Garden Trends of 2026 – How we can make landscapes stand out among the crowd, while also thinking sustainably
As professionals in the green industry, most of us always want to know “what’s next?” It’s a common question as we work through the fast-paced day to day in the springtime, going through our checklists and knocking things out one by one. But how do we stay on top of trends and what moves the needle with customers to continue to stay on the pulse of our industry?
Every year, Garden Design releases their ‘Trends in Garden Design’ series, highlighting some popular design and aesthetic choices to predict what customers will be looking for in their landscapes. We know some customers (and designers) might be stuck and not want to move from their usual design procedures. But these trends allow us to think forward and be on the cutting edge of what is popular in our industry. Here are some of the highlights from the 2026 Trends guide:
Keystone Plantings – Touching on the top trend of 2025 – which was the “Rise of Native Plants and ‘Nativars’”, 2026 leads off with Keystone Plantings, a big part in the Homegrown National Park initiative that has continued to grow in popularity. According to the National Wildlife Federation, a Keystone Plant is essential to the lifecycle of many different species of flora and fauna – take them away and the ecosystem collapses; like how removing a ‘key’ stone in an ancient Roman arch will trigger its demise. Entomologist Dr. Doug Tallamy and his team at the University of Delaware have identified that 14 percent of native plants (the Keystone Plants) support 90 percent of all butterfly and moth species in North America. That is quite a selling point for customers who yearn to be pollinator friendly with their landscapes! The good news is that these Keystone Plants are generally easy to find and grow in our region – and include staples like Asclepias tuberosa, Echinacea purpurea, Coreopsis lanceolata, and Rudbeckia hirta.
Concerns about light pollution from an ecological standpoint – Generally, when we think about reducing light pollution, we think of large-scale initiatives by cities and municipalities. Homeowners are starting to think about how they can do their part. While we often think of light pollution as affecting bird migration patterns, recent research shows that artificial light can disrupt the circadian rhythm of all living things, including plants! Artificial light has the potential to shift the timing of leaf budding and leaf drop in trees, and can affect flowering cycles in ornamental plants. Homeowners and new construction can help reduce light pollution through small changes, like using shielded, downward facing fixtures placed on a timer or motion sensor, opting for warmer bulbs, and being more conscientious about whether every light is truly necessary.
Maximalist vs. Minimalist – With the pandemic gardening craze now a few years in the past and gardeners continuing to work from home, the ‘Maximalist’ trend has seen gardens shift from low-maintenance, simple, and streamlined to abundant and bountiful. Customers who got the gardening itch from the work from home era are more inclined to try new things, find what works for them, and plant them in abundance. Where we might’ve seen more structured landscapes in the past, walking through the neighborhood, you will more than likely see a smorgasbord in beds, combining perennials, natives, shrubs, and edibles all in one.
Rich, Deep, Jewel-Tone Colors – The final 2026 trend is the emergence of more striking colors in the landscape compared to the previously popular softer and muted palette. A few of the newer bold color varieties on the scene are Summer Wine® Black Ninebark from Proven Winners®, and perennials Dianthus Glamour Time™ Cheddar Pinks and Perpetual Purple™ Salvia, both from Bloomin’ Easy®. Every year we see more and more colorful and floriferous offerings that hit the market to keep pushing the limits!
So, if you want to stay on trend and speak the language of today’s garden design, start weaving these concepts into your everyday conversations with customers and colleagues.
Every year, Garden Design releases their ‘Trends in Garden Design’ series, highlighting some popular design and aesthetic choices to predict what customers will be looking for in their landscapes. We know some customers (and designers) might be stuck and not want to move from their usual design procedures. But these trends allow us to think forward and be on the cutting edge of what is popular in our industry. Here are some of the highlights from the 2026 Trends guide:
Keystone Plantings – Touching on the top trend of 2025 – which was the “Rise of Native Plants and ‘Nativars’”, 2026 leads off with Keystone Plantings, a big part in the Homegrown National Park initiative that has continued to grow in popularity. According to the National Wildlife Federation, a Keystone Plant is essential to the lifecycle of many different species of flora and fauna – take them away and the ecosystem collapses; like how removing a ‘key’ stone in an ancient Roman arch will trigger its demise. Entomologist Dr. Doug Tallamy and his team at the University of Delaware have identified that 14 percent of native plants (the Keystone Plants) support 90 percent of all butterfly and moth species in North America. That is quite a selling point for customers who yearn to be pollinator friendly with their landscapes! The good news is that these Keystone Plants are generally easy to find and grow in our region – and include staples like Asclepias tuberosa, Echinacea purpurea, Coreopsis lanceolata, and Rudbeckia hirta.
