2016 is shaping up to be an interesting year for residential landscape design trends according to a survey by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). Additionally, the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP), the organization that is the voice of the landscape industry, announced its official list of the top landscape design trends for this year.
The NALP bases its forecasts on several factors including current consumer demand and lifestyle, plus broader horticultural, architectural and design factors. Both the survey and the NALP’s assessment prove to be a thought-provoking look at what the market is dictating and what landscaping companies are offering their clients.
Water Conservation:
One of the top trends is a shift by consumers to toward sustainable landscapes, such as rainwater harvesting, rain barrels, rain gardens and stone retaining walls that add dimension and allows for beautiful residential landscape, but also saves water. These water saving methods serve an important purpose for collecting, cleaning or stopping water runoff.
Water issues top the list in many communities that experience shortages and droughts. Because of this water shortage situation, people are incorporating native/adapted drought-tolerant plants to their landscape design. Homeowners are turning to landscape architects for creative green infrastructure solutions that can dramatically reduce water.
Personalized Lifestyle:
Equally reflected in today’s marketplace is the demand by consumers to bring the indoors out, such as fully equipped outdoor kitchens including brick ovens, grills and appliances, 3 season patios with outdoor firepits and fireplaces, fully functional dining rooms and even romantic canopy bedroom.
Consumers have gone past the basic decks and patios. As homeowner entertain outdoors more than ever before, the landscape is a reflection of making the most of their time spent outside as a personalized outdoor retreat that fits their interest. Today’s home hugger has the desire to create comfortable landscapes that are both functional and beautiful with a renewed sense of mindfulness for the Earth and its ecosystems.
High Tech Landscapes & Lighting:
As interest continues to evolve for extending home interior living to the exterior living space, a trend is emerging this year to go high-tech outside with creative, functional lighting and technological enhancements. Exterior lighting has always been a part of the distinctive element for any landscape design, but this year that component has been taken up a notch.
Today, you will find that many homeowners have transformed their outside landscapes with dramatic, boldly coloured lights or twinkling accent lighting along pathways, walkways and inside patio areas. With technology so much a part of people’s lives, homeowners have extended their ability to connect with the outdoors even more by installing backyard Wi-Fi and TV installations. This technological advancement allows residential landscape designs to merge the old method exclusive to indoor use to the exterior space where so much outside living is now happening.
Native Gardens:
Another popular trend for 2016 is “naturescaping” which is the act of selecting native plants for attracting birds, insects and wildlife. This method is being employed by landscape companies in an effort to satisfy the ever-growing demand for environmentally conscious landscapes by homeowners.
An ever increasing population of busy homeowners are seeking to develop beautiful landscapes that are easy to maintain. Naturescaping achieves this objective by encouraging the use of low maintenance perennial native plants that are easy to maintain and innately manages water runoff.
Sustainable Landscapes:
With such a large focus on water conservation and sustainability of our ego-systems, homeowners are now demanding both in their landscape designs.
With the help of landscaping companies like Evergreen Landscapes you can turn your property into an interesting environmental oasis of your liking. Please Contact Us and speak to a friendly customer service representative who will be happy to help you.
