons of living at one with nature are here to stay, and are going to be critical in the coming years as we continue to realise how essential nature is to us and our planet.

To find out exactly what plants we’ll be lining up to buy in the full report.

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