From fashion, to fast cars, to iPhones; everyone wants to know, “What’s Trending� Across the board, crazes come and go, and resurface, like the hula hoop and mini skirt.
Going green is trendy. Rain gardens, planting native plants in your landscape, hydroponics and greening up your indoor space are all up for current discussion. Some are more controversial than others, however, they all result in more green for our environment. We feel that more green, less screen is going to be the mantra of the next generation, so we are gearing up.
Rain Gardens are being used to help mitigate water run off while cleaning the water. This is great for the bay; the only caveat is that they do require maintenance. They need to be cleaned and essentially re-done every 5-10 years depending upon size and volume. We carry many plants that are used for rain gardens.
Native gardening promotes the local environment and wildlife, using plants that are indigenous to the area. We have a wide selection of native shrubs and trees, as well as perennials.
Some trends are more of a novelty. Recently, we’ve seen some serious marketing going into hydroponics. For me, it’s interesting. I saw my first hydroponic farm at Disney World and it’s really neat. My quick impression was that it’s kind of a gimmick and the systems are pretty pricey and time consuming. I think it’s probably cheaper just to purchase organic in the grocery store. I also prefer getting my hands dirty in my own backyard garden.
Indoor plants are really trendy! We’re all about greening up indoor spaces and I’ve incorporated many large plants into my home decor. My family appreciates them, my dogs like them, and my cats like them most of all. They help to keep a healthy environment and hide the dust bunnies. Did you know that plants in your home can remove unhealthy toxins like carbon monoxide, benzene, formaldehyde, and others? Not only do they clean the air, they help to provide humidity in the winter…and we have them!
Here are some terrific plants that are great for filtering out toxins:
- Aloe (Aloe vera)
- Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
- Snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Laurentii’)
- Golden pothos (Scindapsus aures)
- Chrysanthemum (Chrysantheium morifolium)
- Red-edge dracaena (Dracaena marginata)
- Weeping fig (Ficus benjamina)
- English ivy (Hedera helix)
- Warneck dracaena (Dracaena deremensis ‘Warneckii’)
- Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema crispum ‘Deborah’)
- Bamboo palm (Chamaedorea sefritzii)
- Peace lily (Spathiphyllum)
- Heart leaf philodendron (Philodendron oxycardium)
Our Facebook page has helpful information about house plants and other timely planting suggestions.