Mosaic Planting is the Curated-Meadow Trend Replacing Unreliable Wildflower Mixes, Say Garden Designers

Mosaic planting is a new idea you may have heard about lately, especially if you take an interest in more natural landscape design ideas. It's shaping up to be a key garden trend in 2026, a design choice based around the idea of shifting towards relaxed planting but with a much more designed, intentional feel than simply scattering wildflower seeds.

It's in response to the often-failed attempts at rewilding. It can be very hit or miss whether generic packs of wildflower seeds and biodiversity mixes bought at the garden center thrive in your particular environment. They can create so-called false meadows, that often have a short life span, with one dominant variety taking over and blanketing everything else.

You can see the mosaic planting trend as an adjustment to wildflower meadow planting ideas, cutting back on scattered wildflower seeds and instead featuring curated planting of grasses and perennials. If you're interested in the idea of mosaic planting we spoke to top landscape designers to find out how to get the look.

What is Mosaic Planting?

The mosaic planting trend is inspired by the naturalism of Pied Oudolf's High Line in New York, Lurie Garden in Chicago, and more recently on Belle Isle in Detroit and at the Delaware Botanic Garden. These are all leading examples of a self-seeded landscape that truly works for a more naturalistic planting design.

'Landscape designer Piet Oudolf has reimagined the American meadow garden with perennial gardens that create a mosaic of flowers, grasses, trees and shrubs,' explains landscape designer Caroline Ervin.

'While the gardens may look like they naturally grew where seeds were sprinkled or broadcast, the actual designs are an extensive mosaic of plants in swathes and drifts precisely placed to offer interest year-round.'

Home gardeners looking to update wildflower garden ideas can mimic Oudolf’s design aesthetic and create their own look on a smaller scale to create a mosaic perennial garden that resembles a meadow but will not be as haphazard-looking as simply casting a jumbled mix of seeds in the garden.

'To get that mosaic feel of large blocks of colors, plant in drifts,' suggests landscape architect Laura Janney, CEO of The Inspired Garden Masterclass. 'A drift is an elongated grouping of the same plant clustered together, spreading across the landscape like a Monet painting.'

If you're limited on space, Laura suggests considering single large perennials instead of multiples of the same plant.

'The High Line style works well with a big area so start by selecting the largest space you can. Smaller and medium-sized beds can definitely incorporate mosaic planting elements too, so don’t stress if you don’t have a huge bed to work with.'

Caroline Ervin

Caroline Ervin studied landscape design at George Washington University. Since 2007, she has worked closely with her clients to design, install and maintain both small and large residential gardens in Washington, DC and its nearby suburbs. Travels to gardens throughout the US, as well in Europe, have added to her design background and understanding of historical gardens. She has over 20 years hands-on gardening experience.

Laura Janney

Laura Janney is a renowned landscape architect and designer, and CEO of The Inspired Garden Masterclass. She won the Houzz Best in Design award in 2023 for her work in the New York area. Driven by the belief that flowers feed the soul, Laura sees gardens as more than simply outdoor spaces – they are living, breathing sanctuaries that awaken the senses.

Why Mosaic Planting is On-Trend

'We love the look of this type of design as it feels like you just stumbled across it and humans didn't interfere with the canvas nature painted,' says Molly Sedlacek, founder and principal at ORCA, a landscape design and outdoor product studio.

With every project and product, Molly uses plants and natural materials in their rawest forms to reconnect us with the earth.

'Start with a myriad of bloomers that have different seasons of color to give a four-season effect. Second, a mix of ornamental grasses is key because they are a texture that balances a more showy plant, so interlace them through your planting design. And the third important thing is to get the layout and spacing of the plants correct.'

The trend is for beds that reflect their environment with more softness, looseness and spontaneity. Perfectly shaped shrubs and straight lines of plantings feel so dated.

'Our biggest request from clients is for more naturalized landscaping,' says Laura Janney. 'I am excited to see clients gravitating to nature-inspired garden styles such as mosaic planting in their landscaping, and moving away from an overly manicured aesthetic.'

