Vibrant colors, rich textures, and over-the-top adornments make maximalism a favorite new trend for gorgeous gardens.
A few examples include:
- Big, bold banana leaves.
- Vibrant, orange-speckled canna blooms.
- Birds-of-paradise in brightly colored containers.
- Topiary boxwoods shaped like turtles.
- Tiki torches.
- A brightly-painted cocktail bar.
- A funky mannequin dressed in a hula skirt and lei.
Have you wondered how to create an over-the-top, fabulously fun outdoor space?
Maybe you already love indoor décor that boasts rich layers, and interesting displays of your favorite collectibles. Why play it safe and opt for subtle outside?
By transitioning your maximalism design aesthetic to your outdoor space, you’ll make your home and garden feel cohesive and connected.
But What Is Maximalism?
Maximalism involves the exuberant use of color and lush layers to create a rich, brilliant, interesting space.
Maximalism evokes an “anything goes” vibe in the garden.
While the term often describes indoor décor, many gardeners and landscape designers adopt the maximalism aesthetic to design over-the-top, never-dull outdoor spaces.
It showcases your personality, elevates the unusual, employs surprise, and brings joy to garden spaces. But a good maximalist garden works best with an organized, informed approach to design. The design considers color, texture, focal points, layers, and seasonality.
A mix of big, colorful plants makes a garden feel full of life! But it can also create a chaotic environment if not planned well.
How to Use Design Techniques for Garden Maximalism
Like any good garden design, a rich tapestry of plants produces a vibrant, luxurious look in the garden.
However, with maximalism the design leans into planting as much as possible, experimenting with combinations of color and texture—and choosing unique, accents.
As with indoor décor, maximalist gardens mix colors, textures, and patterns. But remember—the eye needs to rest. A hodgepodge of colors gives the garden an unsettled feel. Instead, make one color the boldest, with others playing supporting roles.
Use the primary color throughout the garden, employing color echoes in foliage, flowers, hardscaping, and textiles.
For supporting players, the rules of the color wheel still hold true, even when designing an over-the-top garden: choose complementary or contrasting colors. But you can let your favorite color dominate!
Embrace Maximalism with Bold Reds, Yellows, and Oranges for a Tropical Landscape!
From vibrant cannas to big, beautiful dinner-plate dahlias to scarlet sage and tropical-looking hibiscus…
Rich, warm hues play well with the big, over-the-top leaves of bananas and elephant ears for a resort-like atmosphere. And naturally, jewel-toned lilies make a gorgeous addition to a maximalist garden.
Lush Greens & Crisp Whites: A Maximalist Garden for Serenity
Let white carry through a richly planted garden space to fashion a lavish look that’s never dull.
Bold, white flowers of hydrangeas, white roses climbing an arbor, variegated hostas creating a cooling groundcover, and white buddleia adorning a seating area. A few others are heart-shaped leaves of white caladium, cascading blooms of pieris japonica …the options are endless.
Plus, with a white-themed maximalist garden, the flowers and foliage will glow in the moonlight, making the space inviting for evening enjoyment, as well as daytime relaxation.
Use your favorite palette in textiles in your favorite colors but with contrasting patterns and textures, like pillows or umbrellas.
Don’t Stop with Color! Layer Textures & Patterns in Your Maximalist Oasis.
Big, bold blooms and fabulous foliage star in the garden, but layers of smaller flowers and textural leaves make the garden feel rich and interesting.
Creating wide swaths of underplanting with the lacy foliage of ferns, delicate leaves of astilbes, or intricate patterns of rex begonias provides a soothing foundation for your garden showstoppers. The spiky arms of agaves, highly-toothed artichoke leaves, or the foliage of a big, bold monstera that’s vacationing outdoors for the summer look lovely as they add a wide variety of textures and patterns in your maximalist garden.
If you’re not sure that maximalism is for you, try it out this summer with annuals.
Pick your favorite flowers and foliage and go wild!
Fill dozens of hanging baskets and containers with pretty petunias, angelonia, and zinnias, then echo those container plantings with the same annuals in landscape beds.
By choosing just a few varieties of plants in beautiful, bold colors—and planting them everywhere in the garden—you’ll make a gorgeous impact that’s sure to turn heads.
If you adore garden maximalism after a trial run with annuals, begin incorporating perennials, bulbs, and shrubs for your future garden design.
Maximalism: It’s Not Just a Summer Fling
When creating a maximalist garden plan, consider garden interest throughout the seasons. While it may seem easier to create a bold, dazzling summer garden, gardens should be interesting and attractive all year.
Choose your favorite early-blooming spring bulbs—and plant them by the hundreds. Select reblooming azaleas that provide spring and fall color—and create dramatic swaths of color throughout the garden.
Sow hundreds of sunflower seeds for late summer and fall blooms. Choose plants with fall foliage interest. By planning an ongoing show in the garden, you’ll spend more time enjoying your outdoor space throughout the year.
Make It Personal: How to Add Your Unique Touch to a Maximalism Garden
Along with over-the-top plants, maximalism embraces your personality.
Add your favorite fabrics and embellishments throughout the garden space. Mix colorful cushions in varying patterns to adorn your outdoor furniture.
Add arbors, trellises, garden art, bird baths…whatever accents give you pleasure. Paint your shed a bold color. Design a mural for your fence. Hang a chandelier from a strong branch. Curate your favorite collection of garden gnomes for a delightful, whimsical display.
Browse your local art shows, garden expos, and antique shops to look for unique garden accents that speak to you. You don’t need to spend a fortune on fancy garden art to embellish your maximalist garden-just pick interesting items that you love!
Still Maximalism isn’t about creating a high-maintenance garden. The design should provide joy and delight, not an abundance of ongoing work.
After all, the purpose of creating an over-the-top garden space is to relish the garden as you relax or entertain friends, not spend hours every weekend keeping it pristine.
Remember a densely planted maximalist garden might make you think it requires a lot of maintenance, but you’ll find that picking the right plants makes your life easier.
- Choose low-maintenance—but big impact—plants with bold blooms and vibrant colors.
- Select plants with similar needs: full sun or shade, moist soil or dry, and make sure they’re suitable to your climate.
- Planting densely helps minimize weeds, as does adding a layer of mulch to the landscape. Consider drip irrigation to make your life easy—and your plants happy.
- Then kick back, and relax with an over-the-top fruity umbrella drink, while savoring the joy of your maximalist garden.
Do you know that National Garden Bureau members include the most innovative breeders and distributors of perfect plants and products for a vibrant, lush, colorful garden that embraces maximalism?
Whether you’re looking for opulent flowers, shrubs, or hardscaping and décor that showcases your design taste, you’ll find fabulous options available from National Garden Bureau members
About National Garden Bureau
Founded more than 100 years ago, the National Garden Bureau educates, inspires, and motivates people to grow home gardens. National Garden Bureau members are horticultural experts, and the information shared with you comes directly from these experts to ensure your gardening success.
“This post is provided as an educational/inspirational service of the National Garden Bureau and our members. Please credit and link to National Garden Bureau and author member when using all or parts of this article.”
