Embrace the latest garden revolution sweeping through the yard community, reminiscent of a scene straight out of a Nancy Meyers film. Monrovia Nursery has unveiled their must-have garden trends for 2025, and at the forefront is their newly termed “Sunday Garden.” We’re in luck, as it’s every bit as enchanting as its name suggests.
Katie Tamony is both a plant aficionado and a trend predictor for Monrovia.
Linda Vater is a go-to garden authority for the Southern Living Plant Collection.
According to Katie Tamony, the plant expert and trend hunter for Monrovia, “The name ‘Sunday Garden’ came to us as we sought a descriptor for gardens that encapsulate serene opulence in the outdoors.” These spaces provide tranquility and ease of maintenance, akin to a tranquil Sunday morning, while presenting a picture of perfection. “It’s the epitome of a Sunday best, without the hassle,” she adds.
This trend, as explained by the Monrovia trend authority, is a harmonious fusion of well-groomed evergreens, a disciplined color palette, and plants that require minimal pruning or care. “Imagine the pristine finish of a Nancy Meyers creation, yet with practicality: long-lasting shrubs and roses, delicate white or blush hydrangeas, and fewer, but better, containers,” the expert remarks. The outcome is a serene outdoor retreat that maintains its allure throughout the changing seasons.
Linda Vater, a garden sage at the Southern Living Plant Collection, observes that the preference for structured elegance over a more organic charm fluctuates. “Gardening is a captivating endeavor as it mirrors this duality: the gardener’s design and intervention versus the growth, sometimes wild, of the plant,” she elucidates. “Currently, the Sunday garden trend suggests a penchant for more formal, polished plantings, such as meticulously shaped boxwood topiaries and neatly trimmed hedges.”
However, as the Southern Living Plant expert highlights, these enduring plantings are not entirely novel—especially in the realm of Southern gardens. “Over time, we might witness a swing back towards a more naturalistic style, but I anticipate that certain elements of this classic, structured aesthetic will persist,” she muses.
To craft your own slice of Sunday garden paradise, Vater prescribes a tried-and-true formula of Southern flora.
Southerners are no strangers to camellias, cherished for their cool-season blossoms and year-round elegance. To inject a contemporary twist into your Sunday garden, consider hues like the blush-pink of October Magic® Dawn™ or the watercolor-like blooms of October Magic® Orchid™. “These varieties are the perfect canvas for the layered, lived-in charm that defines the Sunday Garden, and they are quintessential Southern blooms,” Vater explains.
With their glossy evergreen foliage and alluring white blossoms, gardenias introduce a softness and sensory richness that complements neatly clipped boxwoods and pastel-hued roses. The garden expert recommends the compact Jubilation™ Gardenia for its suitability in tight spaces, large plantings, or containers, due to its petite form. “Offering continuous blooms month after month, Jubilation imparts a year-round sheen with nostalgic Southern charm,” she advises.
Vater points out that adding structure to the shadier parts of the garden can be limiting, particularly if seeking the crisp lines of a well-manicured hedge. She suggests the drought- and heat-tolerant Yewtopia® Plum Yew for its evergreen foliage, sophisticated, shade-tolerant look, and its deep green hues that harmonize with the lighter tones of gardenias and camellias, culminating in the low-maintenance beauty of a Sunday Garden.
Vater and Katie Dubow, President of Garden Media Group, share their effortless tips for crafting a Sunday garden within your domain.
In compact spaces, Vater advises opting for compact plants. Focusing on the contrast between soft, romantic growth and structured, neatly trimmed hedges, choosing plant varieties requiring minimal pruning, such as Purple Pixie® Dwarf Weeping Loropetalum and Dragon Prince™ Cryptomeria, can inject color and stability into the garden without the need for frequent pruning.
“How delightful to hear that the trendiest new thing is, in fact, the cherished, well-worn item you already possess,” Dubrow exclaims. “From tools and toolboxes that develop a lustrous patina with age to shrubs that acquire character and charm as they mature, this aesthetic celebrates the beauty of longevity.”
For those seeking a simple method to infuse a touch of organic, home-grown charm into their garden, there’s no better (or perhaps, simpler) approach than cultivating a small collection of herbs. “Home-grown herbs are soaring in popularity,” Dubow remarks, “bridging the garden to the kitchen in a Nancy Meyers-style nod.”
