Maximalist Gardens Are Our New Favorite Outdoor Trend
They make even the boldest wallpaper seem shy.
At House Beautiful, we’ve long believed in treating outdoor space like an extension of the home. That means making smart use of your square footage (especially in small spaces), dedicating outdoor zones to activities you love (from gardening to picnicking to entertaining), and of course furnishing the backyard with the same level of comfort and style as the living room. It stands to reason, then, that some of our favorite interior design styles also extend to the outdoors. A borrowed-from-the-indoors garden style that seems to be having a moment now—one that we hope will last forever—is maximalism. With its exuberant use of color and lush layering of patterns, maximalism might just be the easiest aesthetic to transfer from the living room to the lawn. Want proof? Read on for sensational examples of maximalist gardens in breathtaking interpretations from tropical to tonal, and everything in between. Adopt any of these elements seen in the famed gardens below to bring a bit of maximalism to your yard.
Varying Heights
For Virginia’s 90th annual Historic Garden Week, celebrated last month, visitors explored gardens across the state in styles ranging from formal to woodland. One standout is the Victorian-style Grace Arents Garden at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, where a careful arrangement of flowers in a wide range of heights and colors makes for a varied textural display.
Rainbow Brights
In the gardens at Oak Spring, the Upperville, Virginia, country house of acclaimed horticulturalist Bunny Mellon, an explosion of tulips in every hue create a jubilant sea of color against the whitewashed stone of the famous basket house.
Mini Maximalism
You don't need a large lot to create a maximalist garden. In another corner of Oak Spring, an arrangement of antique planters filled with flowers of different heights create textural impact in a small space. The best part? A potted garden like this is completely portable, so you can move it around your patio (or even indoors) depending on the weather or occasion.
Overgrown On Purpose
In the typically English gardens of Gloucestershire’s Hidcote Manor, overgrown bushes and climbing vines give the feel of an enchanted forest—without the upkeep of individual flower bulbs.
Advanced Geometry
For an alfresco take on pattern play, consider a formal garden with a complex boxwood pattern, like the parterre at Seaton Delaval Hall in Northumberland, England.
Timeless Trellis
Indoors and out, trellises are making a comeback—and we couldn’t be happier. The latticed structural element is the perfect way to add a dynamic pattern to your garden and provide space for more climbing growth, like the voluminous English grandiflora roses landscape designer Ed Hollander incorporated here.
Visual Feast
Maximalist gardens can be a feast for more than the eyes. Turn your outdoor space into a kitchen garden for added interest. Cabbages, tomatoes, eggplants, squash, berries, and peas add color, while leafy lettuces and herbs bring texture. Raised beds offer opportunities for a creative layout and patterns, as do tall structures for climbing veggies, like the arbor in Maryline Damour’s garden.
Tented Terrace
A terrace or balcony can go big too: For maximum effect, consider an awning or tent. In this Palm Beach home, Amanda Reynal created an intimate, exuberant retreat off a second-floor bedroom.
Poolside Stripes
If a lack of a green thumb (or rental rules) make replanting unrealistic, look to patterned outdoor furniture, umbrellas, and accessories, as Janie Molster did in the pool area of the 2022 Kips Bay Palm Beach showhouse.
Circle Games
If you prefer a more playful pattern, create the effect of polka dots using individual boxwoods pruned into spheres, as Dave DeMattei and Patrick Wade did at their Hollywood Hills home.
Hadley Keller is the Director of Editorial and Community Engagement at the Design Leadership Network, a community of top interior designers. She has covered design, interiors, and culture for over 10 years.
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