Landscaping trends are constantly moving in interesting directions and each new year calls for reflection on past practices and their evolution. The most noticeable characteristic of modern outdoor spaces is that people truly want to make them their safe havens – now more than ever. With our lives busier than ever, the old art of landscape design is the best way to find tranquillity for many, even with land size being limited. People are looking for creative ways to utilize their outdoor spaces and professionals are providing interesting ideas and details. Here are some major landscaping trends that are proving to be very 2018.
Making the most out of limited space
Small gardens are definitely not a cutting-edge idea. Their design is being approached somewhat differently and there’s a lot of progress. With growing urbanization and staggering land costs, private outdoor spaces are extremely valuable and designers are determined to make the most of them and create attractive compact gardens.
Multipurpose
The most popular (and smart) way to get around the obstacle of limited space is through multipurpose features. The more functions an object in a small garden has, the better. Scott Eckley, a landscape designer based in Seattle, suggests that a good example of this can be fire features. By the way, fire features are seeing a huge rise in popularity as people embrace the idea of fire pits, the archetypal gathering space. A concrete firepit serves as a strong focal point. Additionally, the concrete base is massive and can be used as a seat wall or a table during the day, only to become a fireplace in the night.
Container gardens
Another trend that’s insanely popular and extending beyond indoor gardening is the use of containers to create small linear gardens along a wall or elsewhere. Many plants can thrive in a potted environment, and it’s a very practical solution that offers the option of changing things around every once in a while.
Pushing indoor functions outside
People are desperate to find ways to spend more time outdoors, and just dining on the patio hasn’t been enough. Hence, the living room is being moved outside. Designers create nooks for lounging or entertaining that give the outdoor space a more interior quality. Wireless technology and good outdoor furniture play a huge part in this. So we’re seeing more outdoor cinemas, living rooms and even kitchens and workspaces. Designers from Aspect Shade teach us how any obstacle to outdoor living (namely, weather conditions) can be overcome with retractable awnings and pergolas. These amenities give outdoor living spaces huge versatility. As they provide shelter only when necessary but can be folded back to unveil the sky above. Essentially, thanks to the use of proper systems and materials, the border between outdoor and indoor will get even more blurry this year.
Textural flooring
Paving plays a very important part in landscape design. As it’s not just a practical necessity. But a way to add playfulness, texture, and intimacy to create the overall atmosphere of an outdoor haven. In the previous years, pavement predominantly took on the minimalist look, with large formats and smooth, clean lines. Things are changing in 2018, however, and smaller textured flooring is taking momentum among landscape architects. Stone paving is the next big thing in our backyards and gardens. The market is offering creative alternatives, such as newer variations of limestone, granite, and porphyry. Finishes, shapes, and sizes are varying as designs edge away from clean lines and experiment more with combining linear and rounded forms. Cobblestones are definitely back again but in various combinations and shapes. It’s all about texture and creative play.
Conclusion
We have yet to see if there are any new plants that are going to be wildly popular. But one thing is for sure – the well-established trend of personal vegetable gardens is not going away. And that’s a great thing. Overall, we can agree that gardening and landscaping are maintaining a very important role in today’s homes. As the desire to reconnect with nature is proving to be persistent in the larger part of the population. This year is going to be an exciting and innovative one in all aspects of architecture and landscaping. So keep an eye out because more trends are likely to arise soon.
Contributed courtesy of Victoria Lim.
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I’m so ready to see some green. I want all the snow to go away. I’m not much of a gardener, but there are some flowers and plants that are in my yard when we bought our house.
Me too, already for some spring. I am not much of a gardener but love the turn out of them.