With each new year comes new design trends and landscaping is no exception. Tranquil, plant-filled escapes have become a necessity as the shift from rural to urban living continues. Seventy percent of the world’s population is expected to live in cities by 2050. It’s these city-dwellers longing for nature that drives the need for thoughtful landscape design. Here are a few landscaping trends to expect in 2020:
Central Recreational Districts
Nature-centric areas featuring parks, historic landmarks, and outdoor living spaces are called Central Recreational Districts. In some cities, they’re replacing Central Business Districts to give city dwellers opportunities to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. Beyond beautification, these districts increase property values, lead to higher population density, and attract entrepreneurs and high-income earners.
Rooftop and Balcony Gardens
City-dwellers don’t mind downsizing or moving into condos but they don’t want to give up gardening. In fact, the popularity of gardening is expected to grow the industry to close to 50 billion dollars by 2023, up from just over 40 billion in 2018. Rooftop or balcony gardens are trending as practical areas to fill city dwellers’ thirst for gardening.
Blue Blossoms
Pantone recently announced its colour of the year: Classic Blue. In the landscape world, this means blue blossoms in 2020. From hydrangeas to salvia, soft blues to deep purples, expect a hue of blue in next year’s spring bloom, as well as on pots and outdoor decor.
Light the Way
As sleek, minimalist, and linear outdoor lighting possibilities become more reliable and accessible, we can expect more design-driven illumination. 2020 will see lighting hidden under sidewalks, patios, and structures, that softens hard design elements and creates a floating-illusion and calming atmosphere.
Party Patios
Many condos offer clubhouses or amenity rooms but more and more, city dwellers long for outdoor patios that can serve as primary kitchens and dining rooms when they host guests. We’re talking about more than just a BBQ. Innovative, tech-enhanced outdoor kitchen islands, hearth-centred tables, built-in audio and TV systems, and creative hardscaping are trending to meet city dwellers’ desires for full outdoor living experiences in their backyard.
Easy Peasy Lawns
As city dwellers grow busier, low maintenance landscape designs grow more important. Grass alternatives such as plant ground cover, mulch, or cobblestone patios continue to trend for both commercial and residential landscaping projects.
Universal Landscaping offers services spanning from design to installation and maintenance. Contact us to get your landscape 2020-ready!