Concerns about light pollution from an ecological standpoint – Generally, when we think about reducing light pollution, we think of large-scale initiatives by cities and municipalities. Homeowners are starting to think about how they can do their part. While we often think of light pollution as affecting bird migration patterns, recent research shows that artificial light can disrupt the circadian rhythm of all living things, including plants! Artificial light has the potential to shift the timing of leaf budding and leaf drop in trees, and can affect flowering cycles in ornamental plants. Homeowners and new construction can help reduce light pollution through small changes, like using shielded, downward facing fixtures placed on a timer or motion sensor, opting for warmer bulbs, and being more conscientious about whether every light is truly necessary.
Maximalist vs. Minimalist – With the pandemic gardening craze now a few years in the past and gardeners continuing to work from home, the ‘Maximalist’ trend has seen gardens shift from low-maintenance, simple, and streamlined to abundant and bountiful. Customers who got the gardening itch from the work from home era are more inclined to try new things, find what works for them, and plant them in abundance. Where we might’ve seen more structured landscapes in the past, walking through the neighborhood, you will more than likely see a smorgasbord in beds, combining perennials, natives, shrubs, and edibles all in one.
Rich, Deep, Jewel-Tone Colors – The final 2026 trend is the emergence of more striking colors in the landscape compared to the previously popular softer and muted palette. A few of the newer bold color varieties on the scene are Summer Wine® Black Ninebark from Proven Winners®, and perennials Dianthus Glamour Time™ Cheddar Pinks and Perpetual Purple™ Salvia, both from Bloomin’ Easy®. Every year we see more and more colorful and floriferous offerings that hit the market to keep pushing the limits!
So, if you want to stay on trend and speak the language of today’s garden design, start weaving these concepts into your everyday conversations with customers and colleagues.
Garden Trends of 2026 – How we can make landscapes stand out among the crowd, while also thinking sustainably
As professionals in the green industry, most of us always want to know “what’s next?” It’s a common question as we work through the fast-paced day to day in the springtime, going through our checklists and knocking things out one by one. But how do we stay on top of trends and what moves the needle with customers to continue to stay on the pulse of our industry?
Every year, Garden Design releases their ‘Trends in Garden Design’ series, highlighting some popular design and aesthetic choices to predict what customers will be looking for in their landscapes. We know some customers (and designers) might be stuck and not want to move from their usual design procedures. But these trends allow us to think forward and be on the cutting edge of what is popular in our industry. Here are some of the highlights from the 2026 Trends guide:
Keystone Plantings – Touching on the top trend of 2025 – which was the “Rise of Native Plants and ‘Nativars’”, 2026 leads off with Keystone Plantings, a big part in the Homegrown National Park initiative that has continued to grow in popularity. According to the National Wildlife Federation, a Keystone Plant is essential to the lifecycle of many different species of flora and fauna – take them away and the ecosystem collapses; like how removing a ‘key’ stone in an ancient Roman arch will trigger its demise. Entomologist Dr. Doug Tallamy and his team at the University of Delaware have identified that 14 percent of native plants (the Keystone Plants) support 90 percent of all butterfly and moth species in North America. That is quite a selling point for customers who yearn to be pollinator friendly with their landscapes! The good news is that these Keystone Plants are generally easy to find and grow in our region – and include staples like Asclepias tuberosa, Echinacea purpurea, Coreopsis lanceolata, and Rudbeckia hirta.
Concerns about light pollution from an ecological standpoint – Generally, when we think about reducing light pollution, we think of large-scale initiatives by cities and municipalities. Homeowners are starting to think about how they can do their part. While we often think of light pollution as affecting bird migration patterns, recent research shows that artificial light can disrupt the circadian rhythm of all living things, including plants! Artificial light has the potential to shift the timing of leaf budding and leaf drop in trees, and can affect flowering cycles in ornamental plants. Homeowners and new construction can help reduce light pollution through small changes, like using shielded, downward facing fixtures placed on a timer or motion sensor, opting for warmer bulbs, and being more conscientious about whether every light is truly necessary.
