Brian Minter: Creating Outdoor Spaces That Provide Beauty and Joy
Look to sound, colour, and fragrance to enhance your gardening happy place, according to renowned gardening expert Brian Minter. Each year, the U.S.-based Garden Media Group tracks statistics and publishes brilliant assessments of the latest gardening trends, which evolve annually as people navigate our fast-changing world.
The Theme of "Lemonading" for 2026
The overall theme for this year is "lemonading," which transforms setbacks into opportunities through creativity, mindfulness, and a sense of joy. Failure is not always negative; often, it can be a great incentive because it is part of the process of discovering new opportunities. This approach can break the fear of being wrong and trigger a more playful, lighthearted relationship with our gardens.
We live in a world of exhaustion and burnout, where simplicity and beauty serve as the antidotes. Success is being redefined as emotional well-being, and our gardens can make a significant contribution to this important approach to health and wellness.
Multi-Sensory Gardens as a Key Trend
Gardens that are more connective and multi-sensory will be one of the most important trends in 2026. Most gardens need to be more visually impactful by using design and colour in more creative and dramatic ways. Fragrance is also an essential component of a sensory garden.
By choosing plants that provide perfume over a long period of time—from sarcococcas in winter, daphnes in spring to clethras in summer and Pink Dawn viburnums in fall—our gardens can be fragrant havens each season. Tactile plants are also very important to any garden. PJM rhododendrons feel soft and effuse a wonderful lavender perfume, as do lavender and rosemary.
Incorporating Sound and New Botanical Elements
The sounds of water, from tiny bubbling fountains to tumbling waterfalls, are a comforting sensory experience. Many trees, like columnar aspens, have leaves that flutter in the wind and are important to the sound of a landscape. Finding new and exciting trees or plants is also part of the new botanical bent.
More exotic fruits, like persimmons, pawpaws, and figs, are part of tomorrow’s garden collection. Some plants bloom twice a year, adding additional colour, so they play a far larger role in our gardens.
Pet-Friendly Gardens and the "Barkitecture" Trend
Making our gardens more pet friendly is also a big trend. "Barkitecture" can include the provision of shade during summers, grass to lay on, and small sections for our pets to call their own, with water, shelter, and a little seclusion.
Embracing Gardening as an Exploratory Adventure
Part of "lemonading" is the concept of treating gardening as an exploratory and learning adventure. If a plant dies or doesn’t work out for whatever reason, consider it an opportunity to discover something new and fun. Embracing your garden as a happy place that brings joy, in spite of any challenges, is the new perspective of gardening.
Gardens should be fun, exciting, and spaces you look forward to enjoying. A comfortable bench, chair, or piece of antique furniture is now very much an integral part of your garden experience when you escape to your new play area.
