Each new year invites opportunity for reinvention, and the world of gardening is no different. January may be a quiet month outside, but it’s the perfect time to dream and scheme about changes you’d like to make in your green space.
We’ve created a list of gardening trends for 2026 based on what we’ve seen recently pique the interest of our Pacific Northwest gardening community, on the ways gardening practices and preferences have changed lately, and on shifts in the design world at large. So, what do we predict? More ease, more flavor, more color, and more connection with our gardens!
1. Gardening to Decompress
Unwind, relax, and connect through the everyday ritual of gardening.
MINDFULNESS | WELLNESS GARDENING | AESTHETIC GARDENING
Your personal garden might be a haven for pollinators, a quiet place to meditate, or somewhere to find deeper connections with your family and friends. Time spent gardening offers everyone, regardless of skill, level, or age, a place to feel centered and more at ease.
Whether you’re dusting off houseplant leaves, harvesting lettuce, or deadheading roses, taking intentional, focused time to work through small tasks in the garden can reap a huge host of benefits for our psyche. Think of these small moments spent gardening as “self-care” that isn’t selfish—they have a tangible end-result that leaves the whole world a little better and a lot greener.
Thankfully, the beauty and benefit of this trend isn’t tied to any single aesthetic or style, and it can be implemented at any point in the season at any time of day! No matter how or why you garden, completing gardening tasks mindfully unleashes new opportunities for everyday delights and greater attunement with nature.
2. Effortless Gardening
Rely on easy-care plants that are sturdy, consistent, and heat-resilient.
GARDEN DESIGN | LOW-MAINTENANCE GARDENING | CLIMATE-RESILIENT GARDENING
You don’t have to be a gardener to appreciate the impact of a well-designed, beautiful garden. And for people who don’t have a lot of time to devote to a garden, the appeal of implementing easy-care plants cannot be overstated. The trick, however, is to incorporate low-maintenance plants in a way that looks elevated, rather than like a municipal or new-construction planting.
A design-forward and effortless look can be achieved through higher-density plantings, with a focus on evergreen texture over flowers, and by implementing a cohesive color-palette. And to ensure that the garden doesn’t require pesticides or excess water, prioritize and incorporate native plants, climate-adapted plants, and drought-tolerant plants as much as possible. With this approach, plantings that may appear typical can be also be sustainable and climate-friendly.
3. Dense, Diverse, Unstructured Plantings
Create spaces that feel full, rich, and engaging with more texture, more volume, and more plants.
GARDEN DESIGN | AESTHETIC GARDENING | PLANT SELECTION
When it comes to gardening in 2026, minimalism is out. Happily, in its place, biodiversity and lushness thrive. Denser plantings lead to less bare soil, less water loss, less need to weed, and much happier, healthier plants. While landscape beds planted in any design style can be filled in to create a more appealing, enriching landscape, it is the easy-going, loose aesthetic of Cottage gardens and Bohemian landscapes that continue to be trending upwards in 2026.
These spaces celebrate texture, volume, and seasonality, making them a great choice for plant collectors, wildlife enthusiasts, and anyone who wants to bask in the beauty of a more natural setting. Not only do fuller, relaxed planting beds looks more dynamic and attractive to pollinators, they also tend to require less maintenance and water, as plants support each other and stitch together to create a truly magical space.
4. Long-Flowering Shrubs
Long live the bloom with repeat-blooming, long-flowering shrubs.
GARDEN DESIGN | PLANT SELECTION | LOW-MAINTENANCE GARDENING
Flowers are an undeniably wonderful aspect of any garden, drawing in pollinators and people alike. For gardeners who want their blooms to last longer with less work, there are dozens of new takes on classic flowering shrubs that will meet that need and then some. We’re talking about Roses that bloom and bloom with barely any need to deadhead, mophead Hydrangeas that flower in virtually every color, and Encore Azaleas that keep the show going long after Spring has ended.
