2025 Philadelphia Flower Show exhibits | Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS)
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) has announced its forecast for the top global gardening trends to emerge from the 2025 Philadelphia Flower Show, “Gardens of Tomorrow”.
The 2025 theme, “Gardens of Tomorrow,” invited guests to explore a future where the act of gardening shapes a more resilient, sustainable, and beautiful world. This year’s theme emphasized the power of plants and design in showing how gardens can serve as symbols of hope and renewal. “Gardens of Tomorrow” highlighted a variety of trends in flowers, houseplants, landscapes, and floral event design, which will inspire the gardening and floral industry.
“The Philadelphia Flower Show has long been a noted place for spotting emergent trends in gardening and landscape design. In 2025, ‘Gardens of Tomorrow’ highlights how the future of gardening can be both innovative and nostalgic, blending modern sustainability with timeless beauty. These trends showcase the growing desire for gardens that provide sanctuary, resilience, and inspiration,” says PHS VP and Creative Director of the Flower Show, Seth Pearsoll.
2025 Flower Show – Trending Plants
At the 2025 Philadelphia Flower Show, a diverse range of plants captured attention in the exhibits, with both newcomers and returning favorites.
Ranunculus, particularly the unique Butterfly variety, Anemones, Snapdragons, and Cosmos are gaining popularity for their distinctive color variations and seasonality, with designers focused on locally grown and sustainable options.
Additionally, the use of nostalgic blooms like Sweet Peas, Delphiniums, Daisies, and retro favorites such as Marigolds, Mums, and Carnations were a standout, evoking a sense of nostalgia and joy while making a stylish comeback. These blooms are being embraced by key floral arrangement trendsetters, including Jennifer Designs, winner of the “2025 PHS Philadelphia Flower Show Cup for Best in Show.”
2025 Flower Show – Landscape Trends
Nostalgia-inspired landscapes showcased how designers are drawing inspiration from memories to create spaces that both celebrate the past and embrace the future. These gardens evoke childhood memories of idyllic meadows and carefree days, blending natural features with modern design elements. In a world full of uncertainty, these gardens reclaim simpler times for the future, serving as retreats from our tech-heavy world. This trend was beautifully demonstrated in Apiary Studio‘s exhibit, “Grass Stains,” where nostalgic, meadow-like designs invited visitors to step into a peaceful, memory-laden landscape.
In 2025 and beyond, raw, unrefined wood – roots, trunks, and branches – will take center stage in landscape design, moving beyond the trend of reclaimed materials. These elements are used with striking precision to create sculptural forms that celebrate the natural world and push sustainable design forward. The American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD) exhibit “Elysium in Chaos: Flowers without Boundaries,” showcased unrefined wood pieces incorporated into nature-inspired displays that blurred the lines between organic materials and modern design.
Moss is reclaiming its place as a central design feature, no longer just a supporting texture but a focal point for tranquility. Designers are embracing a variety of moss species to create meditative spaces that use greenery to evoke calm and introduce negative space.
Water features are no longer a novelty or extravagant feature but have been positioned as calming, reassuring structures in garden designs. Whether through serene pools, fog machines, or simple water features, the focus is on creating spaces that offer spiritual and emotional respite, providing reassurance in a turbulent world.
Spaces for gathering are set to become a focal point in garden design, creating areas to unplug, reflect, and reconnect with nature and one another. These quiet sanctuaries offer protection and peace, inviting visitors to linger and find stillness in the natural world.
2025 Flower Show – Floral Trends
Structural floral designs are a defining feature in 2025, with a shift towards bold, modern displays that intertwine floral elements with architectural structures like tree crowns and branch work. This trend blends nature’s raw forms with cutting-edge, geometric aesthetics to create striking, sculptural designs.
Dried flowers are experiencing a renaissance, expected to transition from a niche trend to a core design element. High-quality preserved florals are becoming a prominent feature, offering texture, permanence, and modernity in floral arrangements. These timeless blooms are being reimagined in new ways, adding both character and sophistication to contemporary designs.
Color palettes with a nostalgic twist are emerging in 2025, with soft, desaturated tones like butter yellows and muted pastels leading the way. These mid-toned, soothing color schemes bring emotional warmth to floral designs, as they move away from bold contrasts to evoke a sense of calm.
The fusion of perennials, tropicals, and annuals creates plantings that balance vibrant, lush growth with enduring beauty. By blending these different plant types, designers are crafting gardens that are both visually striking and seasonally resilient.
The Flower Show Returns to the Pennsylvania Convention Center Feb. 28 – March 8, 2026. Learn more about the next Flower Show and ticketing updates by signing up at phsonline.org/the-flower-show.