Molly Sedlacek

Molly Sedlacek is the founder and principal at ORCA, a landscape design and outdoor product studio. Molly discovered her talent in outdoor design when she was planting, curating and exploring use of outdoor space in her own garden in San Francisco. It took material sourcing and experimenting to understand what flora, stone and timber felt right. After completing this garden Molly's community of friends and family began supporting her conceptual approach to landscape design, and ORCA was born.

How To Get The Mosaic Planting Look

One of the key elements of mosaic planting is that it will have more visual impact if you plant in groups of three, five or more odd numbers. The idea is to repeat planting groups throughout the garden for cohesion and to draw the eye through the landscape.

First create your list of plants then draft a simple 2D sketch on paper. Plants should be spaced according to their mature size so that the garden is neither too crowded or too sparse.

'Form and structure of the plant is as important as the flower color,' explains Caroline Ervin. 'Plants only bloom for a short period, but the plant remains much longer. Consider varying leaf shapes and sizes and colors, and mixing vertical plants and “foamy” grasses and low-growing or dwarf plants.'

It's important to select native planting or cultivars of native plants that are adapted to the climate and environment. Make sure the plants also have similar needs in terms of sunlight and water.

Perennials And Grasses For Mosaic Planting

When it comes to choosing perennial plants for mosaic planting designs Laura Janney suggests the following:

• Bachelor Button soft, blue blooms with a touch of charm
• Coreopsis airy daisy-like flowers
• Yarrow flat blooms that add a striking texture
• Coneflower hardy, versatile flower that adds pops of color and seed heads
• Agastache tall stems of color, and a delightful scent
• Catmint low mounds with tiny purple blooms
• Russian Sage soft, delicate lacy leaves
• Astilbe feathery plumes gives a strong visual impact
• Geum gives lovely color in mid spring

Laura also has the following recommendations for ornamental grasses that work well with mosaic planting designs:

• Calamagrostis 'Karl Foerster' tall graceful, reed-like blooms that change color throughout the year
• Pink muhly wispy blooms like pink clouds
• Mexican feather fine, soft foliage that shimmers in the light

Adding Structure To Mosaic Planting Designs

Incorporate structure in mosaic planting designs with groups of evergreen shrubs or perennials with evergreen foliage.

'Layer plants in various heights for added dimension,' says Caroline Ervin. 'Taller ornamental grasses can provide structure in winter. Shrubs with interesting bark or contorted branches can also add structure. Piet Oudolf’s designs are typically 70% structure and 30% filler for seasonal color.'

Remember that brown is a color. 'Include perennials and grasses that will remain upright through the winter and leave them until early spring to provide texture and interest in the winter garden,' advises Caroline.

'Early morning frost on dormant grasses and perennials like Echinacea or Rudbeckia are beautiful in winter months.'

It's also a good idea to incorporate meandering garden path ideas through the mosaic of planting to create views through the garden.

FAQs

Why Don't Wildflowers Work For Mosaic Planting?

'As the trend for meadow-like gardens and lawns has grown, companies have created wildflower meadow seed mixtures as an easy way for you to create your own meadows, and attract wildlife and pollinators,' says Caroline Ervin. 'The idea is good, but it's not that simple.

'Proper and significant soil preparation is required. Wildflower seed mixtures are not always appropriate for every site, often contain seeds that are not native or not suited to particular climates, and create a maintenance challenge to control weeds and non-native species that can harm local ecosystems.'

There is a clear shift happening in terms of moving from wildflowers to mosaic planting, and it is a very welcome one. 'Many of us have realised that traditional wildflower seed mixes often fail to deliver the meadow look you expect,' adds Caroline.

'In domestic gardens, particularly where soils are fertile, these mixes can struggle to establish balance, resulting in patchy growth, dominant grasses, or a short-lived display that looks untidy for much of the year.'

As a result, people are moving towards a more curated, designed approach that still feels natural but performs far more reliably.

In conclusion, Caroline Ervin has the following tips for mosaic planting success.

'With good soil preparation, regular fertilizing shouldn’t be necessary. If you test the soil it will guide you on nutrients to add if necessary, and what fertilization might be needed.

'Prune only in very late winter or early spring just before plants come out of dormancy. Leaving plants in place in the winter garden adds texture and interest, and also provides food and shelter for birds.'