The 2025 RHS Malvern Festival of houseplants kickstarted the growing season indoors and out.
2025 saw the return of the Festival of Houseplants and it proved to be bigger and better than the last, with the introduction of indoor show gardens, focusing on the theme of ‘Plants and People’. Visitors were met with a jungle of global plants that we have all come to covet in our homes alongside contemporary ideas of how to display them. Here’s a glimpse of what’s hot this year?
Funky pots
If there is one thing every houseplant parent needs then it’s pots to show off their precious plants to the max and the houseplant festival didn’t disappoint, overflowing with modern ideas of how to display our greenery. Visitors were spoilt for choice and 3D-laser printed technology and concrete planters were widely featured.
Pow Pots dazzled with uplifting pots with an eco-conscience. Air-dried and then individually hand-painted in water-based paint in the Lake District, Pow Pots create unique brightly coloured pots that burst with positivity. From primary colours to sophisticated metallic hues; choose from fibre clay frost-proof lightweight pots for outdoor use or their new concrete range for indoors.
The Crafty Planter showcased pots made from the non-toxic, biodegradable plant-based plastic Polylactic acid (PLA) boasting a clever integrated design addition into some of their range where the base of pots is actually a meshed grid sitting on a colour coordinated saucer so water can effortlessly drain away preventing houseplant roots sitting in water. Now that’s a smart design! And Concrete and Cacti were rocking the pastel shades with their concrete planters.
Terrariums
I’m a big fan of lanterns and have a large garden collection that illuminate summer eves around the fire pit but Rita Botanicals took Moroccan lanterns to a whole new level by transforming antique lighting into living art adorned with a variety of plants and sculptures to create a statuesque focal point.
But if you fancy a more hands on approach then look at the DIY terrarium kits from Cotswold Plant House providing everything you need in a tube to make your own little terrarium; what a great gift idea.
La Maison Rustique had a large collection of open and closed terrariums in various vintage receptacles from large glass jars to tins housing ferns, tropicals and cacti.
The show certainly provided plenty of inspiration for making your own bespoke terrarium from containers found at home and I know I will be rummaging in the back of my cupboards looking for cool forgotten containers to fill with plants!
Houseplants for health
Greening up our homes by transforming concrete and manmade materials into a calming oasis can combat stress and anxiety and turn despair into hope.
The show garden that left the deepest impression on me was Neo Flora by Megan Warren-Davis, Forest Interior highlighting the importance of young people’s mental health in urban spaces and how houseplants can help restore a connection with nature, particularly in troubled times. Plant sales were donated to Papyrus charity, Prevention of Young Suicide.
Plants for wellbeing was a theme also embraced by Root 13 Birmingham who enticed visitors in with a rocking chair, eye mask and headphones to exclude the hustle and bustle of the festival and invited people to throw off their shoes to ground their toes on a framed square of calming moss. What more could you ask for to nurture our minds? …I’m off to harvest my garden moss right now!
The theme of integrating houseplants into every aspect of our homes featured heavily in the show gardens. Midrib Plants demonstrated the history of houseplants in the home in a Victorian terrace living room in ‘Houseplants: A Long View’ and Grow Tropicals, Claire Lowrie of The Jungle Haven and Ben Newell of Worcester Terrariums highlighted plants growing in their natural tropical habitat and how we can accommodate that in our homes to help houseplants thrive with ‘A Reflection of Nature’ which also achieved the Best Indoor Plant Garden award.
I was particularly blown away by the fusion of past and present with Botanic Interior Design ‘Contemporary Living | Modern Retreat’ (see main image) who incorporated a plethora of quirky ideas that had me buzzing. From ceiling suspended plants and a dramatic lounge water feature to incredible bespoke furniture, 3D laser printed planters and original details like an air plant chess set combining functionality with escape, to create a meditative, relaxing space to slow down and take a breath. It was a feast for the eyes and I would certainly like to spend some serious time in this room; uplifting yet calming and brimming with inspiration.
Vertical indoor gardening
If you want to increase the growing potential of your home then plant upwards; there was plenty of ideas at the show as to how we can utilise this often untapped space in our homes.
Macramé is still one of the most popular ways to suspend houseplants from the ceiling. Cotton Lily hosted a beautiful range of intricate macramé hangers all made afloat an off-grid narrow boat in Somerset. I have to give a mention to their adorable wire Monstera leaf plant supports in copper, black and bronze which were both innovative, practical and a completely stunning way to support houseplant stems.
Scandinavian style was a common theme and Baycraft Studio impressed with steam bent, oak, teardrop-shaped planters which oozed timeless style.
Botanical Interior Design delivered fresh innovative design showcasing a tremendous display of sustainable planters using biodegradable planted-based PLA, producing stylish and original teardrop bauble hangers for air plants and trailing plants as well as a vast range of cool, digitally printed pots.
But if you are after slick, original wall planters then Horticus have designed modular living wall kits that house hexagon terracotta pots; accommodating in-situ watering, the pods create a practical yet bespoke vertical garden for any sized space, large or small. The pods can even house speakers, lighting or be used as shelving for ultimate stylish flexibility.
Water
From growing houseplants in a water terrarium to hydroponic propagation in test tubes, water was on trend.
Test tubes were everywhere! Oscar & Digby’s beautifully crafted sustainable bamboo propagation stations also made elegant vases. Once again Botanical Interior Designs shone with a variety of contemporary 3D printed options, free standing and wall mounted and Toni Hedley of TH Pottery created stoneware test tube holders ideal for propagating shoots.
The organic, vegan-friendly hydro herb kits sold by The Garden Room caught my eye; made from a recycled bottle, these funky gifts contain everything you need to keep you in herbs all year by simply adding sunlight and water.
Even the smallest of spaces and budgets could give it a go with a moss ball in a jar! Shhhh… Marimo moss isn’t really moss, but actually a spherical green algae called Aegagropila linnaei. These low maintenance balls are fun for a shelf but always make sure you source from a reputable supplier.
But if you have a larger budget why not try a water terrarium? The ‘A Reflection of Nature’ show garden by Ben Newell, Claire Lowrie and Grow Tropicals demonstrated how a water feature can become a fascinating indoor centre piece, integrated into a living room. Water and plants certainly provide a perfect combination to bring peace and relaxation into your living space.
