5 gardening trends for 2025
From flower bulbs to bloom walking, home gardeners are seeking biodiversity and sustainability.
1. Flowers Are the New Lawn
Over the past few years, lawns have slowly been replaced with more eco-friendly options. Maria Zampini, president of boutique horticulture marketing firm UpShoot, said the latest trend is “flower walking” — think “tiptoeing through springy, textured, fragrant, and sometimes flowering perennials for a bit of grounding, outdoor bliss,” she said.
Google search trends show that many home gardeners are catching on to replacing or reducing their lawns, and perennial groundcovers can be the perfect plants to help them accomplish these goals, as they require less weeding, less water and less care.
Little Prince of Oregon’s new perennial groundcover line FootPrince was bred to tolerate varying amounts of foot traffic, with varieties for sun, partial sun and shade. Many are also drought-tolerant and attract butterflies and other pollinators.
2. The Modern Meadow for a Relaxing Retreat
Plant grower Monrovia conducts large-scale consumer research projects with more than 1,400 homeowners every year. This year’s results point to a rising interest in creating an outdoor living space that allows homeowners to spend more time with their family and provides more space to relax.
“More than half of the homeowners we surveyed say that gardening is good for their mental health and well-being,” said Katie Tamony, chief marketing officer and trend spotter at Monrovia. “Those that say gardening helps them feel hopeful and positive has increased 4%. Many are interested in a garden design that helps them feel good, adding beauty but also contributing to the larger life experience. The ‘modern meadow’ design covers all those needs.”
She said “modern meadow” gardens provide a sensory experience, with color, movement and a connection to nature.
“The modern take on this natural garden style has the appeal that people seek with native plants, but it’s better behaved and easier to care for,” she said. “You’ll still have the feeling of a wild meadow with beautiful grasses and colorful, pollinator-friendly perennials, and edible perennials, just on an easier to manage scale. ‘Modern meadows’ are beautiful and free flowing, inviting birds and bees and humans to find joy in the landscape.”
By choosing the right plants for the space, Tamony said they can be low-maintenance and drought-tolerant once established. The design is applicable to any garden size by selecting compact varieties that stay tidy in the landscape while still creating the feel of a wilder look.
3. What’s New is Old
Garden Media Group’s 2025 Trends Report carried a unifying theme of Nature’s Renaissance, which highlights the drive to reintegrate natural elements into our lives, landscapes, and cities. Case in point, the annual report’s Lived-in Gardens trend follows this theme, asserting that home gardeners will be interested in establishing gardens that look like they’ve stood the test of time.
According to the report, these full-looking gardens are “a delightful shift from the pristine and untouched toward a more genuine, seasoned aesthetic.
“The appeal of lived-in gardens goes beyond mere aesthetics. According to recent research from Virginia Tech, a well-landscaped home can enjoy up to a 12.7% increase in property value. That translates into a significant financial advantage — potentially an additional $38,100 on a $300,000 property.”
Garden Media Group suggests home gardeners can achieve this look by planting multiples of each plant — at least two — to provide a more grown-in look. In addition, big trees, and native, climbing and long-blooming plants can create this aesthetic.
4. Healthier Plant Health
Homeowners continue to be concerned about the safety of lawn fertilizers for people, pets, wildlife and the environment.
“Homeowners remain concerned about the safety of lawn fertilizers,” said Mike Reiber, CEO of Minneapolis-based marketing firm Axiom Marketing. “Customers turn to reading the back of the packaging to identify ingredients in the products to “help form their definitions of safety.”
A recent Axiom Marketing report found that two out of three (70%) respondents were concerned or highly concerned about lawn fertilizers polluting lakes, streams and rivers, and 61.5% were concerned about applications of lawn fertilizers and pesticides in nearby yards, parks, sports fields and golf courses.
When it comes to using fertilizers at home, nearly half (47.6%) of respondents said they use natural/organic lawn fertilizers, and 25.6% said they want to try them.
The report also revealed that the top two most credible information sources for natural fertilizers are independent garden centers (53.7%), followed by university Extension/county agents (43.5%).
5. Flipping the Script on Patio Tiles
Homeowners are always looking for new ways to make their gardens more sustainable and environmentally friendly — not to mention visually appealing. iBulb, the promotional agency of Royal Anthos, suggested that a quick and easy way to make gardens and landscapes more “green” is to dig up a few patio tiles and plant flower bulbs in those spots. Replacing a few tiles with flowers can boost biodiversity.
“Flower bulbs attract pollinating insects, such as bees, butterflies and bumblebees, thus transforming your garden into a flourishing space,” according to a press release. “What’s more, a greener environment also helps improve mental health.”
Replacing the tiles with plants can also help lower the garden’s temperature. “Tiles absorb heat, but green elements such as bulbs, grass, shrubs and trees lower the temperature and provide shade. In short, replacing tiles with more plants in your garden is a simple yet effective way to make a positive impact.”
For an enhanced reading experience, view this article in our digital edition.
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