Trends in gardening 2025 highlight voluminous flowers, eco-conscious landscaping, and areas that foster a sense of tranquility and health.
Looking ahead to 2025, British garden trends are about more than just aesthetics. These gardens are hotspots for our evolving climate and a fresh take on nature's impact on our well-being.
Landscape designers are shaping the future of garden design and here's what you can expect:
- Biophilic gardens: Designer Catherine MacDonald (of Landform) is all about creating spaces that blend the natural world with our built environment. Her latest project, the Boodles Raindance Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show 2025, showcases this through the use of fractals, repeated patterns found in nature, often seen in ferns. These patterns can have a positive impact on our brains, reducing stress, enhancing creativity, and more.
Other elements for a sensory garden experience? Water features, natural materials like wood and stone, and diverse lighting, providing shady and sunny spaces.
- Climate-friendly plants: Climate change is a reality, and Joe Perkins (designer of The King's Trust Garden: Seeding Success at the Chelsea Flower Show 2025) predicts that plant choices will be tailored to the seesaw of dry weather followed by floods. This will likely mean drawing inspiration from Southern Europe, focusing on annuals that can tolerate this climate.
- Cottage gardens with a twist: While cottage-core is still trending, Baz Grainger, designer of the Futureproof Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show 2025, believes a return to the English Country Garden might not be what we expect. Instead, he envisions a focus on Mediterranean-like plants like azaleas and plants for clay soil, such as hydrangeas and junipers. This twist will give structure and year-round interest to gardens, as our soils are becoming more acidic.
- Mediterranean aesthetics: To make these emerging continental plants feel right at home, expect a shift towards Mediterranean aesthetics in UK gardens. This will be reflected in material choices, with natural warm tones in garden paving, such as Indian Sandstone, creating a light and natural feel.
- Ethereal planting schemes: In smaller gardens and larger spaces, soft, romantic colors and ethereal planting will dominate. Look for Stipa tenuissima softening the edges of paths and patios and Paeonia 'Southern Charm', a peach-colored plant blooming during the warm months.
- Natural connections: Designer James Scott, a Fellow of the Society of Garden Designers, believes future gardens will draw on the beauty of nature, integrating elements from nature into designed outdoor spaces. This means a shift towards using sustainable, vernacular materials and naturalistic soft landscaping that feels immersive.
- Natural stone revival: Using natural stone over porcelain paving is reemerging as a popular choice for UK gardeners. Larger-format paving slabs alongside small natural stone pavers and textured materials like setts and pavers will add rustic charm.
- Pergolas: With the increasing desire to connect house and garden, pergolas have become essential. Look for easily operable and fully adjustable structures with features like louvred roofs and adjustable sides.
- Mindful material choices: Designers are moving away from mass-produced materials toward craftsmanship, attention to detail, and sustainable materials such as recycled or repurposed ones.
- Pet-friendly spaces: Gardens can be both beautiful and pet-friendly, featuring plants like catmint, lavender, lupins, and foxgloves that are safe for pets. Monty Don's RHS and BBC Radio 2 Dog Garden at the 2025 Chelsea Flower Show serves as inspiration for creating the perfect pooch patch.
- The design for biophilic gardens in 2025, like the Boodles Raindance Garden, incorporates fractals and repeated patterns found in nature to enhance brain function and reduce stress.
- Climate change will influence the plant choices in 2025 gardens, with a focus on annuals that can tolerate dry weather followed by floods, as predicted by Joe Perkins.
- Cottage gardens with a twist will blend traditional aesthetics with Mediterranean-like plants for structural interest and year-round appeal, following Baz Grainger's design for the Futureproof Garden.
- In line with the Mediterranean shift, natural warm tones in garden paving materials will create a light and natural feel, akin to Indian Sandstone.
- Soft, romantic colors and ethereal planting schemes will dominate in smaller gardens and larger spaces, with Stipa tenuissima softening paths and Paeonia 'Southern Charm' adding warm blooms.
- Future gardens will draw inspiration from nature itself, using sustainable, vernacular materials and naturalistic soft landscaping for an immersive experience, according to James Scott.
- Natural stone revival is expected, with larger-format paving slabs, small natural stone pavers, and textured materials like setts and pavers adding rustic charm to gardens.
- With the growing demand to connect house and garden, pergolas will become essential, featuring easily operable and adjustable structures like louvred roofs and adjustable sides.
- Mindful material choices will take precedence in 2025 gardens, with designers opting for craftsmanship, attention to detail, and sustainable materials such as recycled or repurposed ones.
- Pet-friendly spaces will become increasingly common, featuring plants like catmint, lavender, lupins, and foxgloves that are safe for pets, as demonstrated in Monty Don's RHS and BBC Radio 2 Dog Garden.
