5 Eco-Friendly Gardening Trends We Saw at the 2025 Philadelphia Flower Show

Picture-perfect lawns featuring manicured, lush green turf have fallen out of favor with many gardeners in recent years. These verdant scenes are being replaced with pollinator-friendly flowers, drought-tolerant grasses, and alternative lawn options due to a growing emphasis on outdoor sustainability efforts. 

This shift was on full display at the 196th Philadelphia Flower Show, which just wrapped up its 2025 exhibition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The show, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), is the country’s largest and longest-running horticultural event. It features beautiful displays by the nation’s leading floral and landscape designers. 

This year’s show had many exhibits that put sustainability at the forefront of their designs. This was demonstrated through dynamic ways to preserve water, make pollinator-friendly flower arrangements, and combat food insecurity. Ahead, we’re sharing some of our favorite sustainability-forward trends we saw at the show. 

Rainwater Collection

Water-wise concepts were plentiful at this year’s flower show. “Water is being used dynamically, whether it’s in reflective pools, moving water features, or as a focus for plant selection,” the PHS team told decorvow.com.

In a display by Susan Cohan Gardens, a central pond captured rainwater to use throughout the garden. “Our garden imagines that previously functional industrial elements can be retrofitted to create communal green space,” the exhibit’s description states.

Another exhibit by W.B. Saul High School demonstrated how to save rainwater by placing a barrel underneath a downspout. When it rains, the water flows through the downspout and into the barrel and can then be used to water the garden. 

Pollinator-Friendly Designs

Pollinators are an essential part of our ecosystem. An estimated three-fourths of the world’s flowering plants and 35% of the world’s food crops depend on animal pollinators to reproduce. As pollinator populations dwindle, gardeners have prioritized growing plants that keep these species robust.

This continued focus on growing pollinator plants and using them in floral designs was demonstrated at this year’s flower show. An exhibit by Jennifer Designs Events, showcased the essential role of wildlife in maintaining a healthy, thriving ecosystem grounded in biodiversity. Inside a display home, pollinators and other wildlife were seen sitting together at a table. Outside the home, the garden came to life, featuring various pollinator plants, like allium, coneflowers, and black-eyed Susans.  

“This immersive display highlights how thoughtful plant choices and habitat creation support the intricate balance of wildlife, encouraging visitors to see their gardens as vital refuges for biodiversity,” Jennifer Designs Events’ website states. 

Aquaponics

If you have a fish tank, the 2025 PHS Philadelphia Flower Show may inspire you to try aquaponics, another innovative way to conserve water. An exhibition by Lankenau Environmental Magnet High School demonstrated the importance of this eco-friendly practice. “A sustainable farming method that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to grow fish and plants simultaneously,” the exhibit explained. 

Aquaponics reuses the waste water from aquaculture as a source of fertilizer for hydroponic plants. Different from hydroponics where the water needs to be changed regularly, water is continuously circulated in an aquaponic system.

The fish are raised at low densities to ensure good water quality. When the fish are fed, they produce ammonia. The ammonia is converted to nitrates (an essential step as ammonia can become toxic to fish). The plants absorb the nutrients and clean the water, which is re-circulated to the fish.  

Urban Gardening 

Interest in urban gardening, the practice of growing fruits, vegetables, and other produce within or around cities, has increased in recent years. An exhibit by Mercer County Community Collection, which has previously won four gold medals at the PHS Philadelphia Flower Show, touched on this topic. 

The 700-square-foot display incorporated urban agriculture, mini meadows, bioswales, fruit trees, and more to create a multi-sensory experience that educates visitors about urban gardening, biodiversity, and improving food insecurity.

“According to the United States Department of Agriculture, approximately 47.4 million people experience food insecurity with 37.4 million of those individuals living in urban areas,” the exhibit states. “Planting produce within these areas through urban agriculture initiatives could significantly mitigate food insecurity by increasing local food availability.” 

Meadow Gardens

Meadow gardens aren’t a new trend, but they’re not going anywhere in 2025. This gardening style generally consists of native plants that are planted together to create a natural, wild appearance. Once established, a meadow garden is designed to be low-maintenance, requiring minimal water, fertilizer, and upkeep. 

A display by Arrange, LLC showcased how beautiful these gardens can be. The exhibit was inspired by a 2019 NPR story about a couple who moved to a small town in Vermont just as the COVID-19 pandemic began. “With free time and a desire to connect, they planted a flower meadow. Over time, the flowers bloomed, creating a bridge to the community around them,” the exhibit states. 

The arrangement featured a display of coneflowers in different hues, dahlias, craspedia, baby’s breath, and other blooms, demonstrating how much texture and color can be incorporated into meadow gardens.