3 Hot Trends in Landscaping

People are utilizing their outdoor space now more than ever before, and as a result, more attention is being paid by the typical homeowner to the use of the yard. Landscaping has played a critical role in the development of outdoor living spaces because it provides a unique way of reshaping the natural setting to serve both form and function in an aesthetically pleasing way.

As is the case in any area of design, trends emerge as new products enter the marketplace and people find new ways to use the space around them. If you’re planning a project that includes landscaping in Johns Creek, consider these current trends in landscape design to inform the look and feel of your yard landscape.

Functional Outdoor Spaces

In the past, functional space outdoors was limited to a porch for relaxing and the occasional water feature. Now, however, homeowners are taking outdoor function to a whole different level with the popularity of outdoor kitchens, intricate fire pit, pergolas, and even open-air offices in the backyard environment. Homeowners are bringing their indoor lives outside, and technology makes it possible to do so. From Wi-Fi boosters to outdoor lighting to high-quality outdoor audio-visual systems, the outdoor environment has changed and has become more functional than ever before. Landscapes are adapting to this increased usage of the outdoor space through plantings and innovative hardscape.

It's Easy Being Green

With the renewed focus on good stewardship of the environment, many homeowners are changing the way they design, implement, and maintain their home landscapes. There has been explosive growth in the availability and quality of green rechargeable landscaping tools that don’t use fossil fuels. Many home landscapes have become pesticide-, herbicide-, and fertilizer-free to prevent water pollution that plagues many densely populated areas. Water is a concern, as run-off is being better channeled into holding areas to prevent erosion and costly flooding issues. Many are making plant choices and design decisions to mitigate water dependence, since water availability is an issue in some areas. People are more aware of the impact their personal landscapes have on the bigger ecosystem and they are taking steps to mitigate their individual footprints.

Color is Back

While in recent years the trend in landscape design involved installing multiple shades of green in the landscape to evoke classical elegance, the use of color in planting beds and hedges has made a return to prominence. People want their landscapes to pop, and colors in the purple color wheel are particularly en vogue right now. Plants like verbena, snapdragons, Mexican heather, iris, clematis and lorapetalum are appearing in household landscapes once again. Variegated or patterned plants are also in fashion, as they add depth and character in the yard landscape that can break with the multitude of flat greens that acts as the designer’s canvas.

If you’re gearing up for a project that involves landscaping in Johns Creek, check out a few of these trends and consider incorporating them into your next project.