We're on holidays, we'll be back on the 5th Jan so there'll be a slight delay on orders. Thanks for all the support and have wonderful break!

And now, a word from our stockists: Their top 3 houseplants for 2020

Well you've heard what we think will be the "Plants to Watch" in 2020, so we thought we'd touch base with some of our favourite stockists to see what plants they think we'll be seeing a lot more of this year. I've included a little blurb about each retailer in italics, but everything is their content. 

Greener House

https://www.greenerhousenursery.com/
@greener_house
95 Sydney Rd, Brunswick VIC 3056

Greener House is a family owned and run nursery based in the heart of Brunswick in Melbourne. They specialize in plants that thrive indoors and in sheltered outdoor positions. Their focus is on providing tailored advice and education so that you can get the most of your plants. Josh and Maggie founded Greener House in 2016 from the front yard of their home in Brunswick.

We touched base with Josh to find out his top three plant picks (all images supplied by Greener House):

Philodendron gloriosum - If you're looking to expand your collection with something a little more weird and wonderful, then look no further. This plant gives you beautiful velvet leaves, rich colour, and it's just as easy to care for as your monstera. They love to be in cramped pots, require minimal water, and just want a nice bright place to call home. 

Maranta leuconeura aka Prayer Plants- Many plants in this family have a reputation for being fussy. This variety however is a perfect fit for the Melbourne environment and can even grow outdoors during our Winter! Keep your Maranta in bright position (enough light to read a book by is a good way to gauge it) and water once the soil is totally dry. These plants are actually very tolerant of dry conditions and do not need any extra misting or specialized care (regardless of what you may read in papers!) 

Cissus rhombifolia - Cissus have slowly become more common in the indoor plant scene. These plants hail from the family Vitaceae, which is also home to the grape vine. Due to this relation you will find that C. rhombifolia will put out cute little tendrils which it can use to climb. These plants also look great hanging and have a lovely soft fuzz over all there leaves. If this family interests you then definetly check out C. antartica which is a Australian native that has edible fruit, or the much rarer C. discolor which has bright bloody purple leaves.

Cissus rhombifolia

 

Green Beanz

https://greenbeanz.com.au/
@grenbeanz_plants
72B Erskineville Rd, Erskineville NSW 2043
Green Beanz is a family owned and operated indoor plant store. Although gardening has been a passion on both sides of the family for generations, this is the first time we had decided to share our love of plants with the public. Misty walked away from her career as a social worker to care full time for our son Leonidas, who was born with a rare lung disease. She started selling plants on ebay as a way to help make some money since she couldn't leave Leo's side. The business grew (pardon the pun) and in March 2018 Green Beanz was born as an online only shop but by May 2019 they had made the transition to a bricks and motar store on Erskinville Rd.
We spoke to Misty about her picks for 2020:
Top three plants I expect to see more of in 2020.  This was not an easy one!  I believe 2020 is going to be the biggest year for aroids to date, particularly ones that are not as common.  The Albo Borsigiana Monstera (known for it's stable variegation of creamy whites and green and not available through tissue culture) really seems to be going strong at the moment, but the variegated Monstera Adansonii is creeping up fast to take the lead.
I find that the Rhapidophora Tetrasperma  appears to be replacing the Monstera Deliciousa for those who are searching for an easy care and already established plant to put in their homes.  Being a fast grower along with it's ability to climb seems to be it's greatest appeal, along with the split leaf look that is always a hit.
My third choice is trailing plants, particularly the Hoya family.  We get a lot of requests for something low maintenance to drape off a bookshelf or hang in a bathroom.  Hoyas are another variety that are easy care and have a heap of beautiful varieties, some not so easy to find.  The foliage on a lot of Hoyas is what is appealing, sometimes more than the flower.
I could continue to throw out plant after plant, but you only said three!  A bit tough to narrow down, but hopefully this is a good selection.  Thanks so much for thinking of us and we continue to support you guys in what you do and appreciate the support you give in return!

Charlie and Jack

https://charlieandjack.com.au/
@charlieandjack.com.au
Cnr Little Burke & Kingsford Street Rear, 2 Sturt St, Victor Harbor SA 5211

Kristy Robertshaw is the owner of Charlie and Jack, located in Victor Harbor. She is also the founder of the Facebook and Instagram account 'Crazy Indoor Plant People Australia'.

