In addition to bringing us into a new decade, 2020 delivers new trends for gardening and outdoor spaces. Many of these trends mimic what is popular with everything else in our lives, as we see a strong push for efforts such as environmental friendliness, saving time, and utilizing the latest tech on the market. Most ideas are feasible to introduce without doing a major upheaval to existing space and are perfect suggestions for those who have not yet embarked on the mission to build up outdoor spaces.
Eco-Friendly
Artificial may be more appealing. This may
seem a bit anti-mother nature, but one way to have a consistent, aesthetically
pleasing yard space is to install artificial grass. Although it is man-made,
synthetic grass requires significantly less upkeep (think less mowers, less
pollution) and no dependence on natural or chemical resources required to
nurture live grass. For homeowners that prefer to stick with natural grass,
high-tech, fully programmable irrigation systems help to reduce reliance on
sprinklers and maximize leveraging rainwater to keep lawns healthy.
In addition to saving water, more and more
people are seeking organic pesticide products and lawn preservative treatments
to limit exposure to harmful chemicals that are bad for the environment.
Nurturing Nature
Not that they were ever out of style, but
houseplants are making a comeback. The movement towards bringing the outside,
inside can be achieved easily with houseplants and succulents. Anyone
with a green thumb may look forward to this opportunity to retain their horticulture
skills even when it doesn’t involve being outdoors. Surely you will need to
allot space to accommodate potted plants — finding a spot with optimal sunlight
and accounting for the potential height and width. There is an abundance of
options, but to start, Bamboo Palm or Spider Plants are good choices that look
nice and can even help to improve indoor air quality.
In some cases, plants can remain outside
until cold weather approaches and then be brought inside to ride out the colder
months. Then, once a specific temperature is reached when the springtime
comes around, a quick transfer is all that would be required to revitalize
decks and patios with these potted plants.
Vertical gardening, also on the rise,
pertains to growing plants and flowers on posts, trellises, fences or other
upright structures. Once again, Eco-friendliness is key. The focus is on
repurposing, so some recommendations include painting old wooden ladders to
hold planters, hanging pots from the beams of wood pallets and using fences and
pergolas to support vines and
climbing plants.
Time For Technology
We’ll expect to see more and more tech
resources dedicated to management of outdoor elements. One innovation that
really stands out for 2020 is one-click, programmable irrigation.
Programmable irrigation systems can be managed via smartphone applications or
other devices that will connect with weather forecasts and when rain is
predicted, sprinkler times can be adjusted to take advantage of mother nature
instead of tapping into the water supply.
Multi-Season Usage
While seeking enjoyment of outdoor space
year-round is certainly no modern concept, there will be more emphasis on what
can be added to make the space user friendly across all seasons. Fire pits,
which can be permanently affixed to a patio or moveable for use or storage, can
provide a cozy and warm place to sit on cool summer nights or during the
chillier times in spring, fall, or winter.
Covered or multi-season rooms are a more
solid way to gain connection to the outdoors throughout the year (plus, they
are excellent for growing indoor plants and vertical planting).
Bits of Blue
A pop of color will really brighten up the
backyard. Blue was never underutilized, but for 2020, it’s projected to be a
HOT color. It is no surprise — the color of the sky and sea is beneficial
to both body and mind and produces a calming effect. Definitely an asset to
accommodate those seeking relaxation in their outdoor spaces. For tips on
peppering blue into your design, learn how people are embracing hues of blue.
Saving Time
Who doesn’t want to spend less time doing
(or spending, for that matter) and more time enjoying? This year you’ll see a
movement towards low maintenance landscapes or “messy” gardens. Traditional
gardener-manicured flora and greenery is being reconsidered for more natural
looking growth. Planting wildflowers is one way to achieve this and since they
are perennials, they’ll be back year after year, reducing the need to continue
spending the time planning and purchasing new annuals yearly.
It is exciting to think about all that you
can do modernize. Put a plan in place and decide what may be most feasible at
this time. The bottom line is that many of these trends are symbiotic. You’ll
be sprucing up your space to get full usage, save time, be Eco-friendly and
save money at the same time.