Green on Green Gardens — How to Keep Things Interesting

Color trends come and go in garden design but green never gets tired. The latest trend for layering green on green planting puts the focus firmly on green as the star of the show rather than simply a color that is so often overlooked and undervalued.

A combination of restful greens will bring harmony to any planting scheme. It’s not just about foliage either. There are plenty of green flowers that add zingy beauty, and are a good fit for modern garden ideas such as euphorbia, hellebores, and nicotiana.

The green on green trend recognises green as a color in its own right and reappraises the way we view it, especially the variation of form and texture found in green foliage and flowers. The value of green in the winter garden should not be forgotten either.

1. Create A Sense of Calm and Timeless Elegance with A Green Palette

modern garden design with multi-stem tree, path and low mounds of clipped evergreens — A beautiful multi-stem Acer palmatum steals the show here, supported by an admirable cast of clipped Portuguese laurel and yew

“We typically aim for around 70% evergreen planting, ensuring a garden retains its shape, presence and architectural character throughout the year rather than feeling sparse during the winter months,” says landscape architect Sophie Bertrand, head of design at Rosebank Landscaping. “Prioritising a predominantly green palette creates a sense of calm and timeless elegance, while subtle variations in tone, from deep emerald and silvery-green to fresh lime, bring richness and depth without overwhelming the space.”

Flowers become moments of celebration rather than the focal point, with evergreen planting providing a strong framework that allows seasonal blooms to make an even greater impact when they appear.

“To create visual interest, we combine plants with contrasting leaf shapes, sizes and textures. Fine ornamental grasses sit alongside broad-leaved shrubs, glossy foliage is balanced by softer matte finishes, and upright forms are complemented by looser, more natural planting.”

Layered from low-growing ground cover plants through to shrubs and feature trees, green on green planting creates a garden that feels established, immersive and full of depth while softening the surrounding hard landscaping.

“Evergreen planting also keeps borders looking lush and structured throughout the year, providing the perfect backdrop for trees, sculpture, water features and the architecture of the house,” says Sophie. “The result is a landscape that changes beautifully with the shifting light and seasons, revealing new textures, tones and moments of interest all year round.”

Sophie Bertrand

Sophie Betrand is a landscape architect and head of design at Rosebank Landscaping. A love of nature compelled her to transfer the skills and knowledge learnt in architecture and combine them with the outdoors. This perfect blend that has given her the ability to create beautifully detailed and complex residential schemes both in the UK and France.

2. Allow the Textures and Forms of the Landscape to Become the Focus

modern garden design with green planting including ornamental grasses and evergreen plants — Mexican fleabane is a great choice to creep over paving and other hardscaping features to soften the edges

“This verdant garden explores the relationship between architecture and planting,” explains garden designer Andrew Duff. “The restrained palette of predominantly green planting allows the textures and forms of the landscape to become the focus, with seasonal highlights provided by the soft white flowers of Mexican fleabane.”

Find Mexican fleabane at Crocus, and allow it to cascade over walls, soften pathway edges, or scramble around urban nooks.

In this design flowing grasses contrast with the crisp geometry of the in-situ concrete, creating movement against the solidity of the hard landscaping. The limited color palette brings a sense of calm while allowing subtle differences in foliage shape and texture to stand out.

“The planting was chosen for its resilience and long season of interest, creating a garden that feels contemporary yet relaxed,” says Andrew. “The design was inspired by the idea of creating a sanctuary where architecture and nature enhance one another without competing for attention.”

Andrew Duff

Andrew Duff MSGD is an award-winning garden designer with over thirty-five years’ experience creating gardens throughout the UK and internationally. His work is known for balancing strong architectural structure with naturalistic planting, creating landscapes that connect people with nature while responding sensitively to their surroundings.

3. Go for Green If You Want To Create A Tranquil Retreat

modern garden design with green planting, pavers and gravel — Gravel and simple paving reinforce the contemporary character of this urban roof garden

This roof garden was designed as a tranquil retreat above the city, creating the feeling of being immersed in planting despite its urban setting. Structural evergreen planting forms the backbone of the design, providing year-round enclosure and privacy while softening the surrounding architecture.

“The predominantly green planting palette creates a calm, timeless atmosphere, with carefully selected flowering plants adding subtle seasonal moments rather than bold displays of color,” says the garden’s designer Andrew Duff.

Every plant in this scheme was selected for its ability to thrive in the challenging conditions of a rooftop environment, including exposure to wind and periods of drought. The result is a garden that feels lush and immersive, offering texture, movement and seasonal change within a carefully ordered framework.

