Jacksonville is graced with sunlight and warm weather for most of the year, and so naturally its residents spend a lot of time outdoors. Most homes reflect this, with decks, patios, and pools being common sights in almost every neighborhood. Since they spend so much time outside, many locals want to change their landscape every few years. If you’re out of ideas for how to do a landscaping upgrade, here are a few of today’s most popular and creative landscape design trends.
Ornamental Edibles
Sustainability meets frugal with this popular landscaping trend. Following the adage that “everything old is new again,” homeowners are taking advantage of space formerly dedicated to flower beds by growing edible plants.
It’s a throwback to bygone days such as the Great Depression, when families simply needed to produce food on their own. Many of today’s families are highly money-conscious, so a sensible idea like this makes a lot of sense; it’s fresh, organic produce available for next to nothing, right in your home garden.
Many edible plants are decorative as well. For example, frilly carrot fronds look like ferns, colored lettuce plants look like small hedges, and a row of scallions makes a nice background or border to set off different parts of the plot. Not every vegetable fits into an ornamental garden, but a surprising number of them have attractive foliage that adds to the decor.
Quality Over Flash
Gone are the days of building an outdoor party room complete with a sound system, giant waterfall into the hot tub, and full wet bar. Today’s outdoor entertainment center is more comfortable and concentrates on solid construction and quality workmanship over slick looks.
Modern homeowners are looking for landscapers who can build durable stone barbecues and patios, as well as carpenters to construct multilevel decks for different family uses. These designs are built to last for decades, so they include changeable items like chairs with removable cushions and built-in planters. Natural materials are key to this trend, as are quality and solid workmanship.
Sustainability
Many homeowners want to extend their green lifestyle to their landscape design, and using sustainable materials in construction and planting are key. Decks and additions are made of locally sourced, sustainable materials like cypress and bamboo. Local plants are important to a sustainable design, as you’ll need less water, fertilizer, and soil amendments to make the plants thrive.
Many homeowners are also giving up lawns completely and switching to beds filled with local plants, with cement or stone pathways in between. These pathways and patios help lower the water bill, since they don’t need the attention of a sprinkler, and you won’t be burning fossil fuels with a gas-powered lawn mower. For many, this benefit alone makes the sustainability landscape design trend worth it.
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