One of the important things about belonging to an association like IPA is the sharing of information. Whilst we all have our ‘trade secrets’, there are some thing s that we can share to the betterment of our industry. So I certainly appreciated it when fellow IPA board member, Johan Hodgson, Operations and Sales Director for Ambius Australia, took time out of his busy schedule to discuss interior plantscape design trends with me. So what’s on trend right now? According to Johan, green walls, plant clusters, and hanging planters are high on interior designers’ wish lists.
Let’s not keep you in suspense (bad pun alert!). Deciding to put my focus onto hanging planters for this article, I looked overseas to find out what was happening over there.
Tropical vines and metal trays
From New Zealand (via France), Guillaume Leclerc took the time to share some lovely photos of his work, still in progress, with me. Guillaume is an interior plantscape designer/project manager with Hire Plants in Auckland. He is taking the concept of a hanging planter to new heights. Pardon the pun! Check out his hand-crafted hanging tropical vine and hanging crafted metal trays, soon to be filled with plants.
KISS
American interior plantscaper Clem Cirelli recommends (KISS) keeping it simple when coming to hanging plants. “I will say that a simple bowl planter with a thin wire hanger (with a swivel fitting for rotating the plant) can be a very contemporary, clean and effective way to display plants in the air”, says Clem.
Wall sconces, hanging bowls and macramé
Clem says that wall sconces, hanging bowls and macramé (blame Pinterest!) are currently popular. Clem even suggested that using bicycle chains to suspend hanging planters may satisfy the steam punk crowd looking for something slightly more unusual!
Looking for a different type of wall sconce? Check out the brightly coloured ‘Sunflower’ Eco Planter from WallyGro.
Hanging systems
Any interior plantscaper knows that the challenges faced when having to maintain unique and innovate plant installations over time.
“We are getting multiple requests and interest for all sorts of hanging from architects and designers. They don’t want to hear how difficult maintenance might be. Blame Pinterest!” says American Maggie Green when asked about hanging planters.
However there are products out there that may help make your job maintaining hanging plants easier. The Hand-E-Hite plant hanger is an adjustable ratcheting system that eliminates the use of ladders when you want to water or tend to your plants.
What other new planters, plants or interior-plantscaping products have you developed or are currently using?
Feel free to drop me a line at info@interiorplantscape.asn.au and I can help to profile your work.
Gabrielle Stannus / Inwardout Studio / IPA Board Member