4. Use Contrasting Color and Texture to Stop the Design Feeling Flat

green planting with lime green alchemilla mollis, evergreen pine and ornamental grasses — The lime green flowers of Alchemilla mollis (lady’s mantle) add a vibrant note to the green planting palette

“An all-green garden can be wonderfully tranquil, but it needs contrast to prevent it appearing flat,” says garden designer Katrina Kieffer-Wells. “Treat green as a spectrum: combine fresh lime and yellow-greens with olive, blue-green and deep forest tones. Darker foliage visually recedes, while brighter leaves come forward, creating a surprising sense of depth.”

Texture is just as important as color. Place large, glossy leaves alongside fine fern fronds, soft grasses, clipped evergreens, and matt or silver-green foliage. “Contrasting leaf shapes – from bold and architectural to delicate and feathery – give the planting rhythm and movement. Repeating a few key plants throughout the garden creates cohesion and calm.”

As summers get hotter there are other benefits from green planting too. It can also make a garden feel cooler. “The color green evokes woodland and shade, while dense planting shades the ground and reduces the amount of heat-absorbing hard surface,” explains Katrina. “Where paving is necessary, pale stone or light-colored gravel reflects more sunlight and feels visually cooler than dark materials. Gravel and other permeable surfaces also allow rainwater to return to the soil.”

Natural timber, weathered steel and pale stone work particularly well alongside green because they add texture without competing for attention.

Katrina Kieffer-Wells

Katrina Kieffer-Wells MSGD is an award-winning garden designer and registered member of the Society of Garden Designers. Based in London and Essex, she designs gardens worldwide, working with clients either in person or online via Zoom. Her carefully considered contemporary gardens combine strong spatial design with richly textured planting and a sensitive use of materials.

5. Opt for a Layered Look to Showcase Textural Plants

wooden garden bench with cushion, shaded by Acer griseum tree, with green planting including hellebores and ferns — This reading nook is shaded by Acer griseum tree, with green planting including hellebores and ferns

Trees and leafy plants create dappled shade from the upper canopy down through the layers, filtering the harsh sun light that reaches the seating area, creating a microclimate and reducing the heat from hard surfaces.

“Layered planting, creates a great showcase for multiple green textural plants from bulbs and ground covers to medium-height leafy plants, shrubs, and climbers, as well as the tree canopy,” says garden designer Karen McClure. “This “green on green” layering intercepts sunlight at different heights before it reaches the ground.”

This sheltered seating nook is nestled into the corner of a compact urban garden design by Karen. Foliage from the acer griseum, fatshedera, hellebores and ferns help make this the coolest part of the garden, a perfect little place to take a moment.

Acer griseum has bold green foliage that slowly transitions to pink and red. It’s a slow-growing variety that is good for smaller gardens. Find Acer griseum at Suttons.

Karen McClure

Karen McClure is director and lead designer of the award-winning creative team at Karen McClure Garden Design. She has successfully grown her business from her passion and love for the horticulture and landscaping industry. Delivering beautiful, functional landscapes, KMGD is an end-to-end specialist, from concept to overseeing the build.

6. Create a Composition that Changes Beautifully Through the Seasons

modern patio design with raised bed of ornamental grasses, olive trees, persicaria and garden furniture — This naturalistic planting design features herbaceous perennials in a predominantly green palette, with contemporary detailing in the light-colored hardscaping choices.

“This design demonstrates how a carefully considered green on green planting scheme can create a garden that feels both elegant and refreshingly cool without relying on colorful flowers,” says landscape designer James Scott. “Instead, the design celebrates the subtle beauty of foliage, using layers of different leaf shapes, textures and tones of green to create depth, movement and year-round interest.”

Although the overall style is formal and contemporary, planting is the defining feature of the space. “We deliberately incorporated approximately one-third of the garden as planting, using raised beds and carefully positioned planting islands to soften the clean architectural lines, enhance privacy and divide larger entertaining areas into intimate garden ‘rooms’.”

A structured grid of four olive trees forms the backbone of the green on green planting design, complemented by flowing ornamental grasses and naturalistic herbaceous planting. The restrained green palette allows texture, form and light to become the focus, creating a timeless composition that changes beautifully throughout the seasons.

The hard landscaping was designed to support this feeling of freshness, with light-reflective paving, bespoke seating, raised beds and clean-lined terraces. Together, the balance of generous planting and lighter materials helps the garden feel bright and naturally cooler during warm weather.

James Scott

James Scott FSGLD MBALI founded The Garden Company in 1991. As MD and principal designer, he oversees all projects and has led the company to win multiple national awards for both design excellence and landscaping craftmanship. With a strong focus on sustainability, James is dedicated to creating places that celebrate nature. He is an accreditor for the Society of Garden and Landscape Designers.

One final tip on green-on-green planting from garden designer Katrina Kieffer-Wells: “For year-round structure, combine evergreen shrubs and climbers with ferns, grasses, tree ferns and bold-leaved architectural plants such as fatsia. Ground-cover planting helps conceal bare soil, while restrained white or pale-green flowers can be used as small points of reflected light without disturbing the predominantly green atmosphere.”