Winter is often a time for contemplation and planning, especially when it comes to your garden since the season is not the most inviting time to make drastic changes and upgrades in your backyard.
So why not take the time to research, and choose all the new designs you’d like to tackle in spring.
Here are a few landscape design trends to help you create a garden all your neighbors will envy.
1. Sustainable Green & Food Gardens
What has become abundantly clear in the past few years is that our gardens need to change in accordance with the shifting climate and environmental practices.
The permaculture and urban gardening movements have contributed to a shift in focus towards sustainable and self-sufficient gardens. Creating amazing landscapes is not only a matter of establishing neat and tidy green spaces but gardens that serve multiple purposes.
Urban spaces with skyscrapers and other densely populated areas are perfect for rooftop gardens that both help cool down the building’s temperature but also can contribute to growing food that is local and clean.
Similarly, you can plan, design, and grow a garden that is both beautiful and practical. Growing veggies in your backyard can be truly fulfilling, once you serve the fruits of your labor at the dinner table.
And if you’re feeling intimidated by the idea of a vegetable garden, you can always start small. Plant herbs and green-leafy vegetables that don’t require much effort. The added benefit of herbs in your garden is that they will serve as a natural repellent against insects.
When you pick your plants you have to also consider your climate. Plants that are not meant for your area will not help you build a resilient and self-sustaining landscape design.
2. Lasting Wrought Iron Fencing
Another trend 2022 will bring in landscaping is the return of materials and design pieces that pay homage to the old crafts. Metal forging is particularly useful and trending in the exterior design trends of next year.
Wrought iron fences, gates, windows grills, pergolas, and many more metal pieces that double as security, as well as decoration features, are what will turn your garden into the secluded paradise you’ve been looking for.
A pergola in your backyard is a delightful focal point that also supports the growth of climbing plants. Window grills and wrought iron fences are the security features that will give you peace of mind and complete the elegant aesthetics of your garden.
Wrought iron pairs greatly with greenery, blending the durable with fragile and giving any garden a practical and classy transformation.
3. Easy Self-Made Home Design Ornaments
If you’ve been planning a new landscape design for the outdoor space you’ve probably considered adding a decorative piece that you have made yourself.
There are plenty of DIY projects you can tackle and add a personal touch to your garden’s design. Starting with the simplest, like dressing up your fences with flower pots, building a raised plant bed, or creating more complicated projects like metal mailboxes, benches, metal trellis, and fountains.
Any handmade piece created will add originality to your design and most importantly will give you a sense of pride in knowing that you’ve invested time and effort in making it yourself.
Along with the usual garden helpers like gloves, pruning shears, watering cans, hoses, rake, shovel, and hoe, that will help you maintain a beautiful garden, most DIY landscaping projects will require a few more tools.
A wooden garden bed will require you to have a cutting and drilling machine. DIY fountains made of concrete and porcelain will need an angle grinder with quality diamond grinding wheels for smoothing and finishing the surfaces.
Your best approach in gathering all the tools you’ll need for your project is to plan your purchases, so you gradually add them and don’t burden your budget.
4. Seamless Blend Between Indoors & Outdoors
2022 will be the year of the home jungle design style- the more plants you have the better. In recent years, we’ve seen how the popularity of apartment gardening has significantly grown, with countless social media influencers sharing beautiful plants overtaking urban living spaces.
This trend will continue to prevail in the next year, reaching suburban residential areas. We’ll see a movement from distinguishing the indoors from the outdoors towards blending it all in one cohesive living space. Interior and exterior spaces transformed into one unified living area will be the goal of landscape architects and designers.
Extending your living space to include the outdoors creates an uplifting sense of connection with the surrounding world, which looking back at the pandemic restrictions can only benefit your wellbeing.
How do you bring the outdoors in?
Start small. Create a herb garden by your window, place hanging planters outside, install a trellis a climbing plant can use to grow on.
You can build a porch and decorate it with plants. If you already have a porch you can enclose it with glass and turn it into a greenhouse, to propagate and grow small plants. This will extend your living space and add calming greenery to your design.
During the colder months you can even set a garden room, to store your plants in a warm space, and enjoy fresh air in return. If you don’t have a whole room to spare, using plants to decorate your kitchen, living room and a sunny bathroom is also a fresh option.
5. Kid & Pet Friendly Spaces
What remains an evergreen trend for landscape design is creating welcoming and safe spaces. Your garden should be a place where all of your family and friends can enjoy.
Designing your garden to accommodate the needs of kids and pets is a great way to ensure your loved ones have a place to enjoy without you having to monitor their every move.
In order to create a kid and pet-friendly backyard you can consider adding soft flooring for your hardscape areas ( retaining walls, sleeper walls, stairs, walkways), these elements will ensure your kids are protected from falling and hurting themselves.
Another great addition to your landscape design is a dedicated area where your kids can have for themselves. Adding a swing set, a slide or another playground equipment will further make the space welcoming and fun to be in.
Similarly, you can create a secluded area for your pets to enjoy, with appropriate shade for the summer months and space to run around.
To Wrap It Up
The top landscape design trends for 2022, are all about bringing nature close in a more sustainable and efficient way. It’s about creating space your whole family can enjoy. Your garden is a great place to start learning about growing food and contributing to cutting the harmful effects of climate change. It’s the ideal testing ground for your DIY skills and we hope you feel inspired to give them a try. Let’s get creative!
