Have you ever wandered through a garden that feels like a love story?
The best plants for romantic gardens stir the senses and create an enchanting atmosphere. They weave together structure from stately evergreens, delicacy from hardy perennials with their soft, dreamy colors, and magical charm from silver foliage plants that shimmer in moonlight. Each element plays its part in crafting a garden that feels like stepping into a living poem.
Here are the best plants for a romantic garden that will thrive in your St. Louis landscape.
Creating Structure: Evergreens & Specimen Plants
The soft crackle of fine granite beneath your steps. A winding path leading you toward a wooden arch, its soft white paint peeling under the weight of pale pink roses. Their petals, full and delicate, exhale a musky sweetness—an intoxicating scent only an old rose can offer.
Evergreens and specimen plants are the foundation of a romantic garden, providing structure and definition. Like living walls, evergreens shape garden rooms, offering privacy and year-round greenery. They act as a canvas, allowing showier flowers and delicate foliage to take center stage.
Meanwhile, formal elements and specimen plants serve as striking focal points. Their distinctive forms draw the eye, adding elegance and a sense of permanence to the landscape. Whether framing an entryway or standing alone as a sculptural statement, these plants bring a timeless charm to any romantic garden.
Elegant Specimens: Trees That Inspire Romance
Weeping Cherry (Prunus x ‘Snow Fountains’) – 8-15 ft tall, 6-12 ft wide. A cascade of snowy white blossoms in spring creates a breathtaking, fairytale-like display, gently swaying in the breeze like a veil of romance.
Magnolia (Magnolia ‘Jane’) – 10-15 ft tall, 8-12 ft wide. Deep pink-purple blooms unfurl in early spring, their sweet, intoxicating fragrance lingering in the air like a love story.
Stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamellia) – 20-40 ft tall, 15-25 ft wide. This elegant tree enchants with delicate white camellia-like flowers and vibrant autumn foliage, creating year-round romance in the garden.
Timeless Greenery: Evergreens for Year-Round Charm
Arborvitae (Thuja ‘Emerald Green’) – 10-15 ft tall, 3-4 ft wide. A graceful, evergreen column with deep green foliage that forms an intimate, secluded space for romantic garden walks.
Yew (Taxus ‘Stonehenge Skinny’) – 6-8 ft tall, 2-3 ft wide. Slender and refined, this deep green evergreen creates structure and timeless permanence in the garden’s love story.
Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens ‘Dee Runk’ Columnar) – 8-10 ft tall, 2-3 ft wide. This elegant, upright boxwood provides a refined sculptural element, creating the perfect frame for enchanting garden entryways.
The Heart of Romance: Flowering Shrubs
You brush against lavender as you pass, releasing its calming fragrance into the warm air. A whisper of grasses gently undulates in the breeze, their movement as rhythmic as a heartbeat.
Flowering shrubs are the heart of a romantic garden, painting the landscape with soft color, fragrance, and texture. Positioned at eye level, they naturally draw attention, creating focal points that captivate the senses. Whether bathed in sunlight or nestled in the shade, selecting shrubs suited to your garden’s light and soil conditions ensures they flourish—allowing their beauty to take center stage.
Sunlit Charm: Flowering Shrubs for Bright Spaces
Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Puffer Fish’) – 3-5 ft tall, 3-5 ft wide. Large, cloud-like white blooms float with romantic charm before transforming into soft green, adding dreamy texture to the landscape.
Azalea (Rhododendron Bloom-A-Thon ‘Pink Cupcake’) – 3-5 ft tall, 3-4 ft wide. Delicate pink flowers bloom abundantly in spring and return in fall, creating continuous beauty that mirrors enduring love.
Butterfly Bush (Buddleia ‘Dapper Pink’) – 3-4 ft tall, 3-4 ft wide. Delicate pink, honey-scented blooms draw butterflies to dance among the petals, adding graceful movement and enchantment to the garden’s romantic atmosphere.
Shaded Beauty: Shrubs That Flourish in Low Light
Smooth Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens ‘Incrediball Blush’) – 4-5 ft tall, 4-5 ft wide. Massive blush-pink blooms sway elegantly on sturdy stems, like love letters penned in petals. These stunning flowers create a romantic focal point in shaded gardens, their delicate color catching and softening the filtered light.
Dogwood (Cornus ‘Ivory Halo’) – 5-7 ft tall, 5-7 ft wide. Variegated foliage creates a soft, ethereal halo while delicate spring blossoms add a celestial, dreamy quality to any romantic setting.
Rhododendron (Rhododendron Dandy Man ‘Color Wheel’) – 6-8 ft tall, 5-7 ft wide. The delicate blossoms gracefully transform from white to soft pink before deepening into rich rose hues—nature’s portrait of love’s beautiful evolution.
Fragrant Whispers: Shrubs That Perfume the Garden
Mock Orange (Philadelphus ‘Snow White Fantasy’) – 5-6 ft tall, 5-6 ft wide. Luxuriant white blooms release a heady citrus fragrance, evoking the intoxicating sweetness of love in full bloom.
Rose (Rosa Reminiscent ‘Pink’) – 2-3 ft tall, 2-3 ft wide. Delicate pink roses unfold with an irresistible fragrance, bringing timeless romance and classic beauty to any love-inspired garden.
