Just like with interior design, gardening goes through its own trend cycles. One year perfectly manicured lawns may be in vogue, but the next, colorful more chaotic garden spaces are what’s in. No matter what your personal style is, you can find exciting new ways to add life to your outdoor spaces.
hortifuturism
Take some inspiration from sci-fi to transform your garden. This trend blends together innovative technology and a focus on sustainability to create futuristic landscapes. Hallmarks include elements like vertical gardens, voice-activated systems and smart planters that monitor moisture, sunlight and nutrient levels. To achieve that sci-fi aesthetic, opt for plants with bright foliage, spotted and variegated varieties and ones that bloom at night. Don’t be afraid to experiment with futuristic and modern elements in your outdoor furniture, decor and lighting.
pollinator friendly
Be a friend to the bees, butterflies, moths and hummingbirds. A pollinator garden is a great way to create a beautiful, colorful outdoor space that also is eco-friendly. Native Missouri plants that wildlife will love include butterfly milkweed, crested iris, golden Alexanders, Missouri primrose, prairie blazing star and purple coneflower. Lemon verbena, bee balm, bronze fennel, chamomile, or mint are options that are favored by pollinators, and you can get extra use out of them by creating your own herbal teas.
rewilding
Rewilding is a term originally coined by ecologists to describe the concept of returning large tracts of land to nature. Now, it’s being applied on a smaller scale in domestic gardens. Meadow or tapestry lawns replace turf with native plants to support biodiversity. It’s a good option if you’re looking for something unfussy and informal for your garden. This trend means less maintenance, especially lawn mowing since the goal is to let a broader variety of flowering species grow.
minimalism
If you take a minimalist approach to your home’s interior, why not bring it out into the garden? Opt for neutral colors and natural materials for hardscaping and furniture to achieve a simple, clean look. An understated water feature can add ornamentation as well as sound and movement to the space. Create harmony by limiting the variety of plants or including numerous types in the same color but different shades and tones. Boxwood is popular in minimalist gardens because it provides year-round color and is easily trimmed into clean shapes.
goth garden
Make Edgar Allen Poe and the Bronte sisters proud with this trend. Dark, moody landscapes are popping up everywhere on social media, thanks in part to Gen Z’s love of all things gothic. Inspired by Victorian styling, this approach embraces a dramatic, haunting look with blood red, deep purple or midnight black blooms and leaves accented by moss-covered stones or antique urns and statues. Achieve the look with plants like black mondo grass, black hollyhock, bat flowers, red sunflowers and Ghost Train irises. Hardscaping elements include stone archways, pergolas and meandering paths.
