Designers Are Ditching All-White Gardens – These Gentler Color Palettes Are Replacing Them for Summer 2026
With influences from naturalistic planting and native species, these color palettes are beautifully cohesive and highly composed, without being contrived
Once seen as the height of elegance, garden schemes filled with all-white blooms are falling from favor with designers. This tranquil style, whilst beautiful, is giving way to more interesting, softer, palettes.
The reasons vary, but major factors point to the pull towards wilder, less pristine or overly contrived schemes, along with native planting and the awareness that our gardens play a vital role in the local ecology.
It follows that a desire for more naturalistic planting leads to more diverse color combinations and textures in our backyard ideas. Yet this still requires thought and careful editing – and minimalist schemes are still popular too. Discover the palettes replacing all-white gardens, according to landscape designers
1. Native Heritage Palettes
A return to the native plants that existed in a landscape prior to urbanization and industrial agriculture naturally conjours a more colorful and heritage feel. This palette varies from region to region – and color is not the key focus for landscape gardener, Jean-Marc Flack, founder, Hortulus Animae.
'I have moved away from considering color as a primary design criterion,' explains Jean-Marc. 'Human-centered design considerations should always bow to or allow for wildlife and environmental priorities.
'The traditional all-white garden is often born from a desire for total control. It requires strict curation and maintenance to keep it looking pristine and "tidy," which inadvertently feeds into what I call "nature amnesia"—the expectation that a garden should be a sterile, highly curated room rather than a living ecology.
'Designers – and clients – are moving away from this because we are expanding our definition of beauty. What is replacing the all-white garden is a shift toward dynamic, heritage palettes that embrace the entire life cycle of a plant and the history of the land itself.'
Jean-Marc describes a recent naturalistic garden installation he worked on in the Hudson Valley, designed to honor the heritage agricultural and medicinal practices of the indigenous Muh-he-con-ne-ok people.
'Rather than an imported palette, the colors in this garden are deeply rooted in the local vernacular based on local plants native to the area and reflecting the cultural and medicinal values of the indigenous Muh-he-con-ne-ok peoples,' says Jean-Marc.
'It's made up of soft prairie greens, striking wetland reds, and the dusky purples and golds of native meadows. It is a "wilder" look, but one that is highly composed, culturally significant, and ecologically vital.'
In other projects Jean-Marc describes leaning into the subtle interplay of muted silvers, dusty purples, earthy greens, and sudden, exuberant flashes of intense native color. 'Instead of washing everything out in white, we are utilizing deep, grounded earth tones that feel native to the specific geology and history of the site,' he says.
For flashes of native color, give this Blue Stocking Bee Balm from Nature Hill's a go. Native to large swathes of the US, this one is a cultivar with violet flowers and a sweet aroma. Expect it to grow to 2-3' tall and 1-2' wid and attract pollinators.
Purple coneflower, like this variety from Nature Hill's is another popular plant in heritage schemes, as it's native to parts of central and eastern US.
Jean Marc’s experience in garden and landscape design spans nearly two decades. He founded his award-winning studio, Hortulus Animae in 2015, in New York’s Hudson Valley, and currently serves discerning clients both near and far. Jean-March is certified in Sustainable Garden Design and Landscape Design through the storied New York Botanical Garden.
2. Green Drenching
In our over-stimulated world, unsurprisingly, the desire for minimalist gardens hasn't gone away all together. However, those who are not fans of showy blooms or riotous color are opting for 'green drenching'.
These are gardens with an emphasis on foliage over flowers. This is a palette that New York-based landscape designer, Kat Aul Cervoni, founder, Staghorn Living says is popular with her clients.
'I think these days, people feel like all-white gardens are a bit too one-note, precise and maybe overly prim,' says Kat. 'I've noticed three overarching color palettes that are desired by clients.
'The first is mostly-green or all-green gardens, where flowers are scarce and there’s a much bigger emphasis on texture, form, movement and shades of green. These gardens are heavy on ornamental grasses, groundcovers, unique and or variegated foliage plants and evergreens. This look tends to be favored by folks who prefer a more minimalist, understated look.'
This Feather Falls Carex ornamental grass from Burpee has a cascade of variegated foliage that manages to be interesting and understated.
Another charming addition would be this Stonehenge skinny Yew from Nature Hill's which is ultra narrow at a foot wide and grows to 6-8' tall.
3. Romantic, Weathered Colors
The move away from all-white gardens doesn't mean a scheme can't still be visually calm, even with color. Florals with soft, faded or weathered tones offer gentle combinations of color that soothe rather than stimulate.
'We’re in a constant state of sensory overload, especially visually since we’re always staring at screens,' says Kat. 'A more restful color palette and immersive plant scheme helps calm the nervous system and gently bring us into the present.
In contemporary gardens where there's a mix of perennials, shrubs and ornamental grasses, Kat says she's leaning into color palettes that feel slightly weathered or romantic rather than overly saturated.
'Colors like mauve, soft peach, deep burgundy or even bronze foliage, pale lavender, or creamy flowering perennials mixed with grasses tend to create a softer, more dimensional feeling,' says Kat. 'These combinations feel understated, settled, nuanced and calm.'
Try this lavender hued Russian Sage from Lowe's for weathered tones. In shadier spots, this Wild Geranium from Nature Hill's would bring the romance with its soft pink color. It's a pretty groundcover plant and cold hardy in zones 3-8.
Jean-Marc likes to include wild geraniums in schemes where they suit the landscape. 'They're found in rich, shady forested habitats and create a beautiful, dappled woodland aesthetic,' he says. 'They can also bring quiet elegance to the understory or to the front of a shady border, with their delicate, light purplish-pink flowers.'
Landscape designer, Katherine "Kat" Aul Cervoni is the founder and principal of Staghorn Living. Kat creates outdoor spaces that become natural extensions of a home’s interior. A member of the Ecological Landscape Alliance and the Association of Professional Landscape Designers, she also mentors young plant enthusiasts and upcoming designers.
4. Layers Of Soft, Dusky Tones With Deeper Accents
Although beautiful, a singular color used on repeat can appear contrived. The move towards wilder, looser garden ideas lends itself to a more diverse array of plantings and colors. However, there are no sickly pinks or showy reds here. The tones are soft and dusky interspersed with deeper accents.
'Naturalistic and cottage garden schemes tend to be more floriferous and colorful by their nature,' says Kat. 'While there’s the potential for tons of colorways, they are still edited and intentional.
'From a color palette perspective within these types of garden, I’m seeing a lot more interest in dusky purples, smoky pinks, apricots, soft blues, and deeper wine and near-black tones layered together in a more naturalistic way.
'People still want cohesion, but they’re becoming more comfortable with subtle complexity and moodier combinations - which is fun.'
For pale apricot tones in a cottage garden, plant this pretty Apricot Drift rose from Lowe's, which is hardy across zones 5-10. For a flourish of dusky pink in a naturalistic setting, try this ornamental fountain grass from Lowe's, which flowers from mid to late summer.
With the exception of the 'green-drenched' gardens, there is much crossover with the palettes described. What each has in common is a mix of mostly, soft, soothing hues, offset with deeper tones or vibrant accents. With plants often chosen, not just for their color, but their ecological benefits and history too.
'We’re surrounded by so much newly-made stuff - plastic, faux materials, everything too clean and perfect. We’re yearning for places that feel like they’ve been around for a while, have a story and a soul, with nuance and character,' says Kat. 'We’re pining for uniqueness and authenticity.'
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