LANDSCAPE AND GROUNDS MANAGEMENT
For insight into landscape trends for 2026, we are exploring plants that merit consideration for in your client’ s landscapes this year.
MONROVIA: WILD MEETS REFINED
Monrovia Nursery showcased“ wild meets refined” as one of the top design trends to watch in 2026. This trend combines native plants with cultivars, ensuring a natural beauty with blooms you can count on. The design also creates a freeform look with less maintenance. Plant choices in both categories bring in pollinators and offer a flowing, relaxed look that includes grasses and perennials with rocks and nature-inspired pathways. Here’ s a look at the top plants for the 2026 wild meets refined trend:
Photo courtesy Monrovia. com by Doreen Wynja
Sole Giatto Oxeye Sunflower Heliopsis‘ Sole Giatto’ LIGHT: Full sun WATER: Water when top 2 inches of soil is dry. SIZE: Reaches 12 to 18 in. tall, 16 to 20 in. wide. DESCRIPTION: A compact variety with abundant blooms, this extra-hardy perennial provides prolific late-season, canary-yellow flowers, with double the petals. The long-lasting blooms stand on sturdy stems. Excellent performance in the landscape and containers. Perennial. BLOOM TIME: Summer through fall SPECIAL FEATURES: Attracts pollinators; compact form GROWTH RATE: Moderate LANDSCAPE USE: Border; container FLOWER COLOR: Yellow HISTORY: A 2025 All-American Selections award winner.
Photo courtesy Monrovia. com by Doreen Wynja
Pink Pearl Agastache Agastache‘ Pink Pearl’ PPAF PRONUNCIATION: ah-gas-TAH-kee LIGHT: Full sun WATER: Allow soil to dry slightly before watering. SIZE: Quickly reaches 16 in. tall and wide. DESCRIPTION: Spikes of light pink flowers pair with darker buds for a lovely two-tone effect from late spring to frost. Unique among Agastache for its shorter, compact growth habit and dense blooms that cover the entire plant. Agastache is the ultimate pollinator perennial, adored by bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. BLOOM TIME: Late spring to frost SPECIAL FEATURES: Attracts butterflies, pollinators and hummingbirds; easy care; compact form GROWTH RATE: Fast GROWTH HABIT: Upright FLOWER ATTRIBUTES: Flowers for cutting, showy flowers LANDSCAPE USE: Border; container FLOWER COLOR: Pink
Photo courtesy Monrovia. com by Brandon Friend-Solis
Picture Purrfect Catmint Nepeta‘ Picture Purrfect’ PPAF PRONUNCIATION: NEP-eh-tuh LIGHT: Full sun WATER: Allow soil to dry slightly before watering. SIZE: Reaches only 10 to 12 in. tall, 22 to 24 in. wide. DESCRIPTION: A fantastic compact variety that bursts with bigger blooms earlier in the summer. The vibrant color is a magnet for pollinators. With its short stature, it is an excellent choice for the front of borders or in containers.
Herbaceous perennial. BLOOM TIME: Early summer into fall SPECIAL FEATURES: Attracts hummingbirds and pollinators GROWTH RATE: Moderate
24 OPE + May 2026 www. OPE-Plus. com