One Word Is Defining Garden Trends In 2026: Permeability — but How Do You Actually Design A Permeable Garden, and What Does it Even Mean?

If there's one thing that's been dictating the direction of garden design as of late, it's our growing awareness of the role our outdoor spaces play in relation to the wider environment. And this year, one word is dominating the conversation: permeability.

Nowadays, the way we design our gardens is far less about how they will look and far more about their impact on the local environment. As the effects of global warming become increasingly unavoidable, there's a growing sense of personal responsibility to help upkeep our local ecosystems and support biodiversity, and central to that mission is the idea of permeability.

In short, "Permeability refers to water's ability to pass through the landscape and site surfaces, entering the soil and returning to the earth's aquifers," explains Molly Sedlacek from ORCA. It's what dictates how your garden responds and reacts to water and carries impacts that go far beyond your backyard. "We also like to summarize it as: letting the ground breathe," she says. Here's why this garden trend is so important and how you can design your own permeable garden.

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What Does Permeability Mean in Your Garden?

Before we even begin to explain how to design a permeable garden, it's worth taking some time to iron out exactly what we mean by 'permeability' in modern gardens.

Ultimately, this is all about the relationship between your outdoor space and water, and how easily water can be absorbed. "Permeability is about maximizing opportunities for water to flow through soils, mulch, and other loosely paved surfaces, so it can be absorbed 'on site', where it was generated," explains landscape architect Liz Pulver — the more permeable your garden, the more opportunity for absorption.

While most planted areas of your garden, dominated by soil and mulch, are naturally permeable, the hardscaping materials you use elsewhere in the garden may not boast the same claim. Because of this, when we discuss permeability in gardens, paving materials are often the center of discussion.

In planted areas, water can be reabsorbed through the ground; however, "when only hard, paved surfaces like asphalt or concrete are present, water is whisked away and typically drained off-site, into a public drainage system," explains Liz.

With nowhere else to go, our drainage systems can easily become overwhelmed by excess water. And, as the effects of global warming worsen, this problem will only become more prevalent.

"It's becoming an increasingly important part of garden design as we're experiencing more intense periods of rainfall and higher summer temperatures that harden soils and reduce their ability to cope with sudden, sharp downpours," explains Johnny Pearce, co-director of Oltco. "Rather than treating water as something to get rid of as quickly as possible, good garden design now looks at how we can manage it naturally within the space."

Why Does Permeability Matter?

So, why is permeability so important?

Well, the answer to that question is layered. There's not just one reason why; it's far more complex than that, and one of the most overlooked garden design features, so I'll try to break it down one by one.

First of all, and perhaps the most appealing to any houseproud gardener, the permeability of your garden has a direct correlation to the health of your plants. By encouraging excess water to be reabsorbed by the soil, you help to support your plant life, providing them with healthier conditions to grow in.

"Allowing water to remain onsite instead of running into stormwater drains hydrates the soil, which encourages both flora and fauna to thrive, and also allows the soil to filter the water. We create symbiotic health through this water retention," explains Molly Sedlacek from ORCA. It will also help make your garden feel lower-maintenance, too, removing the pressure of keeping up with your watering duties, and, over time, you'll help improve the health of your soil more generally, which in turn will impact the biodiversity in your garden, too — the cornerstone of the 'messy gardening' trend we saw last year.

But it's not just your plants that will benefit from more hydrated soil; it also serves a wider, more far-reaching benefit. As Liz explains, "Any excess water is absorbed and filtered through the soil and mineral layers below grade, and eventually reabsorbed into aquifers below. Aquifers provide drinking water in many parts of the world, and restoring the aquifers regularly helps to keep that groundwater resource available, clean, and healthy long-term."

Maintaining a steady supply of water for these underground filtration systems helps to reduce the risk of droughts and supports this vital source of fresh, clean water.

The permeability of your garden plays a central role in the sustainability of your garden design. Increasing the permeability of your outdoor space helps reduce the risk of issues like puddles and waterlogging, as well as pressure from local drainage systems during times of excess rainfall.

Plus, from a practical viewpoint, Johnny notes, "Homeowners often find that permeable surfaces stay drier underfoot, experience less standing water after rain, and require fewer drainage interventions in the future," making for a more comfortable outdoor area. "As weather patterns become more unpredictable, designing gardens that can cope with heavier rainfall is becoming less of a luxury and more of a necessity," Johnny adds.

How to Design a Permeable Garden?

Despite what you may think, designing a permeable garden couldn't be easier; in fact, most permeable materials often end up being more affordable than their troublesome alternatives.

To identify whether a material will be a good choice or not, try imagining how easy it would be for water to run through it. For example, materials like concrete flooring and asphalt, which are incredibly solid, are some of the worst choices for a permeable garden.

"These materials are essentially inert and divert water, preventing the earth from receiving it," explains Molly. "If you put yourself in a worm's eye view, they want rich, organic matter to live in. Under a slab on concrete is dry and nutrient-deficient because it doesn't receive nature's ebb and flow." Prioritizing materials that allow for this 'ebb and flow' is the first step in achieving a more permeable garden design.

But, Johnny adds, it's not just the materials themselves that can impact the permeability of your garden, but the way in which they're installed, too. "Even the highest-quality permeable surface won't perform as intended without the correct permeable base beneath it," he says. Similarly, the more tightly packed the pavers are, the less permeable the surface will be.

One of the most popular and stylish options for a permeable design is decorative gravel. Because gravel is not a solid material, it offers more space for water to seep through it and back into the ground. Similarly, Liz says, "Mulch is considered a permeable surface and is low-cost and easy to install. It’s typically made from recycled trees and bark, and so a great way to reuse existing materials."

But, if you're looking for a more solid surface, Molly says, "Clay brick and natural stone are our two favorites because you can sand-set them to create a level, functional surface (including a driveway) that still allows water to pass through. Decking also works great, especially when the land isn't flat, as it floats over the ground."

Even with the most permeable materials, the most effective designs are those that keep any solid paving to a minimum, expanding your planting areas and avoiding completely paved areas.

Making your garden more permeable doesn't have to be overly complicated, either. "You don't necessarily need to redesign your entire garden to improve its permeability. It is often the smaller changes that have the biggest impact," says Johnny. "Replacing areas of solid paving with permeable alternatives, introducing more planting, and incorporating gravel paths or borders can all help rainwater soak naturally into the ground rather than running off into drains. Collecting rainwater in water butts is another simple way to reduce surface water while providing a sustainable source of water for the garden during drier periods."

Looking for more solutions to a waterlogged garden? It's time to learn about the concept of a rain garden — the landscaping style specifically designed to help support gardens through heavy rainfall. And for more design ideas for your garden and beyond, sign up for our newsletter.