PAYNE’S NURSERY HAS THE INDOOR PLANTS THAT WILL HELP YOU DO JUST THAT!
Using tropical plants during the winter months can turn your home into a vibrant escape from the cold. Lush greenery and bold, colorful foliage from plants like fiddle-leaf figs, ferns, and schefflera bring a welcome hint of summer indoors, filling your space with life and energy. As days grow shorter and temperatures drop, these tropical beauties offer a cheerful reminder of sunnier places, lifting your spirits and creating a calm, paradise-like atmosphere.
Surrounding yourself with tropical plants not only brightens your home but also creates the feeling of a tropical oasis. Their exotic textures and rich leaves help you forget the chill outside, transforming your space into a cozy retreat where you can relax and unwind. What’s more, many indoor plants are natural air purifiers. See the article below.
Indoor plants do much more than decorate our homes or offices. Indoor plants, along with their associated, micro flora, reduce levels of noxious gases from indoor air including formaldehyde, benzene, ozone, carbon monoxide, trichloroethylene, and xylene.
NASA was interested in researching ways to clean air in space stations. So, they realized that not only are plants great at absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, as all plants do, but plants also eliminate significant amounts of benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene.
Studies by Dr. Bill Wolverton at NASA’s Space Center proved that plants are highly effective, non-energy using air purifiers. According to studies, plants were found to stabilize relative humidity in the office and home, reduce the incidences of flu, improve human comfort and actually improve worker productivity in work places. Newest results from the research proved that the accumulation of dust in interiors can be reduced by as much as 20% by adding foliage plants.
Two or three plants in 8-inch to 10- inch pots for every 100 sq. ft. will help clean that zone’s breathing air. If you double it, that zone will become healthier in about a week. Many businesses in the U.S. and internationally are beginning to utilize plants for their air cleaning abilities.
By Leanne Potts for Better Homes & Gardens, January 7, 2026
Pet-forward outdoor spaces and plant collecting are among the top trends for our gardens this year.
It’s 2026 and we’re rolling into this year with a desire for our gardens to provide more that just curb appeal. We want our gardens and patios to be plant-filled sanctuaries that prioritize ecological health, emotional well-being, and a chance to literally touch grass. We want to be more connected to nature. From the rise of plant collecting to the urge to heal the earth and ourselves with our garden, here are the defining garden trends for 2026 that industry experts are seeing.
1. Gardening for the Planet Many of us feel overwhelmed by volatile global climate challenges, so we’re using our gardens to restore the ecosystem one plant choice at a time. We’re planting natives that need less water and fertilizer and edibles that lower our carbon footprint by growing a bit of our own food.
In 2025, the National Wildlife Federation awarded the most Certified Wildlife Habitats than they have in the last five years, and the Eastern monarch butterfly population doubled, a huge rebound that’s partially due to people planting more milkweed and nectar sources. The demand for native species of plants has increased by 82% since 2022 as we look for plants that feed and shelter wildlife, improve soil health and manage stormwater runoff.
Photo Credit: Adam Albright
2. Plant Collecting Plants are the fastest growing category of collectibles, says the trendspotting marketing company Garden Media Group (GMG). Gardeners, particularly Gen Z and Millennials, are rebelling against throwaway culture by ditching disposable gardening. Instead of buying whatever is on sale at the big-box store, they are becoming collectors. Getting plants from in-person plant swaps, neighborhood plant sales, and collectors’ groups on social media reclaims individuality.
According to GMG, “Collecting plants is the new Pokemon. Plant collecting taps the same emotions as gaming: achievement, progression, and control. It’s slow joy.” Some people collect lots of one type of plant, while others focus on rare cultivars, unusual foliage, and plants with a story. Collecting plants is a radical act of finding meaning and permanence in living organisms that can stay with you for years.
3. Calming, Subdued Colors We’re in search of a soothing vibe, so we’re leaning into subdued hues to create a cozy and calm feeling. Think pale hues with a sober gray tint or tranquil neutrals. Hence, GMG crowned Faded Petal (a “soft blush kissed by ash”) as its color of the year, along with a palette of Kusumi colors, an Asian trend that embraces soft, gray-tinged colors inspired by “objects mellowed by time.” Kusumi is Japanese for smokey or dull colors.
To bring these hues to your garden or patio, try pairing Faded Petal plants like Pink Princess philodendron from Costa Farms, Princesse Charlene de Monaco from Star Roses, or Pink Shades Magical Hydrangea from Sunset Plant Collection with vintage pottery, white trellises or plant stands, and weathered wood textures for a serene, sophisticated space.
Photo Credit: Kindra Clineff
4. Pet-Friendly Outdoor Spaces Our pets make us happy, so we’re turning our homes into pet-friendly spaces. A whopping 71% of U.S. households own at least one pet and that’s driving a trend toward creating dedicated outdoor spaces for our animals. PETios are the new patios, and we’re turning our yards into pet paradises.
To get on the trend, fill containers on your PET-io and garden beds with pet-safe plants like zinnias, daylilies, ferns, marigolds, roses, and blueberry bushes. Choose blooming shrubs and understory trees like saucer magnolia and serviceberry. For a pet-friendly privacy screen, go with boxwood, viburnum, and camellias.
Beyond plants, build a secure fenced area where your pet can safely play outdoors, and add shade with a sun sail or outdoor umbrella. Put a feeding station, stain-resistant outdoor rug, and raised dog bed on your patio.
5. AI Fatigue Many of us are growing weary of screens, algorithms, and chatbots, and it’s showing up in our gardening choices. Appointments with their human plant specialists have increased 30% as people tire of advice from chatbot service agents, influencers, and AI summaries. And sales of retro houseplants like snake plants, ficus trees, and dracaenas, are up, likely because these varieties trigger nostalgia for the mid- to late 20th century, when we spent more time outdoors instead of inside staring at screens.
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Here’s THIS MONTHS ZODIAC SIGN PROFILE AND HOW IT CAN HELP YOU GARDEN:
CAPRICORN (DECEMBER 22 to JANUARY 19) Capricorn begins the winter. You are a serious, organized soul, so in the spring, you create formal plantings of tulips and daffodils. Summer gardens include fieldstone pathways between neat rows of pole beans, radicchio, and cucumbers. As a conscientious and disciplined person, you strive for a long season and a full year; therefore, spinach, arugula, and chicory grace the fall selections. Hearty soups and stews are long-term favorites for dinner and are always served with your best china and silver.
In this week’s archived show from previous years, the Garden Guru wished all of Paynes’ great customers a HAPPY NEW YEAR and mentioned that it’s pretty cold this January, so we should focus on our indoor plants!
The Garden Guru chatted about houseplants and how your particular plants need fertilizer … and they need something different in their diet other than water. So fertilizing your plants is a great thing to do right now. Lynn also said that January is the perfect time to get NEW houseplants to brighten up each room. Most importantly houseplants are GOOD for you! Listen to Lynn’s tip on why houseplants are so beneficial at this time of year!
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CLICK HERE to listen to the GARDEN GURU’s archived show regarding Indian Market and what to do now in the garden!
