If you like sustainable, natural gardening practices, then you will like the garden trends for 2025. Seed and nursery companies like Park Seed and TN Nursery say top garden trends this year include some familiar practices: Native plantings to welcome wildlife, edible landscaping, and the creation of personalized green spaces.
A trend topping the lists is edible landscaping – incorporating edible plants into all parts of the landscape, not just the vegetable garden. This includes fruit-bearing trees and shrubs, herbs, and edible flowers that add ornamental impact and nutritious food. No-dig gardening is also gaining popularity as it contributes to soil health and is less labor intensive. By layering organic material on the surface of gardens, the soil is nurtured, and weeds are suppressed.
Another top trend is wildlife and pollinator-friendly gardens. These gardens feature native species as well as undisturbed places in the landscape to support beneficial insects and pollinators. Benefits also include biodiversity, help in pest control, and ecological balance. Wildlife-friendly landscapes and gardens embrace a more relaxed aesthetic, allowing for hands-off practices such as leaving seed heads in place as well as fallen leaves, both of which provide food and shelter for wildlife and feed the soil.
Color-wise, plant nurseries say bold colors are back after years of pastels. Think deep reds and golden yellows as well as teal, yes teal (mainly via garden accents and seating). These colors add dramatic contrast and visual interest to plantings. Dark-hued plants are also expected to be popular, as well as dark-colored pottery and statuary, to add depth and contrast to the garden. Colors such as deep purples, blacks, and burgundy create striking focal points in the garden.
Alternative lawn solutions and eco-friendly lawns are also on trend for 2025. Traditional, well-manicured grass lawns are being replaced with low-maintenance and eco-friendly options, such as native ground covers. Plants like creeping thyme, Pennsylvania sedge, and even clover create lush green carpets that require less or no mowing, less water and fertilizer, and support beneficial insects.
Artificial Intelligence is also having an impact by revolutionizing gardening. Design applications use AI to create personalized garden layouts, and there are reminder apps to help manage watering, fertilizing, and other garden maintenance chores.
Cut flower gardens and theme gardens are growing in popularity. Cut flower gardens produce season-long supplies of blooms for cutting to take inside and to give as gifts. Brightly-colored zinnias are easy to grow and continue to produce blooms after repeated harvests. Dahlias produce a profusion of incredible flowers well into early fall. Theme gardens allow gardeners to create settings based on specific interests and needs, such as herb gardens and wellness spaces.
Gardens are known for helping to promote mental well-being and stress relief, and that focus on mental well-being in gardens and outdoor spaces is another trend for 2025. Imagine creating a backyard retreat, allowing you to escape to a private place of relaxation, meditation, and rejuvenation. These garden spaces feature comfortable seating areas, vertical growing to increase privacy, water elements to soothe anxiety, and diverse plantings. The gardening process also boosts physical and mental well-being, helping to reduce stress and enhance mood.
Gardening trends for 2025 will help you grow closer to nature and reap many benefits from your garden and landscape.
