For a century, Monrovia has been growing plants that empower gardeners across the country to create outdoor spaces that bring them joy. This year, that legacy comes to life in a “Centennial Garden” designed by Monrovia trend expert Katie Tamony and landscape architect/ artist Lisa Nunamaker of Paper Garden Workshop, blending the company's roots in horticulture with a fresh take on modern outdoor living. Join us as we take a closer look at the Centennial Garden and explore how it all comes together.
(Above) The Centennial Ruby™ Hydrangea is a special release to celebrate Monrovia's 100th anniversary. The incredibly rich ruby-red mophead blooms deepen in color as the flowers age.
Modern Meadow Centennial Garden: Rooted in Legacy, Designed for Today
Set against the backdrop of a historic estate, this year’s Showcase House offers a glimpse into California history, where architecture and landscape intertwine. Lisa created a garden design that responds to that sense of place while creating something fresh and current. The design vision centered on a trend that Katie calls a “wild meets refined” approach, one that feels naturalistic and alive while remaining intentional and livable.
Golf Ball Pittosporum lined by Breeze™ Dwarf Mat Rush
Centennial Ruby™ Hydrangea planted alongside Emerald Colonnade® Holly
“What I love about the modern meadow approach is that it gives the feeling of something wild…color, movement, that sense of connection to a little bit of wild,” Lisa explains. “You’re still inviting birds and bees and that lovely sense of things growing on their own terms, just on a more manageable scale.”
That idea comes into focus around the pool, where easy care shrubs, soft grasses and drought-tolerant perennials replace a traditional lawn. The effect is immersive and textural, with planting that shifts and moves with the light and breeze. “Once established, those plants largely take care of themselves,” Lisa notes, “which is part of what makes the design feel effortless.”
Lisa’s approach balances structure and softness, blending foundational shrubs with seasonal interest and textural layers. The result is a garden that feels both polished and relaxed.
Expressive and Functional
Katie and Lisa developed a plant palette that is both expressive and highly functional, blending bold focal points with dependable structure. One of Lisa’s favorite combinations captures the essence of the wild meets refined trend: Breeze™ Lomandra used as a matrix planting, forming a soft, grassy carpet, with Vibe® Ignition salvias rising up through it. “In mass, that pairing really delivers,” she says. “It feels alive and layered, like the plants chose each other.”
Foundational structure elements can also bring a touch of whimsy or surprise. Icee Blue® Podocarpus, with its cool blue-gray foliage, offers a fresh alternative to traditional evergreens. “It adds a really distinctive presence without feeling too formal,” Lisa explains. “In a garden that could easily tip traditional, it brings in something just a little unexpected.” It's also a unqiue Monrovia introduction from 2004. "It's a sculptural statement plant, but it also works as a hedge," says Katie.
Evergreen Anchors
Evergreen anchors like Emerald Colonnade® Holly, Little Ollie® Dwarf Olive, and Golf Ball Pittosporum provide year-round form and definition. These are complemented by that cool foliage of Icee Blue® Podocarpus, which adds contrast and a subtle architectural quality.
Emerald Colonnade®
Holly
This handsome and versatile male evergreen holly, with a natural pyramidal form, makes a superb hedge, screen, or windbreak. Dense, glossy, bright green foliage. Full sun. Zones 7-9. Up to 12' tall, 8' wide.
Little Ollie®
Dwarf Olive
Dwarf, non-fruiting evergreen with a graceful, multi-branching habit. Deep green leaves have silvery green undersides. Heat, drought, and salt-tolerant. Full sun. Zones 8-11. Up to 6' tall and wide.
Icee Blue®
Yellow-Wood
The first Podocarpus tree with distinctive blue foliage! New growth emerges lime-gray-blue, then matures to cool gray-blue-green. Full sun. Up to 25' tall and wide. Zones 9-11
A High-Impact Plant Palette
Repetition is one of the garden’s most striking design moves. A thread of vibrant reds and deep plum ties the entire space together.
“The Centennial Ruby™ hydrangea, Grace N’ Grit™ red rose, Midnight™ Moxie fringe flower, and Sunvilla® Red mandevilla are all bringing that same bright, punchy red energy,” Lisa says. “But they’re each thriving in completely different conditions.”
