Top Garden Design Trends You’ll Be Seeing Everywhere in 2026
By Kathleen Hennessy
Photos courtesy Monrovia.com by Doreen Wynja
The 2026 gardening season is here, and whether you’re planning or planting, there are a few trends you need to know about. This year is all about making the most of your outdoor space, creating a garden that is uniquely yours.
Every year, Monrovia Nursery, the nation’s largest grower of premium shrubs, trees and perennials, conducts extensive consumer research. That data, paired with a deep dive into the world of not only gardening, but also design, food, and art, helps formulate a report on the top garden design trends.
“As we mark Monrovia’s 100th anniversary, we are celebrating the past and looking forward to what’s next in gardening,” says Katie Tamony, chief marketing officer and trend spotter for Monrovia. “Our latest research shows the main motivation in gardening continues to be about creating spaces that help us lower our stress and bring more joy to our lives.”
Here’s a look at the top gardening design trends for 2026:
Patio Culture
Creating a place to relax and unwind is a primary driver for many gardeners. Research shows that for older homeowners especially, the patio is seen as an extension of the living room.
“There is more interest than ever in gardening on decks and patios,” says Tamony. “We’re seeing the biggest increase in container gardening interest with older gardeners, but this is a trend that reaches every demographic, especially gardeners who want elegant outdoor spaces that are low maintenance. They are creating whole gardens on their patios with beautiful containers.”
Patio Culture is all about extending your living space outside. Gardeners are looking for plants that soften the hardscape of outdoor living areas, adding greenery, pops of color, and plants that add fragrance. The palette can be subtle to create a feeling of calm.
Ferns, grasses and broad-leafed evergreens are being used for structure and movement. Climbing vines such as jasmine or mandevilla add height and fragrance. Tropicals add texture and make the space unique.
“Patio Culture is all about pushing beyond having just a few annuals in your outdoor living area,” adds Tamony.“ Just about every shrub and perennial can be grown in a container, offering more options for an elevated look.”
Creating a garden filled with edibles is on many homeowner’s list. Research shows it is a top project for gardeners of all ages.
“When times are tough, people gravitate toward growing their own food, but this trend goes beyond that phenomenon,” says Tamony. “The expansion we’re seeing in the edibles trend shows home gardeners are getting more adventurous and more world-aware in their selections. Drawing on their interest in cooking and travel, higher-income gardeners are looking for unique and sophisticated edibles to add to their landscape.”
The Exquisite Edibles trend shows a rise in interest in edibles like kiwi, persimmon and figs. It is also highlighting unique forms and compact selections such as columnar apple trees, ultra-compact blueberries, and espaliered peaches. Gardeners drawn to this trend are finding new uses for edibles, growing more varieties in containers, selecting plants that add beauty and interest in addition to food, and expanding their growing Zone by overwintering fruit and citrus trees.
Creating a more refined, yet still wild looking landscape is a slightly nuanced continuation of the Modern Meadow trend. The new research shows that gardeners are continuing to be drawn toward a wild design but want a more curated look.
“This trend is where naturalistic design meets intentional simplicity,” says Tamony. “Gardeners’ interest in soil heath, pollinators, sustainability, and native plants is evolving. They’re combining this interest into a design aesthetic that is natural but not unruly.”
The Wild But Refined trend combines native plants with cultivars ensuring a natural beauty with blooms you can count on. The design offers less hit-or-miss performance and creates a freeform look with less maintenance. Plant choices in both categories bring in pollinators and offer a flowing, relaxed look that includes grasses and perennials with rocks and nature-inspired pathways.
Interest in an easy-to-maintain garden is on the rise. Bombarded with stress and anxiety about world events, a deluge of content and never-ending lists of tasks, homeowners tell us their garden is a place to escape the noise of everyday life. The Sunday Garden builds on the Green Drenching trend, creating a soothing backdrop while also enabling a sense of pride and romance.
“This design trend encourages gardens and landscapes with tidy bones,” says Tamony. “It also incorporates a dash of quiet luxury and a touch of romance. It is the landscape equivalent of a Nancy Meyers movie.”
Evergreen hedges are paired with interesting foliage and a cohesive palette of flowering plants. “We have seen increasing interest in climbing roses and growing roses in containers,” she added. “Those elements fit this trend perfectly. It is timeless design combined with nostalgia, refined elegance, and happy color as an accessory. We see a lot of interest in pinks as a single color accent to all that lovely green.”
Boxwood, Holly, ferns, and other greenery are being used to create a soothing backdrop. Climbing vines such as roses, trained camellias, and jasmine add height and subtle color. Flowering shrubs and perennials such as lavender and hydrangea add timeless romance to the space. This design trend also sees gardeners matching bloom color from one plant to another for an upscale look.
Tight on space? Go vertical! And your neighbors will thank you too. Click here for an interesting article with great ideas for planting vigorous Sun Parasol Giant mandevillas.
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