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5 Brilliant Ideas to Steal From 2025’s Most-Awarded Gardens
We studied the latest prize-winning landscapes so you didn’t have to. Get set for an inspiration overload.
By: Kate Reggev
Inspiration for a garden can be found anywhere and everywhere, from your neighbor’s enviable dahlias to a Monet painting; from a scene in a movie to a park you stroll through while traveling. But don’t neglect this source: landscapes that have won awards around the globe over the past year. They’re a trove of fresh thinking, executed incredibly well. We’ve done the research for you, gathering five notable gardens — from stormwater-smart gardens to castle terraces — with ideas worth stealing for real-world spaces.
So take a look, take some notes, and watch your garden flourish.
1. Your Garden as a Food Crawl
Instead of having a dedicated vegetable patch, what if edible plants staged a garden takeover? That’s the “food-forward” planting approach of Pine House Edible Gardens, recipient of Sunset Western 2025 Home & Design Awards for Best Landscape Design and Architecture. Designer Leslie Bennett, who’s based in Oakland, California, doesn’t sideline plants that yield produce but rather brings them front and center, so that organic fruits, vegetables, herbs, and cutting flowers are everywhere and in abundance. Saying no to nice, neat rows, she packs beds and borders with plantings that are visually and seasonally dynamic. Sage, for example, may sprout near squash that climbs over an arched trellis, reminding us of the adage “what grows together, goes together.”
The Takeaway:
“Edible plants, like blueberries, are a great element to incorporate close to your house, where you'll see them often and enjoy harvesting them as you walk in,” suggests Liz Pulver, Principal at Liz Pulver Landscape Architect.
2. If It’s Good Enough for a Castle…
Granted, most homes don’t come with moats, turrets, acres of land, or a team of landscapers at the ready, but nonetheless, you can still borrow an idea from the Amphitheater at the 18th-century Raby Castle in northeast England. It’s mesmerizing, tactile design of tiered terraces that fan out in concentric semi-circles, all entirely covered with grass. Recognized by the prestigious European Garden Awards (2025), the Amphitheater grounds were recent remodeled by garden designer Luciano Giubbilei with Lady Barnard, an owner and resident of the castle.
The Takeaway:
At Raby, these terraces encourage guests to sit and gaze upon the castle. But this idea could translate to a suburban-scale backyard, with grass-covered shallow terraces stepping down toward a back patio or grill area. The appeal here lies in the invitingly all-green, seamless effect.
3. Take It Inside
The term “indoor garden” probably has you imagining a greenhouse or a windowsill with little pots of herbs, but wait: The 2025 Royal Horticultural Society festival in the UK showcased ways to weave greenery all through the house. The gold medalist, A Modern Retreat by Botanical Interior Design, used plantings as a true design element, adding color and texture throughout a living room, from lush monsteras in 3D-printed planters to trailing pothos, hung from the ceiling.
The Takeaway:
Layer greenery around a room. For instance: A row of large plants in pots on the floor can define a verdant nook; greenery on bookshelves or in wall pocket planters can deliver a green wall effect; and a cluster of ceiling-mounted planters can give you the same vibe as a tree canopy.
4. Gathering Rain
Storm-water retention may not be the most thrilling topic, but a rain garden — a shallow, planted basin that can capture and soak up stormwater runoff — dazzled as a winning project known as Macalester Raingardens in St. Paul, Minnesota. Designed by Carolyn Johnson of Field Outdoor Spaces, Inc, it received the 2025 Perennial Plant Association’s Landscape Design Award of Merit for the genius way that it is both functional and aesthetic. It takes advantage of a grade change on the property, bridging from city sidewalk to the home’s front door, and blooms with seasonal, ever-evolving plantings in brilliant hues, attracting pollinators and birds.
The Takeaway:
Sold on this idea? You may want to bring in a pro. Successful rain gardens need the right type of soil and drainage angles, emphasizes Rafi Friedman, President of Florida-based Coastal Luxury Outdoors. “Soil with too much clay is going to retain the water, choking out plants and leading to mosquitoes and other pests,” he cautions. “And a rain garden that slopes towards any structure is going to lead to water damage and undermine foundations.”
5. Look Down
With its glam Art Deco design, Aurum by MINT, a lush garden in Melbourne, Australia, won a 2025 DNA Paris Design Award, in part due its innovative paving and borders. Graphic hardscape patterns — specifically, white rectangular tiles set into the soil in chevron patterns — define planting beds and anchor seating areas. A simple idea, but brilliantly executed and very high impact.
The Takeaway:
Mimic the effect by creating a vibrant paving pattern where you gather to eat in your yard. It will give the illusion of an outdoor rug with none of the maintenance issues.
Think Your Garden Is Award-Worthy?
If your climbing roses or containers full of coleus are the envy of the neighborhood, maybe it’s time to see what the judges have to say. You could join the ranks of prize winners. To enter your handiwork for an award, check for contests with local garden clubs and botanical gardens, plant-focused organization (such as the Perennial Plant Association), and gardening websites and magazines.
About the Writer
Kate Reggev is an architect and design writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in Architectural Digest, Dwell, and Apartment Therapy, among other publications.