Maximalist vs. Minimalist – With the pandemic gardening craze now a few years in the past and gardeners continuing to work from home, the ‘Maximalist’ trend has seen gardens shift from low-maintenance, simple, and streamlined to abundant and bountiful. Customers who got the gardening itch from the work from home era are more inclined to try new things, find what works for them, and plant them in abundance. Where we might’ve seen more structured landscapes in the past, walking through the neighborhood, you will more than likely see a smorgasbord in beds, combining perennials, natives, shrubs, and edibles all in one.
Rich, Deep, Jewel-Tone Colors – The final 2026 trend is the emergence of more striking colors in the landscape compared to the previously popular softer and muted palette. A few of the newer bold color varieties on the scene are Summer Wine® Black Ninebark from Proven Winners®, and perennials Dianthus Glamour Time™ Cheddar Pinks and Perpetual Purple™ Salvia, both from Bloomin’ Easy®. Every year we see more and more colorful and floriferous offerings that hit the market to keep pushing the limits!
So, if you want to stay on trend and speak the language of today’s garden design, start weaving these concepts into your everyday conversations with customers and colleagues.
Every year, Garden Design releases their ‘Trends in Garden Design’ series, highlighting some popular design and aesthetic choices to predict what customers will be looking for in their landscapes. We know some customers (and designers) might be stuck and not want to move from their usual design procedures. But these trends allow us to think forward and be on the cutting edge of what is popular in our industry. Here are some of the highlights from the 2026 Trends guide:
Keystone Plantings – Touching on the top trend of 2025 – which was the “Rise of Native Plants and ‘Nativars’”, 2026 leads off with Keystone Plantings, a big part in the Homegrown National Park initiative that has continued to grow in popularity. According to the National Wildlife Federation, a Keystone Plant is essential to the lifecycle of many different species of flora and fauna – take them away and the ecosystem collapses; like how removing a ‘key’ stone in an ancient Roman arch will trigger its demise. Entomologist Dr. Doug Tallamy and his team at the University of Delaware have identified that 14 percent of native plants (the Keystone Plants) support 90 percent of all butterfly and moth species in North America. That is quite a selling point for customers who yearn to be pollinator friendly with their landscapes! The good news is that these Keystone Plants are generally easy to find and grow in our region – and include staples like Asclepias tuberosa, Echinacea purpurea, Coreopsis lanceolata, and Rudbeckia hirta.
Concerns about light pollution from an ecological standpoint – Generally, when we think about reducing light pollution, we think of large-scale initiatives by cities and municipalities. Homeowners are starting to think about how they can do their part. While we often think of light pollution as affecting bird migration patterns, recent research shows that artificial light can disrupt the circadian rhythm of all living things, including plants! Artificial light has the potential to shift the timing of leaf budding and leaf drop in trees, and can affect flowering cycles in ornamental plants. Homeowners and new construction can help reduce light pollution through small changes, like using shielded, downward facing fixtures placed on a timer or motion sensor, opting for warmer bulbs, and being more conscientious about whether every light is truly necessary.
Maximalist vs. Minimalist – With the pandemic gardening craze now a few years in the past and gardeners continuing to work from home, the ‘Maximalist’ trend has seen gardens shift from low-maintenance, simple, and streamlined to abundant and bountiful. Customers who got the gardening itch from the work from home era are more inclined to try new things, find what works for them, and plant them in abundance. Where we might’ve seen more structured landscapes in the past, walking through the neighborhood, you will more than likely see a smorgasbord in beds, combining perennials, natives, shrubs, and edibles all in one.
Rich, Deep, Jewel-Tone Colors – The final 2026 trend is the emergence of more striking colors in the landscape compared to the previously popular softer and muted palette. A few of the newer bold color varieties on the scene are Summer Wine® Black Ninebark from Proven Winners®, and perennials Dianthus Glamour Time™ Cheddar Pinks and Perpetual Purple™ Salvia, both from Bloomin’ Easy®. Every year we see more and more colorful and floriferous offerings that hit the market to keep pushing the limits!
So, if you want to stay on trend and speak the language of today’s garden design, start weaving these concepts into your everyday conversations with customers and colleagues.