5 of Our Favorite Trends in Landscaping
Today's landscaping is thoughtfully designed for work, play, and living. These designs bring together form and function to provide homeowners with a quality outdoor experience. Fortunately, with a little creativity and the right equipment such as the weed wacker, lawn mower and the leaf blower, anyone can create their dream front or backyard. Here are 5 of our favorite trends in landscaping that you may want to adopt:
1. Pet-friendly landscaping
Over the last few years, there has been a major uptick in the number of homeowners who own dogs. However, if you are an avid gardener and have a dog, then you probably know how hard maintaining a backyard can be. For many people, a dog equals crushed flower beds, muddy and unsightly footpaths, yellow pee stains in the lawn and dirt flung around. While we love our dogs, the negative impact they have on our yard may be disheartening.
That said, pet-friendly landscaping is one of our favorite trends in landscaping as it allows you and your furry friend to cohabit in a nicely maintained landscape. The secret to creating the perfect pet-friendly lawn is to grow a garden that is not only beautiful, but also has room for your dog’s activities and habits. The key to achieving this is by taking the time to observe where your dog loves to run, dig, lounge and pee. Once you have that figured out, landscape your yard with these spots in mind.
2. Restoring wildlife habitat at home
As a gardener, you probably know that bees and butterflies are in decline. Most of this decline is as a result of dwindling habitat which is being caused by the sprawling suburbs and expanding cities that have been designed for aesthetic and conveniences for us but with little thought to the needs of local wildlife. But did you know that you can create a perfect habitat in your home?
One way of restoring wildlife habitat is by planting a garden that attracts and provides a home for these struggling pollinators. More and more people are understanding better how our interaction with the environment is affecting wildlife, how we rely on this wildlife to pollinate the plants we eat, and how important they are for those awe-inspiring backyards we all yearn for. When you create a habitat for important pollinators like bees, butterflies, birds, bats, and moths, you are also helping your garden.
3. Continued outdoor living spaces
The modern garden is much more than a planted area of joy. Most homeowners now want to revel in their households, both in and outdoors without having to give up the comfy features of indoor living. Today, these gardens are all about outdoor life, whether this means entertaining, cooking or lounging. For many years, outdoor dining spaces were conveniently placed just near the kitchen or off the house. However, in the recent years, we have seen dining spaces being pushed further into the garden.
Thoughtfully designing you outdoors can provide a beautiful, tranquil ambiance to your space. Consider creating a destination with a fire pit. This will help draw family members out into the garden. Pick a nook at the edge of your property so that it feels like a journey to the fire pit. This trick will also make your backyard feel and look more spacious.
4. Playful colors and patterns
While the simple elegance of greenery is modestly timeless, adding pops of color to your landscaping is a great way to add year-round hues and quaintness to your outdoor space. So far, we have seen ultra-violets; thanks to their ability to play up the simple elegance of greenery dominate landscaping this year, with experts advising you to also incorporate more verbenas, iris clematis, and some purple flowers into your landscape. Also, consider adding some patterned plants with intricate details like stripped left and brightly colored veins.
5. Climate - cognizant landscaping
According to David Wolfe of Cornell University, we are the first generation that cannot rely on historical weather records to predict or tell us what our climate is. This is all due to the unpredictable weather patterns that range from monster hurricanes to snow and massive blizzards where there typically isn’t snow. This has led to more and more gardeners opting for landscaping that can withstand extreme conditions and allow spaces to be enjoyed on unseasonably warm or cold days.
People are planning their landscapes with the unexpected in mind. Consider adding fireplaces and outdoor heaters on your patios to help keep them warm and comfortable on chilly nights, pergolas with retractable canopies to help protect outdoor areas from strong winds, rain, and snow, as well as hardy landscape materials that can handle drastic temperature fluctuations.
If you are looking for a little inspiration for your next backyard project, this list of our favorite trends will help your ideas going. Let us know in the comment box below what your favorite landscaping trend is this year. Alternatively, if you have any questions or comments about our content, feel free to leave us a comment.
