Top Gardening Trends for 2026: What to Expect

Gardening trends come and go, with some relegated to obscurity. In the ever-growing chaos of the modern world, gardens are meant to be respites from chaos and destruction. This year, trends have shifted towards embracing a rustic garden design – elegance where plants are allowed to grow freely. 

Gardens are seen more than beautiful decorations, but as functional, naturalistic spaces that embody the genius loci – the essence or soul of a place. Wilder plantings are favored, layered in rolling swaths. Think the simple, herb-strewn gardens of medieval monastic orders, mixed with quilted patches of willowy birch trees and wildflowers. 

Here are a few gardening trends to expect for 2026. 

 

1. Chaos Gardening   

Chaos gardening, a gardening method that seems tailored for the “lazy,” has been surging in popularity. Part of its appeal is that it’s a method that anyone, even the veterate coach potato, can try. Simply put, chaos gardening is a freeform approach that involves throwing a mishmash of flowers, herbs, and vegetable seeds in locations that receive optimal sunlight. The basic rules are to choose groupings of flowers that grow well together, with similar growing conditions. Many gardeners choose curated wildflower seed mixes that facilitate the process further. In the end, flowers mix in beautifully chaotic ways that are nevertheless pleasing to the eye. 

2. Naturalistic Gardening 

Another trend that aligns with chaos gardening but broader in scope, naturalistic gardening has an elusive staying power. Instead of manicured lawns and trimmed, formal hedges, naturalistic gardens often incorporate native plants to mimic local ecosystems. Choose a mixture of annuals that self-sow and long-lived plants to perpetuate your garden indefinitely. Control is relinquished, allowing the plants to grow freely, with only intervention required when absolutely necessary. 

3. Indoor Gardening and Houseplants 

Indoor gardening continues to grow in popularity as more people look for ways to cultivate plants year-round, even when everything outside is lost to freezing ice. No longer considered stodgy and boring, houseplants have begun to merge convenience with luxury, with rare and unusual varieties treated like living exhibitions. Tropical, jungle-style plants remain a mainstay of homes, with variegated monsteras coveted for their interesting pattern. Another appealing trend is the ability to grow tabletop herbs with the help of self-watering herb planters. 

4. Micro Gardening

Micro gardening, which is the practice of cultivating vegetables, herbs, roots and tubers in small spaces, includes growing microgreens. Although not commonly grown, there are many positives to growing microgreens: they don’t take much soil or space, they can easily be mixed into foods, and lack the acrid tang of fully grown vegetables. Maximize indoor space with planters specially designed for microgreens and grow mats. Micro greens are appealing because they resemble cute sprouts that never advance past the seedling stage. They’re also nutrient dense, containing 4 to 40 times the nutrients of mature plant leaves. 

 

5. The Rise of Native Gardening 

The rustic, impressionistic quality of many native plants, along with their ability to attract beneficial wildlife, make them popular in butterfly and native gardens across the US. A word that occasionally pops up when selecting for native plants is ‘nativars.’ Naturally evolved to be tougher and hardier than exotic flowers, natives should be chosen over ‘nativars’ – native species that have been bred for favorable characteristics, often at the cost of genetic diversity. Nativars like Pink Double Delight may look more appealing or whimsical, but the enhancements often render them less nutritious for gathering bees and butterflies. 

While it’s true that native plants lack the excitement and flamboyance of showier varieties, their value lies in their ability to be layered into a multifaceted tapestry of color. They also play an instrumental role in supporting wider biodiversity.

6. Growing Flowers for Cutting 

 

The demand for cut flowers is on the rise, but behind this burgeoning demand lies a darker reality – the exploitive nature of the cut flower industry. Fake flowers, even high-end ones, are often seen as conceptually garish, which is why gardeners decide to grow their own cut flower bouquets at home. Popular choices such as dahlias and zinnias inject color in an otherwise bland arrangement; rare heirlooms carry their own set of unique fragrances and colors rarely found in commercial displays. 

7. Hydrangeas           

 

Hydrangeas, considered at times old-fashioned, have seen a revival, partly due to their connotation with elegance and elite circles. They are also indelibly useful, helping brighten the dull spots in your garden, and bloom from summer to frost. Incrediball® Hydrangea is a big, willful bloomer, while oakleaf hydrangea are recommended for areas with heavy traffic and shade. The interest in hydrangeas have lead to the creation of hundreds of hydrangea cultivars, including the notable Endless Summer hydrangeas, varieties that change color depending on pH levels in the soil. 

8. Victorian Greenhouses       

The Victorians knew what they were doing when they with their fashion – everything was beautifully made, at times melancholic, and rich with elaborate detail. But Victorian design was not always functional, and time has eroded its ephemera, from monuments to fabrics, that weren’t built to last. Vego’s collection of greenhouses, including its Victorian greenhouses, set a new standard for backyard greenhouses. The classic structure of Victorian greenhouses remains intact, now enhanced with new technology. Designed for diverse climates, they withstand winds up to 62 mph and heavy snow loads, while the tempered glass provides clarity, strength, and protection from ultraviolet rays.