29 Jan 21 landscape trends for 2021
There is nothing like being stuck at home over the last ten months and counting to nudge us to seek new ways to enjoy our homes. Over the last year, our backyards and patios have served all-new purposes as office spaces, gyms, happy hour hangouts, and dining spaces to enjoy and be inspired by the beauty of nature. Indeed there has been no better way to invest in your home than turning your own outdoor living space into a private retreat to enjoy a staycation in. We predict that this trend will continue to grow in 2021 to help fight our COVID fatigue. We have put together 21 landscape trends we anticipate seeing in 2021 throughout Omaha and surrounding communities.
- Outdoor Living Areas – Create an extension of your indoor living space outdoors for relaxation, recreation, or entertaining. Make your outdoor space a new kitchen, living rooms, dining rooms, and play areas.
- Landscape Lighting – Creative lighting along pathways, uplighting around trees, funky chandeliers over patio tables, LED lights in trees, or bistro lighting in a bar area can help you enjoy your space later into the evening.
- Vertical Gardens – Create a statement wall or a piece of art. This is an excellent trend for small spaces to add a significant visual element to a small space that creates visual interest and lasting impact. Create a living wall by adding planters and experiment with different plants and herbs in the pots.
- Privacy – While plant-based privacy screens can stand the test of time, consider more unique privacy screens. Opt of a piece of metal art or switch out ivy for a flowering clematis on a trellis
- Vegetable Gardens – Many impromptu COVID-gardens were started last year, and many lessons were learned along the way. This year, take the time to space out your vegetable garden with raised beds and potted herbs, then enjoy cooking up your bounty and enjoying. Get creative this year and try something new like Mini Watermelons, Heirloom Tomatoes, Blue Kale, Purple Cauliflower, or Japanese Eggplant. Need gardening help? Click here to join our monthly newsletter that features our gardening corner and includes a yummy recipe using in-season recipes!
- Outdoor Playgrounds – Simple outdoor playgrounds are a thing of the past. Now families are adding zip lines, climbing walls, and fancy monkey bars.
- Outdoor Kitchen and Entertaining – You can dream up a full outdoor kitchen with bar seating or go more affordable and add in a small grilling station. You have heard of a She-shed, but have you heard of a beer-shed? They are a thing and a growing trend among beer lovers. They can store your kegerator and a keg of your favorite craft beer. Have your friends belly up to the bar and pour them a cold one directly from the tap!
- Native Gardens – Native plants have stood the test of time and proven to do well in the area they are found in. In Nebraska, some common native trees include Redbud, Cottonwood, and crabapple trees. Common native plants include Prairie Onion, columbine, and Milkweed. For a list of more native plants, visit PlantNative.org.
- Pollinator Gardens – In a growing effort to save our bees, pollinator gardens are a growing trend that we do not see going away. There are different varieties of pollinator-friendly plants depending on what you are trying to attract, including hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. Don’t forget the milkweed for the caterpillars!
- Natural Pest control – Are your citronella candles not doing the trick to fight mosquitoes? Try adding plants like Lemon Grass, Lavender, Rosemary, Bee Balm, and various types of Allium to rid your yard of mosquitoes!
- Composting – Composting not only helps limit food waste, but it is also a superfood for our gardens that can help them sustain themselves. The average family throws out $1,866 worth of produce a year; why not take your food scraps and turn them into nutritious compost for your plants!
- Secluded Spaces – Relax and unwind in your own secret garden! Recently there has been an increased interest in transforming a corner of the backyard into a private secluded slice of heaven.
- Smart Watering – Take the worry out when to water your lawn, and if you are watering it too little or too much with a smart sprinkler controller like Rain Bird, Orbit, or Rachio. Smarter and more efficient watering can frequently mean cheaper water bills!
- On-site Water Collection – Rain barrels have become a noticeable trend in recent years to collect rainwater to use as an alternative to tap water for watering the garden between rains and other household chores like washing the car.
- More potted plants – Large containers are a fun way to display annual plants. They are small gardening spaces to experiment in and change plantings out through the different seasons.
- Pondless Water Features – Pondless water features come in various styles to meet your design needs, from a bubbling urn, drilled boulder, or a waterfall that goes into a dry rock bed.
- Outdoor structure – Add an airy pergola that adds just the right amount of shade or extend your roof to provide a more flexible outdoor space that can include a fan to move the air on a hot Nebraska summer day. Shade Sails are a great way to add a pop of color and a unique source of shade.
- “Framed” Gardens – Take into consideration the view you see of your yard when you look out of your window. The growing trend is to create picturesque focal points as you look out of specific windows that allow the window to act as the frame. Consider adding in plants that produce color all year round, even on the gray days of our Nebraska winters!
- Outdoor Heaters – You don’t want to go inside because the evening temperatures plunge. Outdoor heating is a growing trend, from heating lamps to firepit/fireplace or even infrared heaters installed in pergolas. These elements are helping turn your space into a year-round retreat.
- Outdoor Technology – from adding an outdoor TV to an audio system that cleverly hides the speakers in rocks, you don’t have to miss a second of the game when you have it playing in your outdoor living area as well!
- Plan for a Pool – Plan for the luxury pool that you have always wanted now so that you can enjoy it during the summer months at home.
Your outdoor space is where you share time with your family, entertain, and unwind with friends. It is a place you can make uniquely your own with comfortable outdoor furniture, edible gardens, or a pool and spa. Let us help you design and make the most of your outdoor space, so you as well have a slice of heaven of your own to staycation in!