2025 garden landscape design trends to transform your yard
Homeowners dream about versatile backyards where they can cook, entertain, play, relax and reconnect with the outdoors, according to the experts at Orangeville’s Whispering Pine Landscaping.
Whispering Pines specializes in crafting inspirational and timeless outdoor spaces that are visually appealing as well as functional, sustainable, and most importantly, easy care. Chad Critchley, Landscape Construction/Design Specialist at Whispering Pines Landscaping, narrows down the top landscaping trends for 2025.
Eco-Friendly
“The big trend I am seeing right now is wise plant choices for gardens that are easier to take care of, but have benefits for the homeowner,” said Critchley. “Planting Lavender in a sunny location is a notable example. It smells fantastic and it is unbelievably easy to care for. You can plant it in mass quantities for a bold statement, it looks brilliant all season long benefiting pollinators, and you can pick it and put it in a vase for a fragrant accent.”
Natural Landscaping is also a trend that incorporates native plants indigenous to a region to help conserve water and enhance biodiversity by attracting birds and insects that are beneficial to a garden.
“Plants that are native to Ontario are a fantastic addition to any garden and are easy care and sustainable, such as the multiple species of dogwood which thrive in shaded areas.”
Mass plantings
“Mass planting is ideal on large properties where you would plant 30 or 40 Purple Cone Flowers to make a statement,” said Critchley. “In a small garden you might plant 10. A small front garden with 15 different plants can start to look messy (depending on your particular style) and you don’t know where to focus. A small garden filled with just two or three plants – like ground cover Phlox Subulata, Becky Shasta Daisy and Little Bunny Fountain Grass is simple. It’s all about preference, but I find that larger group plantings offer far more impact than a salt and pepper look.”
Container gardening
“Gardening in pots and planters is amazing—you can do a lot in a very small space,” said Critchley. “Planting containers with perennials instead of annuals saves money and you can let them sit outside on your balcony and over winter. Sedum, Hostas, and types of Daylilies are fitting examples. Planters on decks and patios can be planted with colourful perennials or edible plants. It is my hope that the edible gardening trend really takes off. I transformed the entire side of my house into an edible sensory garden for my kids. With the price of food being so high, if you can, encourage your kids to grow, harvest and eat their own food. Do it.”
Hot spots
“Firepits, fire tables and outdoor fireplaces are a huge trend, especially on larger properties where a firepit is like a destination space away from the living area,” said Critchley. “A formal firepit area can be sunken into a hillside and shrouded by plants for a magical hidden space. Fire tables are popular in smaller spaces. From a design perspective, we are still seeing a lot of outdoor kitchens. This emphasis ramped up a few years back when people needed to spend more time at home, and it continues to be a big trend. In terms of design, we are not necessarily seeing zones or room after room, but rather functional spaces that blend seamlessly into each other, such as a place to read and relax, a serene wellness garden, or a firepit area.”
Functional, sustainable spaces
“The basis of great design comes down to functionality and good use of space,” said Critchley. “The space must work well for the client. By maximizing materials, it means less labour, less machine time, and less waste. Reducing waste is of monumental importance. From a sustainability standpoint, you add in plant materials that are drought tolerant and need little to no care. If you use perennials, you are planting something you and other creatures will benefit from year after year. Planting pollinators like Anise Hyssop or Milkweed also encourages sustainability.”
Rock on
“Every landscape needs a rock,” said Critchley. “They add warmth and structure to their surroundings. Boulders with moss and other plant material growing out of it adds such character, it becomes a natural art feature in your garden or your living space. We gravitate to sitting on them if they are incorporated into the living areas”
Landscape lighting
“Landscape lighting is something that is vastly overlooked by most,” said Critchley. “Lighting encourages people to stay outside, enjoy the evening and maximize the length of our seasons outdoors. Subtle, understated lighting is key. The last thing you want is your walkway to look like a runway. Accent lighting and uplighting trees, stairs, walls and fences are subtle touches that look so sharp. Low-voltage landscaping lighting with LED technology is fantastic and the diversity is amazing. We work with many different lighting suppliers and the lighting products quality is second to none.”