Joanna Gaines Is Ditching Understated Flowers – and We’re Fully on Board With Her New Romantic Maximalism

The quiet, well-behaved garden is out, and maximalist gardens are in – more flowers, more color, more chaos. Joanna Gaines recently shared a video on Instagram in which she was creating a faux floral arrangement that stirred something deep in my soul.

The Magnolia founder was seen arranging tulips, ranunculus, delphiniums, anemones, and lilacs, all tumbling out of a low vase that felt joyful and distinctly un-minimalist. And the comments? They were absolutely feral, with people wanting to create it immediately.

It’s not just a simple arrangement, either, as it feels like an entire cultural shift all packed into one seemingly simple video. More is more. Color is good. Flowers should misbehave a little and overflow out of their containers to spill onto the table. Basically, they should act in a way that would make a Scandinavian interior designer deeply uncomfortable. Welcome to the maximalist garden era; it’s about time.

Get the Magnolia Look

If you love the Magnolia look, the brand sells the dreamiest range of artificial blooms. And, if you are on a budget, Hearth & Hand with Magnolia at Target also sells some delightful faux flowers.

What Even Is Maximalist Gardening?

Maximalist gardening is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the opposite of restrained. Where minimalist garden design prefers clean lines, lots of gravel, and three carefully chosen plants with plenty of breathing room between them, maximalist gardening is abundant and untamed.

It covers every single inch of space and is the antithesis of everything your prim and proper grandmother would want. Tall plants behind short plants behind trailing plants. Colors that shouldn’t go together somehow absolutely do. Roses climbing over foxgloves, climbing over alliums, with sweet peas threading through the whole thing like they own the place.

It’s the gardening equivalent of that friend who walks into the party with so much energy that they immediately make the mood better. It’s loud, generous, and not at all interested in being subtle.

Why Now?

Many millennials grew up in an era where there was too much of everything, and houses looked slightly chaotic; there was simply too much stuff. So, we wanted everything that was the opposite of our parents’ homes.

We wanted relentless beige interiors, quiet luxury, and minimalist everything. Now, people are getting tired of restraint. They want color. They want their gardens and homes to feel full of life rather than looking carefully curated within an inch of its existence.

Social media has also played a huge role. This Instagram video from @figmentcottagegardens in which she shows off her maximalist garden, is just the start. These gardens and floral arrangements stop you mid-scroll; the minimalist ones almost never do. They’re the gardens overflowing with peonies, dripping with wisteria, stuffed with dahlias in seven different colors, and Joanna Gaines knows this. That’s why her floral arrangement had so many layers of flowers.

The Principles (Such As They Are)

Maximalist gardening isn't actually as lawless as it looks – there are a few loose principles that stop it tipping from beautifully full to completely chaotic and wild.

• Repetition is your friend: Joanna’s arrangement works so well because it repeats colors and textures. The white runs through the ranunculus and lilac, and the soft peach of the tulips matches the pink of the anemones. In your garden, plant the same color plant in multiple areas rather than dotting it in single pieces in random spots. This will create a rhythm while still keeping the maximalist feel.
• Layer your heights: Put taller plants, like delphiniums, foxgloves, and verbena bonariensis at the back. Layer in medium mounding plants like roses, peonies, and salvias in the middle, and put low sprawlers like creeping thyme, geraniums, and alchemilla at the front. This is what creates a lush, full look rather than a flat jumble.
• Your taller plants might need some help, otherwise they will sag down, which can give the opposite look of what you’re trying to achieve. These plant stakes from Amazon come in a pack of 20, and they’re very budget-friendly.
• Let things self-seed: A maximalist garden always rewards looseness. If Nigella pops up between your roses, let it. If foxgloves appear in unexpected places, you’re not a bouncer at a club; leave them be. The garden doing its own thing is all part of the vibe.
• Don't be afraid of color: When people first try a maximalist look for their garden, they often make the mistake of playing it safe with a restricted color palette. Resist this with everything you have. The gardens that really shine are the ones where it looks like someone threw in a burgundy dahlia next to a coral rose, along with a purple salvia for good measure. And somehow, it completely works.

The Maximalist Garden Is Finally Getting Its Moment

The minimalist garden had its moment, but right now, the cultural mood has shifted towards gardens that look as if someone planted them with genuine joy rather than careful restraint. Joanna Gaines' recent Instagram post is simply a sign of something that many of us have been feeling for a while. More flowers, more color; just more everything.