Custom Landscaping

Top 5 Trends in Landscape Design

According to HGTV the latest and greatest in landscape design come down to these Top 5 Trends:

• Peaceful Backyards
• Trees With Beautiful Bark
• Winter Landscape Brighteners
• Providing Support for Climbing Plants
• Simple + Elegant: Japanese Gardens

Peaceful Backyards

Examples include circular seating around a fire pit with a water feature off to the side to provide contrast and balance with the fire pit.

Romantic outdoor dining can be accomplished by placing a small table and chairs underneath a pergola with a hanging chandelier accompanied by surrounding foliage and planters.

You can create an intimate, cozy and private atmosphere by building a natural fence with tall plants surrounding a seating area or hammocks.

Water features and custom fire pits always add a sense of serenity and a place to relax in peace with family and friends. Flames always draw attention to landscape design and are a conversation starter. Oh, and they provide warmth allowing you to enjoy the outdoors all year round.

Trees With Beautiful Bark

Exfoliating trees, like River Birch, provide texture, depth and multiple colors. This trees white bark peels away to reveal a reddish, almost salmon trunk that matures into a darker reddish brown color. Other interesting species of trees include the Crape Myrtle, Paperbark Maple, Kousa Dogwood, Japanese Flowering Cherry and the Dawn Redwood.

Winter Landscape Brighteners

The starkness of winter can make your backyard feel drab and unattractive. Bring some color to the cold months by bringing in ornamental woodies. Woody shrubs and trees add colorful stems, berries and/or bark. Also winter gems and
ornamental grasses can add a nice touch of color to the dark days of winter. Also consider adding some artificial color with warm colored planters or painting some patio furniture in the warm color range.

Providing Support for Climbing Plants

Climbing plants such as jasmine, honeysuckle, wisteria, clematis, sweet peas, passionflowers and vines cling add interesting texture and can fill otherwise empty space along fences, walls and pergolas. You can use several methods to help these plants reach new heights by adhering wires along brick walls, you can tie bits of string to lattice and wooden trellis as the plants first begin to climb to help secure them. Obelisks are also a good option to create depth and height in a garden for annual climbing plants. Ivy needs no support as it will attach itself to pretty much anything and everything. Be careful with certain areas you plant your ivy because it can climb up and inside any open spaces you may have in dormers, gutters, etc. and cause damage.

Simple + Elegant: Japanese Gardens

Curving pathways with stepping stones are a great way to lead people through a garden or backyard area to highlight landscape features. Planting moss rather than grass is another way to achieve an Asian feel in your back yard. Stone zen gardens
are a fantastic way to add texture and patterns to an outdoor space. Flat stones in varying shapes laid in gravel creates a natural pathway, patio or seating area. Plant a few trees and the vertical lines will compliment the horizontal lines of the stonework. Water features are a must when creating a Japanese garden providing reflection and serenity to the environment.

So there are the Top 5 Trends in landscaping according to HGTV.com. When you are in the market for a custom fire pit or burning system for your backyard upgrade, contact us at any time and well be happy to help you with your landscape plan.