Lilac (Syringa Scentara ‘Pura’) – 6-8 ft tall, 5-6 ft wide. Deep purple blossoms perfume the air with their romantic, nostalgic fragrance—creating the perfect atmosphere for dreamy spring afternoons.
Enchanting Perennials: Long-Lasting Color
At the end of the path, they wait—the one you love most. Seated on a moss-covered stone bench, fingers tracing the cool surface, anticipation in their eyes.
Choosing the best perennial plants for a romantic Missouri garden design starts with selecting varieties suited to the right light conditions. Whether basking in full sun or thriving in dappled shade, these perennials will provide a long season of enchanting color. Layering these blooms throughout your garden ensures continuous beauty, enhancing the romance of every season.
Sunlit Elegance: Perennials That Shine in Full Sun
Peony (Paeonia lactiflora ‘Sarah Bernhardt’) – 2-3 ft tall, 2-3 ft wide. Lush, soft pink blooms with delicately ruffled petals and sweet perfume embody old-fashioned romance.
Catmint (Nepeta ‘Cat’s Meow’) – 1-2 ft tall, 2-3 ft wide. Clouds of lavender-blue flowers sway gently, humming with bees while releasing their soothing herbal fragrance—a whisper of romance in the garden.
Garden Phlox (Phlox paniculata ‘Luminary Blacklight’) – 2-3 ft tall, 2-3 ft wide. Luminous white blossoms radiate in the evening light, transforming twilight strolls into enchanted moments.
Shaded Whimsy: Delicate Blooms for Soft Light
Astilbe (Astilbe ‘Rheinland’) – 1-2 ft tall, 1-2 ft wide. Feathered pink plumes float above lacy foliage, adding soft, romantic texture to shaded garden corners.
Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis) – 2-3 ft tall, 2-3 ft wide. Heart-shaped pink blooms sway gracefully like love notes from arching stems, weaving a timeless tale of romance.
Toad Lily (Tricyrtis hirta) – 2-3 ft tall, 2 ft wide. Delicate, orchid-like blooms with speckled petals emerge in the fall, bringing an enchanting touch of mystery to shaded garden spaces.
Soft Foliage & Fragrant Herbs: A Dreamy Touch
You round the final corner. They stand—eyes sparkling, lips curved in a welcoming smile.
A romantic garden isn’t just about flowers. Light-colored, velvety leaves create a dreamy, ethereal quality, catching the light and softening the landscape. Grasses sway gently in the breeze, adding movement and a delicate contrast in texture. Meanwhile, herbs release their intoxicating fragrance with the slightest touch, weaving scent into the garden’s romance.
Whisper-Soft Foliage: Plants That Invite Touch
Lamb’s Ear (Stachys byzantina ‘Helen Von Stein’) – 1-2 ft tall, 2-3 ft wide. Velvety silver leaves invite a gentle touch, creating a soft, sensory experience of warmth and comfort.
Fern (Athyrium niponicum ‘Ghost’) – 1-2 ft tall, 1-2 ft wide. Delicate silver fronds dance in the soft light, casting an enchanted mystery across the garden.
Willow (Salix ‘Hakuro Nishiki’) – 6-10 ft tall, 5-7 ft wide. Delicate blush-pink new growth creates a soft, ethereal effect—as if touched by a romantic sunset.
Scented Serenity: Herbs for Fragrance and Romance
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia ‘Thumbelina Leigh’) – 1-2 ft tall, 1-2 ft wide. Fragrant purple spikes soothe the senses while inviting peaceful, sun-drenched moments of rest.
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) – 2-4 ft tall, 2-4 ft wide. Fragrant, needle-like leaves symbolize remembrance—a poetic touch in a love-filled garden.
Thyme (Thymus serpyllum ‘Elfin’) – 2-3 in tall, 12-18 in wide. A delicate green carpet spreads low across the ground, releasing gentle scents with every step along winding garden paths.
Graceful Movement: Ornamental Grasses in the Breeze
Pink Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia ‘Undaunted’) – 2-3 ft tall, 2-3 ft wide. Ethereal plumes of cotton-candy pink hover above delicate foliage, painting a dreamy, romantic haze across the garden in late summer and fall.
Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) – 2-3 ft tall, 2-3 ft wide. Delicate seed heads release a sweet, coriander-like fragrance that fills the garden with a soft, nostalgic scent.
Switchgrass (Panicum ‘Northwind’) – 4-6 ft tall, 2-3 ft wide. Tall, upright stems dance gracefully in the breeze, their golden hues shimmer in the sunlight like delicate threads of spun gold.
A romantic garden is a place of beauty, fragrance, and movement—where soft colors, lush greenery, and intoxicating scents create an enchanting escape.
By carefully selecting the best plants for romantic gardens, from hardy perennials for soft color to silver foliage plants for a romantic garden touch, you can craft a space that delights the senses year-round. Whether you’re starting fresh or enhancing an existing garden, these plants will bring timeless charm to your landscape.
Ready to transform your garden into a romantic retreat? Visit our garden center this spring to discover these romantic garden favorites, or call us today to schedule a personalized landscape consultation. Let’s bring your romantic garden vision to life!