Monrovia says 'the modern meadow' is a garden trend to watch for 2025

One garden trend to watch for 2025 and beyond is a design Monrovia is calling "the modern meadow," says Katie Tamony, chief marketing officer and trend spotter at Monrovia.

Each year, the grower conducts large-scale consumer research projects with more than 1,400 homeowners. This year’s results show an increasing interest in creating an outdoor living space that can incorporate spending more time with the family and give homeowners more space to relax and breathe, the company said.

“More than half of the homeowners we surveyed say that gardening is good for their mental health and well-being,” Tamony said. “Many are interested in a garden design that helps them feel good, adding beauty but also contributing to the larger life experience. The modern meadow design covers all those needs.”

"Modern meadow" gardens are a full sensory experience, with color, movement and a connection to nature. By choosing the right plants for the space, they can be low-maintenance and drought tolerant once established. This design trend can be created in any garden size by choosing compact plants that stay tidy in the landscape, while still creating the feel of a wilder look.

“The modern take on this natural garden style has the appeal that people seek with native plants, but it’s better behaved and easier to care for,” Tamony said. “You’ll still have the feeling of a wild meadow with beautiful grasses and colorful, pollinator-friendly perennials and edible perennials, just on an easier to manage scale. Modern meadows are beautiful and free-flowing, inviting birds and bees and humans to find joy in the landscape.”

Monrovia created a YouTube series with Monrovia new plants manager Georgia Clay and Paper Garden Workshop designer Lisa Nunamaker, with the videos showing the makeover process for Clay's personal modern meadow design, from planning to design to installation.

Some plant ideas to use in a modern meadow include:

Smoke Signal Little Bluestem: A grass that tops out at 4 feet, with strong upright blue-green foliage that takes on scarlet tones in late summer, deepening to purple through the fall.

Lemon Ice California Lilac: Icy blue flowers sit atop the variegated foliage of dark green leaves lined with a bright lime edge.

Avalanche White Sun Daisy: A non-stop bloomer that's hardier and more disease resistant than other varieties, with glossy green foliage and bright white flowers that close at night, revealing a metallic underside that shines in moonlight.

Pink Pearl Agastache: Tall spikes of dainty flowers that attract pollinators, including hummingbirds.

Evolution Colorific Coneflower: A pollinator magnet with multi-colored blooms, ranging from pink to salmon to rosy peach, with many different looks from late spring through fall.

Eversweet Strawberry: An ever-bearing variety with bright green foliage that produces large, sweet berries in the spring with repeat crops about every six weeks through fall.

Jurassic Velociraptor Ribbon Fern: Mounds of ribbon-like leaves form an upright flowing accent. Discovered in the mountains of China by plant hunter Dan Hinkley.