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Spotlight On... Gifts For Gardeners
Connecting With Nature With sales of faux plants and house plants rocketing, as more people look to bring the outside in, and gardening and grow-your-own linked with not only the environment but also improved mental wellbeing, PG&H asked a selection of leading suppliers what’s driving garden-themed gifts for the green fingered.
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ver the past couple of years, there’s been a huge shift to ‘greenery’ for the home, to include faux potted plants as well as real houseplants. But that’s not all. Botanical-inspired designs are appearing on everything from home accessories to soft furnishings, as well as small items of furniture, with gift suppliers tapping into the mood for giftware that reflects the zeitgeist for mindfulness and sustainability too. “Currently, the most significant trend in giftware is around environmental and ecological concerns,” says Rod O’Mahony, director, Transomnia. “Gifts for the garden and gardeners, for long a staple of the
Above right: Gift Republic’s Grow Tin range. Above: Transomnia’s quirky terracotta planter is brand new for Spring/Summer. Right: Busy Bees from Dunoon feature on the company’s cairngorm shape mugs. Below left: Among the personalised garden printed hanging slate plaques from PMC.
market, tap right into this and, in turn, are influenced by it. Most people feel fairly powerless in the face of climate change and environmental degradation, with gardening providing both a retreat from the cares of everyday - especially urban - living, and, at the same time, a means of engaging very positively with these issues at an individual level. This is seen not just in decorative gardening, but also in the ‘grow your own’ movement, with allotments, gardens and even window ledges producing fruit and vegetables for the table.” As Rod point out: “With concern growing about the over-use of plastics, the use
of natural, recycled and reclaimed materials is becoming more important in garden products, examples being our new driftwood birdhouse and hand-carved wooden gardeners’ signs from Bali. Also new for this season is a terracotta planter with a message to delight gardeners, along with a set of slate herb marker sticks. Additionally, we’ve long been known for our range of quirkily humorous signs for gardeners, and this season is no exception, with a new set of mini potting shed signs, supplied on a shed-shaped display stand, added to the range.” Cara Beech, new product manager at PMC, concurs that there's a big push on eco-friendly, self-sufficient living and low carbon footprint. “More people are embracing growing their own, supporting natural ecosystems with animals, such as bee designs, which are being seen across the industry.” She also points out that increasingly, large garden furniture is being brought out, with a blend forming between garden and homeware. “There’s more of bringing the garden inside,” she states, highlighting that prints of vases of flowers, small inside plant pots and plants are all more common place, tying into the mindfulness movement - the calming influence of nature around the home. Continues Cara: “In addition, plant bombs and other fun, nature-based novelties are coming to the forefront across various gift markets, such as weddings, focusing on biodegradable confetti and items that include flower bombs.” At Gift Republic, designer Isaac Michael says that with the outdoors now a major trend, people are putting their phones down and getting their hands dirty with gardening, Progressive Gifts & Home Worldwide
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