5 garden trends we’re going to see in 2025, according to the experts

Many of our native plants are unlike anything else in the world, with banksias, kangaroo paws, Sturt’s desert pea and grevilleas among our wonders. “We’re seeing more native plants from nurseries and much more diversity,” says landscape architect Emmaline Bowman.

Many of our prettiest plants come from Western Australia, where the air is dry. They used to collapse in the humid east coast air, but breeding and grafting means that no longer happens. “There was a stigma with native plants, but that’s changing,” says Emmaline. “We’re now using them in contemporary styles.” by gum!

Get colour and diversity with free-flowing rows of native wild irises and pincushion plants. Let our world-famous West Australian wildflower season be your inspiration. Many of its plants, including kangaroo paws, now have varieties that can thrive on the east coast.

 “We don’t do straight lines,” says Nadia Cole from award-winning Platylobium Landscape Design. “Curves add more interest, allow your garden to flow and create a bit of mystery.” They raise the question of what’s around that corner, to encourage exploration and discovery. Curves mimic hills and how a stream meanders through the land. It gives your garden a natural, flowing look as well as making it appear larger and more welcoming.

Nadia says this style encourages the use of more natural materials such as locally sourced stones and rocks.

Curves are sinuous and sensual. They’re also associated with feeling safe and comfortable. Round stepping stones laid in a ragged pattern allow you to view different aspects of your plantings – and fill the space between them with ground covers such as dichondra, native violets or pratia.

Paths, patios, decks, balconies and fences are becoming more organic, so you’ll see more eco-friendly crushed gravel, stone and timber. “Permeable paving allows moisture to get back into the soil,” says Christian. Concrete is not permeable so any water drains off elsewhere. “Remember that all the resources we use have a use-by date.”

Emmaline says organic materials can increase biodiversity. “Rocks are a thermal mass material that attracts not just wildlife, but also fungi that is important for the soil. Rocks and boulders achieve a lovely balance between nature and architecture.”

Boulders add texture and height to a garden. They can also be used as stepping stones if you have a garden on a sloping site. Be organic with your plants as well, allowing them to exercise their natural growth habits so they spill over pathways. Think about trimming them only to stimulate lateral growth or flowers.

Wildflowers are an essential source of food for bees, butterflies and other pollinators. While many are annuals, most of them self seed, so they’ll return year after year. “I love a wild thing,” says Emmaline. This trend is also in keeping with the move to softer landscaping, she says. “It used to be that you’d just set and forget native plants. But now we realise we have to look after them, manicure them.”

You don’t need a big backyard to have a wildflower garden. A couple of large pots on an apartment balcony spilling over with a cornucopia of colour will have you mentally skipping through a meadow. The only condition is that it’s exposed to all-day sun.

Feed your senses with the gentle swoosh of ornamental grasses in the breeze and the vibrant colour of spring daisies.

There’s no strict definition of a wellness garden – Christian describes it as a space where his clients can sit and be recharged. “We need to slow down, escape and develop a sense of surrealism,” he says. “It’s about creating a space to feel connected, where you can soothe the soul. You can even create that space on a balcony.”

It’s a place where your senses are indulged. That may be with perfume, colour, the rustle of leaves or the swish of ornamental grasses and the textures as you glide – or dance – your hands over foliage.

In keeping with a wildflower garden’s natural look, make paths out of crushed gravel. You can use a log for seating but a natural timber bench is much more comfortable.

You don’t need to make a forest, but having more trees in a small space – laid out to appear they grew there naturally – is catching on, says Christian Jenkins of award-winning Christian Jenkins Landscape Design. He says column-like trees, such as the silver birch (Betula pendula ‘Fastigiata’), shown above, can be planted to create a copse or, because they are so narrow, line a side passage along your home.

A woodland gives a sense of enclosure and protection, with the layers of soft green foliage “soothing our senses” as well as attracting wildlife. In summer, they provide much-needed shade, so be sure to make space for somewhere to sit and dream – or “forest bathing”, as Christian calls it.