by Mark Evans

Humans have been growing plants indoors for millennia. It likely began when the first ancient Egyptian plucked a lotus stem from the Nile River and placed it in a clay pot. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon – one of the seven wonders of the ancient world – may well have been the first true ‘urban jungle’.

Meanwhile, the Chinese were perfecting the art of bonsai, while the Greeks and Romans grew laurel trees in terracotta and marble pots. As Europeans explored the world, they brought back plants from warmer climates that needed protection from the cold, prompting the need for indoor cultivation. In the Victorian era, hardy, low-light plants like Chamaedorea elegans (parlour palm) and Aspidistra elatior (cast iron plant) became fashionable among the wealthy.

An important advancement in indoor gardening came with the invention of larger, cheaper glass windows. More natural light allowed people to grow plants indoors, making the pursuit more widely accessible.

The indoor plant trend took another leap during the counter-cultural movement of the late 1960s and 1970s. Many people sought more eco-friendly lifestyles and plants became a symbol of those values. This period saw the rise of macramé plant hangers, terrariums, and easy-care plants like Chlorophytum comosum (spider plant) and Epipremnum aureu (devil’s ivy). Eventually, plants moved beyond the home into public spaces like hotels, offices and restaurants.

However, by the late 1990s, the indoor plant trend waned. The rise of minimalist interiors and sleek metallic finishes seemed to clash with the organic, sometimes messy, nature of plants.

Fast forward to the rise of social media and its adoption by Millennials and Gen Z. The indoor plant trend went viral, as people shared their plant collections online, inspiring others to follow suit. The COVID pandemic further fuelled this hobby and today indoor plant sales are at an all-time high. The global indoor plant market is valued at around $20 billion, and rare plants have become status symbols – like the variegated Monstera adansonii (Swiss cheese plant) that recently sold for $38,000!

Indoor plants have long reflected humanity’s connection to nature and our desire for green spaces that nourish both our environment and our well-being, and the trend continues stronger than ever to this day. So come on, what are you waiting for? Any of the plants mentioned above or pictured alongside are guaranteed to succeed away from the direct rays of the sun. As Shakin’ Stevens encouraged us all to do so in song in 1981, come and ‘… join the happy crowd behind the green (in)door’.

Meanwhile, around the towns we have seen some pretty special agapanthus displays over summer, but don’t forget to deadhead the spent flowers now to stop seed spread. The bougainvillea are stunning at this time of year, and to keep this dry-tolerant, scrambling, thorny devil tamed, prune it back after flowering and chop back any aggressive rogue shoots as they appear. A final shout out to all the hibiscus currently flowering. These three plants alone brighten up any late summer garden.

In the vegie garden, ironically the warmest month is also the time to start planning for the coldest months, so get sowing seeds of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, celery, cauliflower, cabbage and leeks. Round out the soup season garden with some root vegetables such as beetroot, carrots and turnips, and keep the leafy greens coming with lettuce, rocket, silver beet and kale.

Finally, if you have any comments, gardening questions or plant or pest identification problems, please send them through to gardening@thetriangle.org.au and we will endeavour to help.

Happy growing.