Plant Trends

[CharlieBrown]

Does anyone remember certain pot plants being in fashion at certain times.

Ones I can think of:

1970s Cheese & rubber plants

1980s Spider plants

1990s Yucca plants

They are all classics through the ages, yes.

[Mulletino]

Re: Plant Trends

My Aunt had a Aspidistra plant in her parlour window in 1970s I think it had white flowers on it.

those plants make me think of only one thing....

[Mulletino]

Re: Plant Trends

When did pampas grass in the garden go in and out of fashion?

I was informed that pampas grass in the front garden was an indicator that swingers lived in the house.

Eeeeek! My parents had a huge pampass out the front of their place when we were kids, we used to take bits of it for harvest festival.

Pretty sure they weren't swingers so must have been the elderly couple next door! (or not true).

[marc]

Re: Plant Trends

Cactus Plants

There seemed to be a trend for these. I remember one home, the interior window sill was full of them.

Venus Fly Trap, another fad. I remember quite few people buying these. They did not seem to last very long in people's homes. Possibly the room temperature being wrong, and the humidity possibly had something to do with it.

[battyrat]

Re: Plant Trends

Most of those were miniature fig trees sold as Bonsai.

[staffslad]

Re: Plant Trends

I thought it was prior to The Karate Kid but can't be sure. I seem to remember a feature on them, maybe Pebble Mill at One or similar, in which it mentioned their growing popularity, as well as showing some examples. Also think I saw them for sale in a few places but it didn't seem to last long.

At school, we were shown how to grow mustard and cress on blotting paper and most of us had a go at home. Goodness knows if kids do that now.

[Arran]

Re: Plant Trends

I think there was a brief fad for those miniature trees--bonzai or something like that?

Did it have any connection with the Karate Kid?

[staffslad]

Re: Plant Trends

I think there was a brief fad for those miniature trees--bonzai or something like that?

[battyrat]

Re: Plant Trends

Going the other way from a damp concealed environment to a dry arid one. Air plants seemed to of been the in thing for a while.They seemed to get a mention on all sorts of programs from kids to the big gardening ones.

[amethyst]

Re: Plant Trends

I liked those large bottles too really attractive looking

[marc]

Re: Plant Trends

Thanks Arran. I'd forgotten about those.

[Arran]

Re: Plant Trends

I remember back in the late 1970s, my friend's mother had a large round bottle type thing with what appeared to be moss and small plants inside. Apparently, water was put in the bottle then the large top was sealed. It seemed to be a plant eco system in miniature. The bottle seemed to be green in colour. I remember seeing similar ones, usually at upmarket houses.

They are called bottle gardens. Usually they are open topped but some people seal them so that they never need watering. Originally they were intended for apartments or small houses without gardens but were just as popular in suburban houses. I have seen some in restaurants and hotels.

The large bottles are still sold in some garden centres.

[marc]

Re: Plant Trends

I remember back in the late 1970s, my friend's mother had a large round bottle type thing with what appeared to be moss and small plants inside. Apparently, water was put in the bottle then the large top was sealed. It seemed to be a plant eco system in miniature. The bottle seemed to be green in colour. I remember seeing similar ones, usually at upmarket houses.

[Richard1978]

Re: Plant Trends

When did pampas grass in the garden go in and out of fashion?

I was informed that pampas grass in the front garden was an indicator that swingers lived in the house.

The parents of one of my friends had a patch of Pampas grass in their garden, the blades were very sharp, & that's probably the reason they dug up.

Either that or they heard the rumours!

[staffslad]

Re: Plant Trends

My mom had Spider plants in the 80s, but they were years old and probably first got them in the 70s.

Anyone remember that you could buy Venus Fly Traps and other insect-eating plants sometime back in the day--there might have been a short-lived fad for them for all I know. I pestered my mom and she got a VFT and another for which I can't recall the name. I think they were supplied as a seed or bulb or similar via post, but we never had any success growing them.