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

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:

• Northwest Flower & Garden Festival
• Costa Farms
• Relish Gardens’ The Jewel Box: A Moment Preserved
• West Seattle Nursery’s Where Stories Take Root
• Hello Garden Designs’ The Garden Maker’s Atelier
• Krystal @plantswithkrystal: Website | Instagram
• Justin from Costa Farms: Website | Instagram
• Zach from Soltech: Website | Instagram
• Kamili Bell Hill @plantblerd: Instagram
• Nick Cutsumpas @farmernick: Website | Instagram
• Cassidy @succulentsandsunshine: Website | Instagram
• Claudia @inthegardenwithclaudia: Instagram

 

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.

 

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