Garden Design Trends for 2025

If 2024 was about reclaiming calm and reconnecting with nature, 2025 is where bold expression meets grounded outdoor living. In the UK, gardens are no longer just “outside spaces” but personal sanctuaries, social hubs, and investments in our well-being. From London courtyards to countryside retreats, garden designers use natural materials to combine sophisticated outdoor living.

With Spring now in full flow and the Chelsea and Hampton Court Flower Shows just around the corner, let’s explore the garden design trends for 2025.

Sculptural Softness

Clean lines remain constant but softened with movement and texture through ornamental grasses and structured perennials. Some of our favourites are Miscanthus, Salvia, Verbena bonariensis, Erigeron, and Achillea. Planting schemes are layered, soft, and seasonal. 2025 planting schemes are less about control and more about curation and flow, giving gardens a lived-in feel with a touch of elegant wildness.

Earthy, Tactile and Natural Materials

Porcelain is still as popular as ever, but we now see more tactile and natural materials used in garden design. One of our favourites is Egyptian Smooth Beige Limestone, including the paver range. We also see more oak, Corten steel, and clay pavers in high demand for our new gardens. In UK gardens, there’s a shift from over-designed perfection to grounded luxury that ages gracefully.

Multifunctional Outdoor Living

Our climate can be, at best, described as unpredictable, but that does not stop the rise in outdoor living all year round. Pergolas extend those evenings and seasonal use of your garden, especially with retractable roofs and blinds. Combine this with an integrated outdoor fireplace, modular outdoor kitchens, and lounge areas, and they become integral to how we use our gardens. They are not to be considered afterthoughts but planned and designed with the same attention as indoor spaces.

Edible Meets Elegant

Functional can still be gorgeous, so why not introduce an edible element into the garden? Edible planting is increasingly part of our design brief. Whether herbs in simple planters or oak raised beds for various seasonal vegetables, growing some of our food is now more popular than ever. Garden owners want to be able to step out and pick their very own herbs and vegetables to allow their garden spaces to feel purposeful and stylish.

Climate-Conscious Design

With warmer summers, hosepipe bans looming, and heavy downpours now a reality in the UK, gardens in 2025 are being designed with resilience in mind. What does that mean for 2025 trends?

• Drought-tolerant planting that can include Lavender, Rosemary, Sedum, & Echinacea.

• Mediterranean-inspired gardens with gravel and minimal lawn spaces.

• Permeable paving and rain gardens to manage water storage and natural water techniques

• More innovative irrigation systems would reduce waste, focus watering only when needed, and prevent the plants from overly relying on artificial watering.

Sustainable gardens are no longer optional and are now part of a luxury garden.

Indoor-Outdoor Cohesion

There is now an emphasis on harmony between inside and out and how we transition between these spaces. Materials, textures, and colour palettes flow from the kitchen or living room to the garden. Including a feeling of gliding between the two spaces without feeling you are moving outside, bringing patios flush to the threshold and using continuous paving helps provide a seamless transition. This is especially impactful in smaller gardens, where blending the two creates a more generous sense of space.

Smarter, Softer Lighting

Garden lighting design has advanced exponentially recently, especially with apps and multi-channel systems. Lighting is about creating atmosphere, not just visibility. In 2025, you can expect to see -

• Integrated LED lights within the steps

• Concealed wall lights with warm tones

• Sculptural uplighting around trees and feature planting where the lamp is not seen, but with a focus on soft illumination

• Low-glow options to minimise light pollution and protect wildlife

Light technology continues to evolve and inspire garden designers with better tools to balance function with mood and style.

Wellbeing Gardens

More homeowners are asking for spaces that allow them to ground themselves, a space for reflection and a sanctuary. Mental health, mindfulness, and an escape from daily life drive this gentle but essential shift in garden design.

This may include -

• An area within the garden that is scheduled through evergreen planting, with natural surface materials  

• Water features touch our senses through sound, touch, and sight.

• Aromatic planting that again evokes the senses

• Organic surfaces combined with stone for grounding. This can include grass or chamomile.

• Secluded benches immersed in planting in a sheltered area of your garden will provide peace, refuge, and a calming effect on your day.

• Mental health, mindfulness, and outdoor time drive this gentle but important shift.

Final Thoughts for Garden Design Trends 2025

If there’s a unifying theme to garden design in 2025, it’s intentionality. Homeowners want gardens that reflect their lives, not just how things look in a magazine. Sustainability, comfort, and personality are driving every garden design decision.

If you are looking to redesign your garden, our team of garden designers specialises in creating beautiful outdoor spaces that are tailored to you, your life, and your needs and completely individual to you and your home. Contact us today to start planning your ideal garden.