Plus, Grace N’ Grit™ Pink and Nitty Gritty® White Roses offer long-lasting, disease-resistant color. Eau de Parfum® Bubbly Rose adds fragrance and softness, and Vibe® Ignition salvias (purple) provide bright, pollinator-friendly color through the warmer months.
Moments of texture and movement come from plants like Breeze™ Lomandra and wall germander, which soften edges and create a more naturalized feel.
Standout specimens draw the eye and anchor key moments in the design. Flame Thrower® Redbud delivers ever-changing foliage color from spring through fall, while Silver Waves Camellia offers luminous blooms in shadier areas. Even unexpected choices, like yellow clivia add richness and intrigue.
A Thread of Red
Centennial Ruby™
Hydrangea
Released for Monrovia’s 100th anniversary, this hydrangea stuns with rich ruby-red blooms that deepen to near-black over time. Compact, sturdy, and reliably reblooming. Part sun. Up to 3' tall and wide. Zones 4-9.
Midnight™ Moxie
Fringe Flower
Deep red blooms and dark foliage make this shrub a standout. Blooming from early spring and repeating through the season, it’s an ideal foundation shrub or bold accent. Full to part sun. Up to 5' tall and wide. Zones 7-9.
Sunvilla® Red
Mandevilla
Bold red blooms with a yellow throat hold their color on this vigorous, glossy-leaved vine that climbs or drapes with ease. Frost-tender; treat as an annual in cooler climates. Full to part sun. Up to 20' long. Zones 9-11.
A Soft Glow
Nitty Gritty®
White Rose
This durable, own-root, fuss-free groundcover rose produces an abundance of lovely blooms while offering excellent disease resistance and a self-cleaning habit. Full sun. Up to 3' tall, 4' wide. Zones 4-9.
Eau De Parfum®
Bubbly Rose
Big, delightfully fragrant blooms provide the classic romance of roses, with the added benefit of disease resistance from modern breeding. Full sun. Up to 4’ tall and wide. Zones 5-10.
Standout Specimens
Flame Thrower®
Redbud
Light-pink spring flowers are followed by an ever-changing display of colorful foliage that continues throughout fall. New foliage emerges burgundy, fades to yellow, and matures to green. Partial to full sun. 15-20' tall, 15' wide. Zones 5-9.
Silver Waves
Camellia
Large, silvery-white, yellow-centered, semi-double blooms contrast glossy dark green leaves. Full shade to filtered sun. Up to 8′ tall and wide; larger with age. Zones 8-10.
Belgian Hybrid
Yellow Clivia
A rare bright yellow form with strap-like dark green leaves and rounded clusters of up to 60 blooms on tall stems. Strong performance in dry shade. Full shade. Up to 2' tall and wide. Zones 9-11.
Designed in the Spirit of the Easy Sunday Garden
While the plant palette is layered and dynamic, the overall feeling of the garden is one of ease. The area opposite the house and ringing the gazebo is designed in the spirit of the Easy Sunday Garden, a livable design that blends flowering shrubs and evergreens for a premium look that's easy to care for.
Nitty Gritty White Rose creates contrast with Midnight™ Moxie Fringe Flower
The landscape layout is built on a foundation of flow, with pathways and planting beds guiding you naturally from one area to the next. Repetition of key plants creates cohesion, while a mix of heights and textures keeps the experience engaging.
There’s a sense that this garden can be enjoyed just as much on a quiet morning as it can during a lively gathering. It’s lush, but not overwhelming. Refined, but still relaxed.
Get the Look
What makes this garden especially inspiring is how adaptable its ideas are. At its core, the design relies on a few key principles: repeat your anchor plants, layer in seasonal color, and balance structure with softness. Choose plants that not only look beautiful, but also perform reliably in your conditions.
Even small spaces can follow this approach, pairing a statement shrub, such as a hydrangea, with dependable evergreens, weaving in pollinator-friendly perennials, and adding a few standout accents for personality.
More Garden Design Resources
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- Garden Trends Design Guide
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- Check out the Garden Design section of the blog for more garden design lessons and stories
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