Summer is the perfect time to explore ways to elevate your home and refresh your yard with attractive landscape design. These 2025 summer landscaping trends help people create functional, beautiful yards that thrive in North Carolina. Contact FortSmith Landscaping for a bit of personalized advice to transform your space in no time!
Table of Contents
- Native Plants
- Sustainable Gardening Goes Mainstream
- Naturalistic & Organic Design Aesthetics
- Edible Gardens Are Growing in Popularity
- Outdoor Living Rooms & Kitchens
- All-Green Gardens
- Romantic Cottagecore Gardens
- Landscapes for Mental Health & Wellness
- Tropical Touches, Even in North Carolina
- Multi-Functional Landscapes
- Ready to Transform Your Outdoor Space?
Native Plants
One of the most popular trends for summer landscaping is using native plants. Homeowners and designers value these species for their beauty and ability to thrive in North Carolina’s climate. Native plants are well-adapted to local conditions and need less maintenance when on your property. According to the EPA, they can reduce landscape water use by up to 50%.
Examples of native North Carolina plants:
American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)
Bright purple berries that birds love.
Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida)
A hardy classic with sunny yellow blooms that attract bees and butterflies.
Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
Essential for monarch butterflies.
Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides)
Evergreen and perfect for shady areas.
Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)
A hummingbird magnet with striking red flowers.
Eastern Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Beautiful, long-blooming, and loved by pollinators.
Sweetbay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana)
Elegant, fragrant, and well-suited for wetter areas.
These plants are native to the region, support pollinators like bees and butterflies, offer natural beauty, and add property value. They’re also an attractive option for homeowners seeking color without constant upkeep. The result is a low-maintenance, beautiful yard that supports a more resilient ecosystem.
Sustainable Gardening Goes Mainstream
Sustainability is one of the leading summer landscaping trends in 2025, with more homeowners choosing outdoor spaces that use fewer resources and help landscapes thrive. These gardens reflect a growing desire to make something beautiful while giving back to the environment.
Simple ways to bring sustainable gardening into your yard:
Compost kitchen scraps to enrich soil and reduce waste.
Install drip irrigation or smart irrigation systems to save water.
Use rain gardens to capture runoff and reduce erosion.
Choose permeable pavers for driveways and patios.
Plant for biodiversity, including pollinator-friendly species.
Even small changes, like collecting rainwater, switching to organic fertilizers, or adding smart irrigation systems, can improve your landscape’s long-term health. Sustainable gardening lets you create a beautiful, efficient space that supports nature and helps your property thrive.
Naturalistic & Organic Design Aesthetics
A standout summer landscaping trend is the move away from sculpted yards toward landscapes that reflect the natural environment. Inspired by woodlands and meadows, this style helps homeowners design immersive, living outdoor spaces.
Some of our favorite naturalistic garden design tricks for your landscape include:
Flowing stone, mulch, or gravel paths that add structure while blending into the garden.
Layered planting with tall trees, shrubs, and groundcovers to protect the soil and improve health.
Native grasses like little bluestem or prairie dropseed for texture and drought-tolerant greenery.
Uneven edges and asymmetry for a wilder, more natural look.
This eco-conscious landscape design supports soil health, reduces upkeep, and adds curb appeal, all while embracing nature’s rhythm.
Edible Gardens Are Growing in Popularity
Edible gardens are one of the most practical summer landscaping trends, turning your yard or patio into a space for beauty and harvest.
Think raised garden beds for vegetables, herb spirals with basil and thyme, and berry bushes and dwarf fruits trees that add color and fresh produce. Kale, chard, and rosemary can double as ornamental borders, blending function with curb appeal.
These gardens support pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, which is especially important for crops like tomatoes, cucumbers, and herbs. Even edible flowers, for example, nasturtium and calendula, can brighten up your space.
Whether it’s a backyard or balcony, edible gardens help your landscape thrive while creating a more sustainable, food-producing yard.
Outdoor Living Rooms & Kitchens
One of the top summer landscaping trends is turning your yard into a true extension of your home. Outdoor living areas now serve as spots to relax, work, and host guests, blending comfort with function.
Picture a summer evening with a full outdoor kitchen, sectional seating, and smart lighting. Pizza ovens, grills, and energy-efficient appliances help create a space that’s as convenient as it is stylish. Tech-forward additions like Wi-Fi, speakers, and lighting technology let you personalize your space.
Good outdoor lighting, such as garden path lights or sconces, adds safety and ambiance, while fire pits and outdoor fireplaces enhance comfort and property value.