Kristy gave us her top 3 (4?) plants of 2020 below:

Ohhhhh, it’s so hard to pick 3!!  The top three plants I think we can expect to see more of in 2020 are continuing with the popular themes of variegation, colour and plants that give that huge leaf  jungle vibe!
I can see there being more focus on plants that have beautiful, velvety foliage like the Anthurium clarinervium and anything with leaves featuring different colours, textures & patterns.
Philodendrons are always going to be popular with more and more varieties becoming available in Australia, along with many being easy care.  Combine that with variegation, like the Philodendron ‘Florida Ghost’ and other variegated varieties and your on to a winner!
Big leafy “jungle plants” that create that lush, green leaf look I think will continue to be popular like the Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia nicolai) or other huge leaf varieties.
Along with big statement Cacti like Euphorbia!  Oops that’s 4!!!! x

Hass & Co Botanics

https://www.hasscobotanics.com.au/
@hass_co_botanics

Hass & Co Botanics is a small business which is owned and operated by Casey, Cal, and their beloved bichon, Misty. Starting with Casey's passion for nature and greenery, and fuelled by both Cal & Casey's extensive experience in retail and small business, Hass & Co Botanics sprung into life at the tail end of 2017. Images and words supplied by Casey/Hass&Co Botanics:

The top three plants I’m expecting to see more of in 2020 are plants that offer interesting foliage in varying colour tones to contrast with classic plant varieties. 

See my top picks below: 

Ficus Audrey 

For an elegant burst of greenery in an empty corner, you can’t go past the gorgeous Ficus Audrey(Ficus benghalensis).This indoor tree is easier to care for than the popular Fiddle Leaf Fig(Ficus lyrata)making it a great addition to your space. Depending on your preferred interior aesthetic, you can allow this variety to either grow organically or train into the more traditional tree shape with heavier top foliage. 

CARE: We recommend positioning in a room with bright, indirect light and allow the top few inches of soil to dry out between watering. 

Calathea orbifolia 

The Calathea orbifolia is a beautiful tropical houseplant that features delicate stripes on lush green foliage. This variety is not for the faint hearted - these beauties can be a little on the fussier side and require some extra TLC to look immaculate. 

CARE: They do well in medium light and for best results we recommend keeping the soil somewhat moist, but not too wet to the point it is soggy. Position in a warm area with high humidity and avoid artificial heating and cooling. 

Philodendron 'Brasil' 

Once you’ve grown your collection (pun intended) you’ll be keen to add some harder to find varieties with different coloured foliage to the mix. Thankfully we’ve found one that ticks all the boxes; looks great, adds some new colour to your collection and is easy to look after. 

The Philodendron 'Brasil' (Philodendron hederaceum) features heart shaped foliage and offers a colourful twist on the classic green variety. The bold variegation almost looks painted on, with strokes of lime and yellow across the foliage. You can train this variety to grow up a climbing pole or trellis, or alternatively let them cascade down for a whimsy look. 

CARE: We recommend positioning in a room with bright, indirect light and allow the top few inches of soil to dry out between watering.

 

Gather

https://www.gatheraustralia.com.au/
@gather.store
 1/56 Currumbin Creek Rd, Currumbin Waters QLD 4223 

 Gather is the brainchild of two sister-in-laws from New Zealand. The concept organically grew from their experiences growing up in close knit regional communities surrounded by tradition and crafts."We love to fill our homes with items that enhance a contemporary lifestyle but most importantly, last a lifetime. We source locally and Australian made wares so to tread light and grow our community.  We enjoy working with makers to create one-off objects that have function and beauty."

Jan let us know their picks for the year:

It’s so hard to pin down our three favourite plants because we love so many however well give it a whirl ...

We are still totally in love with Watermelon Peperomias for their striking pattern and alien round shaped leaves.
Watermelon Peperomias are a native to South America and are a great plant for beginners.
Don’t overwater them, keep them in a light filled room out of direct sun and plant in a peat based soil.
A really pretty plant to add to the collection and impress your plant nerd friends.
We also love any low maintenance large statement plants for impact.  A classic favourite of ours is the rubber tree AKA Ficus Elastica.
We especially love the dark leafed variety that has super glossy perfectly shaped  leaves. These are hardy and can reach great heights in no time and are a really great air filter plant too.  They can tolerate next to no light and love a good water once a week.  Everyone should have one.
The plant to find and have this year is the Philodendron Gloriosum. With their velvety looking fluffy heart shaped leaves you just want to hug it.
Happy near a window in dappled light, these guys like a  loose soil like an orchid mix and enjoy to be watered after soil dries out.
We have had our mitts on a handful of these guys and are working with a local grower to get more, more, more.
Happy plant hunting!

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