There’s a new garden trend making a splash in the yardosphere, and it’s like stepping straight into a Nancy Meyers movie. Monrovia Nursery recently released their top garden trends of 2025, and leading the charge is what they’ve coined the “Sunday garden.” Lucky for us, it’s just as dreamy as it sounds.
What Is a Sunday Garden?
“The Sunday Garden name came to us as we were looking for a description of gardens that embody quiet luxury outdoors,” says Katie Tamony, plant expert and trend spotter for Monrovia. “These spaces are calming and easy to care for, like a relaxing Sunday morning, while offering a Sunday best look.”
It’s a blend between structured evergreens, a disciplined color story, and plants that don’t require a heavy hand in their pruning or care, the Monrovia trend expert says. “Think Nancy-Meyers-level polish, but practical: long-lived shrubs and roses, white or blush hydrangeas, and fewer, better containers.” What results is a soothing outdoor space that stays beautiful from season to season.
Linda Vater, a garden expert for the Southern Living Plant Collection, says the desire for structure versus more organic appeal is one that ebbs and flows. “Gardens are such a fascinating place because the very practice of gardening reflects this tension: the design and intervention of the gardener versus the growth—and sometimes the wildness—of the plant,” she explains. “Right now, the Sunday garden trend indicates a taste for more formal, polished plantings like boxwood topiaries and neatly clipped hedges.”
But, as the Southern Living Plant expert points out, these timeless plantings are nothing new—particularly when it comes to Southern gardens. “In time, we may see a shift back toward something a bit more naturalistic or rambling, but I suspect elements of this classic, structured style will continue to stick around.”
The Best Plants for a Sunday Garden
To create your very own Sunday garden, Vater prescribes the ideal formula of Southern plants.
Camellias
Southerners are well-acquainted with camellias, which are beloved for their cool-season blooms and year-round structure. But to give them an on-trend feel in your Sunday garden, opt for soft hues like the blush-pink of October Magic® Dawn™ or the almost hand-painted quality of the watercolor-inspired blooms of October Magic® Orchid™. “Both varieties are perfect for creating that layered, lived-in beauty the Sunday Garden is known for, and are a signature Southern flower,” says Vater.
Gardenias
“With their glossy evergreen foliage and fragrant white blooms, gardenias add a softness and sensory dimension that complements clipped boxwoods and pastel-hued roses,” the garden expert says. She advises going with Jubilation™ Gardenia in small spaces, mass plantings, or even containers due to its compact form. “Offering repeat flowering for month after month of blooms, Jubilation creates year-round polish with nostalgic Southern charm.”
Yew
Vater says lending structure to the shady portions of your garden oftentimes doesn’t leave plentiful options—specifically if you’re looking for the clean lines of a tidy hedge. She suggests opting for Yewtopia® Plum Yew for its drought- and heat-tolerant benefits, evergreen foliage, and sophisticated, shade-friendly aesthetic. “Its deep green tones ground the lighter hues of gardenias and camellias, completing the cohesive, low-maintenance beauty of a Sunday Garden.”
No-Fuss Tips for a Sunday Garden
Vater and Katie Dubow, President of Garden Media Group share their no-fuss tips for creating a Sunday garden in your space.
Opt for Compact Plants
For a smaller space, Vater recommends compact plants. With a focus on the contrast between soft and romantic growth habits paired with structured, tightly clipped hedges, opting for plant varieties that require little to no pruning, like Purple Pixie® Dwarf Weeping Loropetalum and Dragon Prince™ Cryptomeria, can add color and anchor the garden without the need for frequent pruning.
Look to Reuse
“Who doesn’t love to hear that the hottest new thing… is the older, well-loved thing you already own,” asks Dubrow. “From tools and toolboxes that gain gorgeous patina with age to shrubs that gain character and charm as they mature, this aesthetic celebrates longevity.”
Add Herbs
If you’re looking for an easy way to add organic, home-grown appeal to your garden, there’s no better (or perhaps, easier) way to do so than with a small collection of herbs. “Home-grown herbs are surging in popularity,” linking the garden to the kitchen (how Nancy Meyers of them!” says Dubow.
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