With the right furniture, tech upgrades, and layout, you can create a low-maintenance outdoor space that reflects modern landscaping trends and makes the most of your yard.
All-Green Gardens
All-green landscapes are a standout in this year’s top summer landscaping trends, using rich textures and shades of green to create peaceful yards without relying on flowers. This low-maintenance approach is visually striking and naturally calming.
Foliage-forward ideas to try in your garden:
Ferns, hostas, lamb’s ear, sedge grasses for layering.
Evergreens and topiary for year-round structure.
Vining plants like ivy or creeping fig on trellises.
Shaded green courtyards for cool summer retreats.
Vertical gardens continue to rise in popularity, especially in compact outdoor spaces. They create a bold statement while keeping the layout efficient and easy to manage. Paired with a minimalist patio, vertical gardens let greenery take center stage.
This natural, sustainable style blends beautifully into outdoor living spaces, offering a calm, cohesive backdrop for seating areas and small retreats. Reflecting the natural environment, all-green gardens combine simplicity and style—one reason they remain a leading trend in low-maintenance landscaping.
Romantic Cottagecore Gardens
The Cottagecore trend continues to bloom in 2025, blending nostalgic charm with wild, natural beauty—think Jane Austen meets modern North Carolina.
Climbing plants like roses, clematis, and honeysuckle spill over trellises for added height and privacy. Soft color comes from perennials like delphinium, daisies, and foxglove, planted in relaxed clusters. Gravel paths, vintage benches, and wrought iron accents create storybook character that neighbors love. A small gravel patio beneath flowering vines creates a cozy nook to sip tea or read.
Landscapes for Mental Health & Wellness
In 2025, landscaping goes beyond appearance, it’s about how your environment makes you feel. Wellness-focused outdoor living designs help reduce stress, support mindfulness, and create peaceful escapes from daily noise.
Layered greenery and cozy corners can turn any space into a beautiful yard that encourages rest and reflection. More homeowners are designing outdoor areas to support mental health and relaxation.
Peaceful garden features include:
Quiet corners with hammocks or benches.
Water features like fountains or bubbling rocks for calming sound.
Fragrant plants such as lavender, chamomile, and gardenia.
Consider adding a meditation deck or yoga area nestled in greenery.
When your yard is designed for wellness, it becomes a space to unwind, recharge, and reconnect with nature.
Tropical Touches, Even in North Carolina
Tropical landscapes are bold, fun, and increasingly popular—even in climate zones like those in North Carolina. With the right plant choices and container gardening, you can enjoy lush tropical flair all summer.
Tropical landscaping elements:
Banana plants, elephant ears, and canna lilies for height and color.
Palm-like textures from cold-hardy varieties like windmill palm.
Use containers for tender tropicals so they can be moved indoors in colder weather, making tropical design easier to maintain year-round and more adaptable to your local weather patterns.
Even a few bold metal planters or containers can energize your landscape and boost curb appeal. A tropical-themed patio with potted palms and colorful furniture can bring a resort vibe to your backyard. Use bold hardscaping elements, such as stone planters or paver paths, to frame tropical plantings.
Multi-Functional Landscapes
In 2025, more homeowners now spend time cooking, relaxing, and entertaining in their backyard spaces. Smart zoning and flexibility matter more than ever.
Use shrubs, planter walls, or low hedges to define outdoor living areas without closing them off. Create garden nooks with a bench or hammock, and add game zones like bocce or cornhole for low-maintenance fun.
Modular seating, pop-up shade, and container planters adapt to seasonal needs. Compact outdoor fireplaces bring comfort and function. Swap turf for lawn alternatives like clover, thyme, or gravel to cut water use and maintenance. Pizza ovens, smart grills, and outdoor sinks provide style and convenience.
These upgrades increase property value, improve outdoor spaces, and support sustainable, flexible living.
Ready to Transform Your Outdoor Space?
At FortSmith Landscaping, we stay ahead of the latest landscaping trends to keep your outdoor space fresh and functional. Our landscaping experts stay up-to-date with the latest 2025 trends to design outdoor spaces that reflect your style and needs, whether you prefer native plants, outdoor kitchens, vertical gardens, or something else.
Ready to take the next step? Whether you’re drawn to vertical gardens or edible beds, FortSmith Landscaping can help you bring 2025’s top summer landscaping trends to life. Contact us today at (919) 228-8495 to create the outdoor landscape you’ve been dreaming of.