Julie Topping has a thing for plants.

African violets, philodendrons, monstera deliciosa, and many more cover her living room, as well as her Instagram feed. The Chalkbeat editor and former Free Press editor photographs her hobby under the account, Detroit City Plants. Topping shares pictures of her increasingly growing indoor garden and gives updates on her plants: how well they are growing, how much sunlight they are getting and how much she waters them.

She's not the only green thumb sharing plant pictures online. There are several Instagram accounts dedicated to houseplants, such as The Jungalow, Urban Jungle Bloggers and The Whiite House, where the plants are seen as an accent to home decor. The Jungalow has 1.1 million followers.

Topping is hoping to meet the people behind the Instagram accounts when she hosts the Michigan Plant Swap from 1-4 p.m. on April 28 in the lobby of Peacock Room at the Fisher Building in Midtown.

Big in the 1970s and 1980s, the indoor gardening market is making a comeback. According to a survey from the National Gardening Association in 2018, 30% of all households bought at least one houseplant.

Millennials are also getting into houseplants, thanks in part to social media. The survey found that people ages 18-24 make up 29% of gardening households -- an all-time high for that age group. Millennial, the study found. are acquiring information on gardening through apps and gardening websites.

Overall, American gardeners reported spending a record $47.8 billion on lawn and garden retail sales in 2017, with a record average household spend of $503, which is up nearly $100 over 2016.

At the Midtown event, fellow plant lovers will be able to socialize and swap plants.

Claudette Wellons of Detroit-based LaShee Floral and Events will be selling plants and Quinn Faylor of Instagram account, Delicious_Gold will sell hand-painted planters.

In addition, there will be a raffle, with prizes coming from Faylor and Wellons, as well as a drawing from former Free Press photo and video director Rashaun Rucker.

Find more information here.