Leading Women of Horticulture: Standout products from TPIE 2026

The Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association’s annual Tropical Plant International Expo is unique among horticulture trade shows. Not only is the focus on plants suited to equatorial climes and homes everywhere; it’s often attended by start-ups who are trying to break into the houseplant, hard goods and gift ecosystem.

The January 2026 show at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale was no different. While the large booths of legacy plant brands dominated the aisles, newcomers dotted real estate at the edges of the show floor. And among those newcomers were two women, each innovative inventors, with intriguing products that could become breakout stars in a garden center near you.

Just a little rain cloud

Cumulous clouds rained on the show floor, but they didn’t bring anyone down. If anything, they lifted spirits. The clouds in question were released from newcomers The Cloud Makers, who were premiering their novelty drip-watering solutions to the TPIE audience.

The Cloud Makers offer cartoon-inspired plastic clouds that hover above houseplants on clear stilts and “rain” down water. Each hollow cloud has capacity for four ounces of water, which is released through pinholes on the underside, creating a raining effect for up to five minutes. To increase the whimsy, each cloud also features a name and a unique face. Clara, for instance, has a smile and joyful, teary eyes, while Cooper has cool sunglasses and Carl has a mustache and a skeptical expression.

The brains behind The Cloud Makers is Georgia designer Ericka Axelsson. Her plant-watering cloud initially burst into existence as a two-dimensional decoration.

“I was stuck home during COVID, and I had a lot of houseplants,” Axelsson says. “I was going crazy one day watering one of those plants that just needs a little bit, walk away, give it a little more. I was like, oh, it’d be so cute if something would just drip on my plant. I’d already designed this cloud as a decoration in my daughter’s bedroom. Cloud, rain. Here we go.”

At first, Axelsson had no intention of selling her drip-watering solutions. But after showing her 3D-printed creations to enthusiastic friends, she opened an Etsy shop.

“We went viral, which kind of pushed me into learning how to manufacture, distribute and gear up,” she says. “It was something that made me smile, and we’ve been able to grow it into a business because so many other people love it.”

Made entirely in Georgia, the clouds are now available wholesale to garden centers. Along with the clouds, The Cloud Makers have also released a variety of collectable charms that help personalize their product. Proud plant parents can add holiday themed charms as well as suns, hearts and butterflies, which attach to the clouds to add even more pizzazz.

“I keep adding new charms and more ways to personalize,” Axelsson says. It’s all part of her master plan to create a plant solution that helps owners engage more deeply and take better care of their plants.

How to make a clean sweep

TPIE is known for The Garden Center Group’s Cool Products Awards, where judges pick their favorite products from the show floor. This year, among the plants and potting soil, the garden center gurus picked out a clever plant leaf cleaner that is many steps beyond your average flannel cloth.

The innovation is the Leaf Sweep, the flagship tool of San Francisco-based company GOHA. It looks deceptively simple. Two plastic arms are joined at a spring-loaded hinge. The end of each arm is capped with a fuzzy dust-collecting cover so that the arms can be gently clamped together and slid along a leaf, cleaning both the underside and top surface at the same time.

But the true “cool” factor is in the details of the tool. The tool tips, for instance, can be turned 360 degrees. That means when one side of the cleaning sheath is dirty, it can be flipped to a clean side. Turn the tool tips of both arms 90 degrees, and they can be clamped together to create a larger surface for cleaning broad leaves. The tool tips are also removable, allowing a user to detach a single end for a precision profile and get deeper into tight spaces, like the depths of a Sansevieria.

Beyond mechanics, there are special touches like a wrist strap and a button, designed to be operated with one hand, that locks and unlocks the hinge. Finally, there are two varieties of washable covers that can be used with the tool, including one for dry dusting and one for applications of sprays.

A person couldn’t be blamed for assuming the origins of the Leaf Sweep lay in the realm of salad or cooking tongs. But they’d be wrong.

“I wanted it to definitely be a one-handed tool, and I also wanted it to be extremely light,” says inventor and GOHA founder Kieran Collins. “I took hair-straightening brushes and combs, and I would disassemble them and add pads. Then I figured out my own 3D printing, and we went through a lot of steps and iterations.”

Collins explains that development of the Leaf Sweep focused on ergonomics, weight, one-handed use and durability. “It took a lot of engineering work and design and thoughtfulness, but yeah, we’re really happy with the final product,” she says.

The modular nature of the Leaf Sweep and its detachable tool tips means that it is endlessly customizable. Collins hopes to get feedback from users to create new tool tips and covers for specific jobs. “So, there’s future applications that can build on the base,” she says. “I think it’ll be exciting to get it out in the world.” Wholesale inquiries can be made by contacting hello@gohaplantcare.com.

Patrick Alan Coleman is editor of Greenhouse Management magazine. Contact him at pcoleman@gie.net.