From incorporating more native plants in gardens to adding wellness features to backyard sanctuaries, more and more homeowners are embracing a holistic approach in their outdoor spaces. According to Yardzen‘s 2025 trend report, which draws from data from more than a million users, people in the U.S. are turning their backyards into “resilient retreats” and designing climate-compatible outdoor spaces that thrive within local ecosystems. Here’s more on the top trends the online landscape design platform discovered among its users.
Private Retreats
In 2025, more homeowners are transforming their backyards into private, personal sanctuaries. Yardzen saw a sharp increase in requests for privacy features (up 22 percent year over year), including fences, hedges, and secluded garden areas. Spending on fences is also up, with homeowners choosing wood, composite, and mixed-material options. According to Yardzen, homeowners can also achieve privacy by layering their plantings, arranging trees, shrubs, and ground covers to form natural enclosures to support biodiversity.
Wellness Yards
Similarly, wellness yards—carefully designed environments for rest and rejuvenation—are gaining popularity, with outdoor spaces evolving to support physical, mental, and emotional health. To that end, requests for outdoor showers are up 29 percent; outdoor fitness spaces are up 15 percent; and interest in saunas and cold plunges is up 8 percent and 9 percent, respectively. These wellness yards also embrace natural textures—weathered wood, stone pathways, flowing water features—that promote tranquility and sensory engagement.
Climate-Friendly Gardens
Yardzen’s data shows that homeowners want outdoor spaces that prioritize the environment. The online platform saw a rise in demand for climate-responsive, regional landscaping, with homeowners designing yards that take fire, floods, droughts, and extreme temperatures into consideration.
In 2025, requests for low-water and drought-tolerant landscapes are up 30 percent, according to Yardzen. Requests for gravel and permeable surfaces are also up 6 percent, while concrete use has declined 13 percent, with more projects emphasizing groundwater replenishment and rainwater capture through sustainable hardscaping. This includes drip irrigation systems, rain barrels, and smart irrigation sensors to ensure efficient water usage.
Biophilic Design Features
Biophilic design features such as pathways, which allow for movement through landscapes, are up 24 percent. Water features, which provide calming sounds, are up 23 percent, and interest in raised garden beds rose 21 percent. Yardzen says the latter reflects an increased desire from homeowners to grow homegrown herbs, vegetables, and fruits, with edible gardening becoming a central part of backyard design. These raised beds are often paired with gravel paths, seasonal flowers, and composting systems.
Along with the biophilic movement is a renewed appreciation for phenology—the life cycle of local plants and how they’re influenced by seasonal and climate changes. Based on the data, Yardzen reports that homeowners are increasingly interested in designing landscapes that highlight these seasonal transitions, from early spring blooms to late-fall grasses and bare winter trees, to create yards that are dynamic and intentionally tied to the area.
Cottage-Style Gardens
In 2025, homeowners continue to embrace their wild side when it comes to outdoor design. Instead of cookie-cutter landscaping, wabi-sabi aesthetics and cottage-style gardens are in demand, according to Yardzen. Requests for wabi–sabi–inspired designs have risen over 100 percent in the past year. Think of weathered wood, rusted metals, and aged stones rather than flawless finishes.
Cottage gardens also surged in popularity, with an 18 percent rise in requests. Yardzen says lush, informal gardens invite exploration, weaving together fragrant flowers, climbing vines, and native species. They support pollinators and local biodiversity while creating spaces of whimsy and comfort. In line with biophilic design, these two styles are inspired by authenticity and nature’s unpredictability.
Lawn Alternatives
The traditional turf lawn is steadily being replaced in the U.S., according to Yardzen’s 2025 data. With a 13 percent decline in turf lawn requests, it seems homeowners are looking for more sustainable alternatives that conserve water, support biodiversity, and consider the environment.
For example, tapestry lawns, up 16 percent, combine low-growing, colorful ground covers that require minimal mowing, while interest in no‑mow meadows has risen 12 percent. These turf lawn alternatives illustrate homeowners’ desire to celebrate wildness and natural beauty.
