2025 Garden Trends

The 2025 gardening season is blooming with color, fragrance and purpose. Based on the latest trend forecast from Ball Horticultural Company, 5 standout movements are shaping what we grow and how we garden this year. From earthy palettes to pollinator-friendly picks, here’s what’s in and what’s growing.

1. Mocha Mousse Takes Root

Chocolate lovers, rejoice! Pantone’s 2025 Color of the Year — Mocha Mousse — has inspired a fresh take on garden aesthetics. “Think about your secret indulgences, right? What are the favorite things that we like to indulge in? A nice latte, a cup of coffee, a little bit of chocolate now and then,” says Katie Rotella, Senior Public Relations and Digital Manager at Ball Horticultural. Well, now you can incorporate chocolate hues into your own garden.

While brown may not be the go-to hue for gardeners, this year it represents comfort, indulgence and harmony. Plants and foliage reflecting mocha-inspired tones to try are:

• Begonia BabyWing® White Bronze Leaf: Compact and low-maintenance with shimmering bronze foliage that adds depth to shady spaces.
• Tomato ‘Chocolate Sprinkles’: A sweet, snack-sized tomato with rich, chocolate-striped skin — perfect for edible landscapes.
• Heuchera Big Top™ Caramel Apple: A striking perennial with ruffled, caramel-colored leaves that transition with the seasons.
• Ipomoea SolarPower™ Red: A sweet potato vine with bold, burgundy foliage that trails beautifully in containers and baskets.
• Ornamental Millet ‘Copper Prince’: Tall, textural plumes with copper tones that stand out in mixed plantings or as a focal point.
• Sedum ‘Ocean Reef’: A tough, low-growing succulent with soft, muted coloring that pairs well with rocks or other drought-tolerant plants.

2. Color and Motion in Pollinator Gardens

Pollinator gardens never go out of style. This year, pollinator havens are getting a new name — interactive gardens! “Why not bring some butterflies and some hummingbirds, some winged friends into the garden? It’s just a great way to pull up a chair, sit there, and just watch animals and wildlife enjoy your garden as much as you do,” said Rotella. These pollinator-friendly choices not only boost biodiversity but also add movement and life to outdoor spaces.

One of Rotella’s favorites is Ageratum ‘Monarch Magic’, a vigorous variety that forms a frothy cloud of purple blooms. Its appeal is undeniable—for gardeners and monarchs alike. “I didn’t have to put a beacon out or feed them. They’re just all landing there all by themselves,” Rotella added. These varieties transform gardens into vibrant, buzzing ecosystems — no feeder required:

• Agastache Summerlong™: A long-blooming perennial with mint-scented foliage and tubular flowers perfect for hummingbirds.
• Digitalis Arctic Fox™ Lemon Cream: Pale yellow spires offering height and nectar.
• Lantana PassionFruit™: A magnet for butterflies with tropical tones and endless blooms.
• Zinnia Elegant ‘Hot Mixture’: A bold mix of oranges, magentas and scarlets that draws pollinators from summer to frost.
• Petchoa Caliburst™ Yellow: A hybrid with bright yellow blooms that catch the attention of hummingbirds.
  
  

3. Rediscovering the Garden’s Scent

For many gardeners, fragrance is more than just a pleasant detail — it’s a connection to memory, emotion and nature itself. After years of breeding focused primarily on color and performance, fragrance is finally returning to center stage. “People always ask us, ‘What happened to the fragrant roses? What happened to the petunias? They used to smell,'” said Rotella. Breeders are listening, and this year’s lineup proves it. One standout is Dianthus DiaDeur®, a potted carnation with intensely perfumed, double blooms that thrive indoors or out. These varieties offer a sensory experience that connects gardeners to the outdoors in a deeply nostalgic and satisfying way:

• Dianthus DiaDeur™: Richly perfumed potted carnation with double blooms and lasting color.
• English Lavender ‘SuperBlue’: Compact, cold-hardy variety known for its strong scent and versatility.
• French Marigold Bonanza® Bee: Bold in color and aroma, it also repels pests in vegetable beds.
• Spreading Pansy Top Wave™: Hardy and colorful with a light, sweet fragrance and season-spanning blooms.

4. Bold Blooms, Moody Vibes

Gardeners are leaning into drama this season, embracing dark, saturated colors that bring a rich, moody vibe to outdoor spaces. Inspired by gothic gardening and “Dark Academia” aesthetics, these brooding tones turn heads and redefine what vibrant means. “I can't tell you how many times I've seen folks say, ‘Tell me more about this dark academia gardening or goth gardening,’” said Rotella. It’s a style that blends mystery and elegance, and plant breeders are responding with varieties that deliver deep, dramatic impact. Showstoppers in this trend include:

• Angelonia AngelFlare™ Black: A nearly black bloom that handles heat, drought and poor soil.
• Petunia Easy Wave® Navy Velour: Deep, velvety blue petals that pair well with silvers.
• Coleus FlameThrower® Adobo Pink: Shade-tolerant, late to flower and richly colored.
• Dipladenia Tropica™ Grande Merlot: Wine-colored blooms perfect for patios.
• Calibrachoa MiniFamous® Evo Double Red: Compact double-flowered option ideal for tabletops
• Ornamental Pepper Acapulco: Adds bold texture and color without the need for flowers.

5. Mini Veggies

With younger generations showing increasing interest in gardening, especially those living in urban areas or without access to large outdoor spaces, compact, easy-to-grow, and aesthetically pleasing edible plants are more popular than ever. According to the 2025 Acxiom Gardening Outlook, 65% of Gen Z gardeners and 47% of millennials spent more time gardening in 2024, and many plan to expand their gardening activities in 2025.

“Gen Z and the next generations are getting into gardening, but they don't have the landscapes that homeowners do,” said Rotella, “The Kitchen Minis brand fits right into their lifestyle. These are mini-type vegetables that don’t grow too large—you don’t need a garden at all, just a sunny windowsill.” These potted edibles bring fresh flavor to meals and serve as charming decor and engaging starter plants for new gardeners. With high disease resistance, attractive colors and versatile culinary uses, these varieties are as functional as they are beautiful. Some standouts from the Kitchen Minis® line include:

• Bonsai Basil: A petite Greek basil with small, flavorful leaves that require no chopping. Just harvest and sprinkle.
• Tomato 'Unicorn Pink': A blush-toned, indeterminate cherry tomato with excellent disease resistance and crack-resistant fruit.
• Squash Green Lightning™: A vivid, green-striped patty pan squash, noted for its tender flavor and early, extended harvest season.
• Tomato WonderStar Red™: A determinate, beefsteak-style tomato with heirloom looks, high yields and compact growth.
• Basil 'Everleaf Lemon': A columnar, late-flowering basil with a citrusy scent and flavor. Ideal for both culinary use and fragrant container displays.

Whether planting for pollinators, indulging in mocha-toned foliage, or embracing gothic blooms, 2025’s garden trends offer something for every space and style. As Rotella puts it, “Gardening is one of life’s great, simple pleasures,” and this year’s plants deliver on both beauty and meaning.