POTTING TRENDS

Finding Room for greenery to thrive

By Georgie Kennedy

Toronto’s horticultural scene is changing. Young, environmentally conscious gardeners are growing in tight areas such as high-rise condos, porches and tiny backyards, and they’re becoming highly selective about what to bring home.

Plant caddies come with their own saucers.

Head shaped containers are popular for fluffy or spiky plants

Look for fabric pot holders made from recycled plastic bottles in the Garden Shop.

Raised pots leave no water ring to destroy wood or tile.

Today’s consumer has specific needs and challenges. Finding room for a growing number of irresistible plants requires creative use of space. Constantly moving them around in order to provide better growing conditions and viewing angles can be strenuous work, and it’s sometimes inconvenient to prune and water at floor level. In 2022, effective display is every bit as important as finding a suitable place for greenery to thrive. Beautiful Areca palms, Snake plants and African violets provide companionship and fresh air, so they deserve appropriately gorgeous lodgings. Here are some of the latest container trends.

Photos: Georgie Kennedy, Veronica Sliva

1. Mobile and accessible

Metal and wood planter boxes on wheels allow for easy transfer from room to room or indoors to out. You can even find plant caddies complete with saucers.

Raised pots leave behind no nasty water ring to destroy wood or tile. Numerous retailers are now selling adorable threelegged containers and cache pots that sit on tripods.

2. Save time, energy and the environment

Wise gardeners can make an ecological impact by seeking out alternatives to traditional plastic. Recycled ocean plastic offers the benefit of cleaning up our polluted seas. Fibreclay is a blend of glass fibres and clay…looks like ceramics but not heavy. The artistically designed EcoPot brand is durable enough to withstand frost, heat and rain better than metal, which rusts, or plastic, which dries out and chips or cracks. It’s available in all sizes, shapes and even self-watering options. You can leave your Ficus in safe hands while you go on vacay or need to focus on work or family.

4. What else is trending?

• Head-or animal-shaped containers for fluffy or spiky plants.

• Edibles: herbs and veggies in among the ornamentals.

• DIY: YouTube has instructions on how to make anything imaginable, from hanging rope planters to selfwatering tubs to cloth planters made from landscape fabric.

• Creativity! Repurposing keeps baskets, jars, basins, chests, drums, boxes, barrels, and jugs out of the landfill.

3. Go Up

Browsing for plant stands online results in hundreds of images of tables and shelving units of every shape, size and material. You’ll find complex indoor greenhouses and simple glass brackets, metal racks and repurposed tree trunks.