These “granny garden” staples are the plants that have gardeners taking a second look, thanks to some fresh new introductions and a newfound appreciation for nostalgic aesthetics. Best of all, long-flowering shrubs like Hydrangeas, many types of Roses, and repeat-blooming Azaleas are pest- and disease-resistant, need minimal pruning, and are the epitome of low-maintenance, making them perfect for nearly every garden and gardener!
5. Growing Flavor in Containers
Container-grown fruits, vegetables, and herbs bring big flavor to small spaces.
CONTAINER GARDENING | EDIBLE GARDENING | SMALL-SPACE GARDENING
Growing enough of your own food to make a dent in your family’s grocery bill might be hard for most gardeners, but everyone can grow flavor. Bright herbs, sweet berries, tart tomatoes, and even dwarf fruit trees can be grown in containers, thanks to clever new plant introductions. Container edible growing is incredibly easy to incorporate into virtually any setup, as long as light is abundant.
This trend is a fabulous option for people who garden on a limited footprint and is also ideal if you want to bring the flavor right into your entertaining spaces. Not sure of where to start? Grow the things you like! And then use the delicious leaves, flowers, veggies, and fruits to enhance and adorn the dishes you’re already making with zippy, homegrown flavor!
6. Curated Color Palettes
Intentional color use in gardens continues to bring a graceful, cohesive look to spaces.
AESTHETIC GARDENING | GARDEN DESIGN | PLANT SELECTION
The easiest way to make sure any outdoor space looks thoughtful and cohesive is through an intentional color palette. Whether your growing space consists of containers on a patio, or a larger landscape with sweeping views, the jury is in—smart color palettes are here to stay. While muted, peachy hues with romantic pinks and soft greens are absolutely on trend, color palettes can be made from any color combination that delights you. And don’t discount the power of an all white garden—the calm, clear color (like Pantone’s 2026 Cloud Dancer) works beautifully with any tone of green foliage to create a serene atmosphere.
The key to a great plant color palette is consistency and clarity—color, like texture or height, should repeat throughout the garden to keep the space fluid and engaging. And the best part of creating your own custom palette is that color is dynamic and changes with the seasons, so leaning into annuals, bulbs, or container plantings can allow you to introduce a new color while still keeping your vision intact. That means that a vibrant coral or trendy moody black isn’t out of the question, even if your color palette has already been established. As long as the color is repeated and integrated with intention, you can dabble across any range of colors or hues under the sun!
Find inspiration for color palettes in Dennis’ 7 Dees Design Guides, which each feature two unique plant color palettes across a range of landscape styles!
7. Trying Something New
Get creative and experiment with plants you’ve coveted but have never tried in your garden before.
PLANT SELECTION | GARDEN DESIGN | AESTHETIC GARDENING
One of the best parts about being a gardener is, without a doubt, the plants! In the Portland metro area and southern Washington, we are lucky enough to garden in Zone 8b (give or take based on your regional microclimate) which affords us an absolutely stunning array of plant options. From tender plants like tropicals and half-hardy annuals, to stalwarts like conifers and deciduous shrubs, we can grow just about anything!
And in 2026 we expect to see gardeners leaning into the lucky, temperate climate we enjoy by planting something new. Maybe you’ve always wanted to grow Begonias but thought that they couldn’t handle your watering habits—why not give it a go? More often than not, trying something new in the garden yields phenomenal returns, bringing a fresh face to your beds or containers and giving you something to really smile about.
“For years I didn’t buy a plant because I didn’t think I had the right space for it. I eventually tried it, and it was GLORIOUS, and I thought to myself how silly that I waited so long to ‘try the thing.’ Get the plant you’ve always dreamed of—you never know what you’ll discover.”
—Laura Gladwin, Dennis’ 7 Dees Senior Landscape Buyer
Dennis’ 7 Dees Garden Centers are home to incredible, high-quality plants and dedicated gardening experts that are here to make all of your gardening dreams a reality. Browse our inventory online and visit us in store for advice, ideas, and inspiration.