Archive for March 2016

As we start to think about spring and hopefully warmer weather, now is a great time to think about your landscape and any changes or additions you’ve been dreaming about.   If you are looking to freshen up your patio, lawn or garden with some updated landscaping, make sure you take a look at  one of these current trends.

Current Landscaping Trends:

• Simplicity
• Fire accents
• Outdoor rooms
• Concrete pavement
• Edible and Rain Gardens
• Water features
• Accent lighting

Less is More

In the years following the recession, homeowners have moved away from over-the-top landscapes to investments in higher quality, more natural materials. Low-maintenance grasses are especially popular since they require less time and money and cut back on the use of fertilizers and weed killers.

Fan the Flame

Homeowners are turning up the heat on their landscaping designs with dramatic fire accents. Whether it’s a fire pit, an outdoor fireplace or full-blown outdoor kitchen, a fiery accent can add a cozy, romantic feel to any outdoor area.

Inside Out

Bring the game outside!  By mounting a TV outdoors, you can enjoy the day while you watch your favorite teams.  Just make sure your TV is rated for outdoor use, and installed properly by a professional.  And, as the technology behind waterproof and fade-resistant outdoor fabrics improves, full outdoor rooms are becoming increasingly popular. Homeowners are furnishing their patios with permanent living spaces complete with comfortable furniture and stylish designs.

Pave the Way

With continued improvements in the quality of paving, concrete is becoming a trendy, affordable landscaping alternative to stone and brick. Combined with the right pattern and design, pavement can be a complementary asset to any yard, as well as environmentally advantageous.

Vegging Out

While vegetable gardens have always been around, edible yards are experiencing a never-before-seen boom in popularity. Growing everything from fruit trees and tomato vines to berry bushes and medicinal plants, homeowners are adding a variety of colorful, useful plants to every area of their yards.  Have you heard of a Rain Garden?  This is a wonderful way to enjoy the beauty of a garden while making the best use of rain runoff.

Testing the Waters

Water features are dominating landscaping designs, adding a natural, fresh feel to outdoor areas. From simple birdbaths to bubblers, to elaborate, high-end water walls, homeowners are truly going crazy for water landscaping.

Lights on!

With LED lighting becoming more affordable and much more aesthetically pleasing, we are seeing outdoor patio lighting, particularly strings of lights across such places as pergolas and gazebos.  Up-lighting, “Moonlighting” (high lighting placed up in trees to shine down on patios), and Down-lighting from hardscape (hidden by day, lights up at night) are trending, along with the ability to control from your iphone and/or ipad.