Landscaping styles are always changing, just like interior design. For homeowners who want to maximize their experience in their yard while also making smart investments in their property, it’s helpful to follow those trends and keep up. If you’d like to get the most out of your yard this summer, the following landscaping trends can help you dress up the exterior space around your house.
Drought-Tolerant Plants
Sustainability is important to homeowners who want to protect their community and save money on utilities. Planting drought-tolerant plants on your property is one way that you can save money on watering while greening up your space at the same time. There are many types of drought-tolerant plants, so you can choose the type that’s most suitable for your tastes and needs.
- Succulents. Succulents need to be watered regularly, but often don’t need as much water as other types of plants. They need well-drained soil and prefer some soil dryness between waterings. Succulents tend to need full sun, so if your property is shady, check the growing requirements before planting.
- Cacti. You can plant some types of cacti in Ohio! Prickly pear cactus, for example, produce beautiful flowers. Plant in well-drained soil and full sun.
- Lavender. Lavender can get by with infrequent watering. Plant lavender in full sun and water well until established, then cut back watering.
Multi-Season Hardscaping
Want to make use of your outdoor spaces even when the weather gets chilly or wet? Work with a landscape contractor to install multi-season hardscaping like a covered outdoor kitchen or a covered outdoor living space. Your contractor can install electric heaters or even a ceiling fan to make the space more comfortable no matter what the temperature.
If you’re planning to spend your evenings outside in your outdoor dining room or living room, work with your contractor to install a fire pit or an outdoor fireplace where you can huddle up and keep warm… even on chilly evenings.
Native Plants
Native plants are lovely because they come in all different shapes and sizes, can be suitable to a variety of growing conditions, and yet they’re also perfectly suited for your outdoor environment. Native plants in Ohio can be found growing in forests and fields, so some native plants need full sun, while other native plants need partial or deep shade.
There are many types of native plants that you can grow in your Ohio backyard, including:
- Black-eyed Susan. This daisy-like flower is best grown in full-sun and will produce blooms for months, with regular dead-heading.
- Goldenrod. This plant can reach heights of about 4 feet tall. It blooms in early fall, but plant it in the spring to give it time to mature.
- Wild geranium. This wildflower is found in forests and prefers to grow in shady conditions. It produces cheerful, beautiful purple blossoms.
- Butterfly weed. This beautiful flower produces clusters of orange flowers in late summer. True to its name, it attracts butterflies.
Lovely Lighting
Spending time outdoors with family, friends and loved ones is more important to people than ever before. Installing outdoor lighting makes it easier to spend time outdoors after the sun goes down. Although solar lighting options are available for sale in home improvement stores, these lights are easy to knock over and often need their batteries to be changed.
Rather than installing low-cost solar-powered lighting, it’s better to hardwire your lighting to make it more reliable overall. Working with a contractor to install your lighting will also help ensure that your lighting is attractive and functional at the same time.
Vegetable Gardens
Vegetable gardens are popular, especially among people who enjoy eating fresh foods. Vegetable gardens need to be installed in a full-sun patch of yard. They look their best when they’re installed in permanent stone-lined beds.
Raised beds tend to be easier to maintain than in-the-ground beds, because they’re easier to reach and often need less weeding. If you’d like to install stone vegetable beds in your garden, work with a landscape contractor to make this happen.
Extra Durable Decks
Decks have been popular for decades, but there’s been a new development in the world of deck-making: composite decking material. Composite decking material is made from a combination of wood pulp and resin, but it looks like wood. Composite decking is now the most popular decking material for homeowners installing a new deck on their property because it’s incredibly durable, long-lasting and it never needs to be refinished.
What needs to be done to maintain composite decking? Just clean it periodically to remove mold, mildew, moss or dirt. You’ll love the way composite decking looks like natural decking material but needs less care.
Smart Irrigation
Years ago, irrigation systems were run on automatic timers that had to be turned on at the control panel at the beginning of the season, turned off at the control panel when they were no longer needed, and until turned off, the irrigation system continued to work no matter what the conditions.
Today, irrigation systems are designed differently. Some systems respond to exterior conditions like rain and can also be controlled with a remote control or a connection to WiFi. This gives you total control over your irrigation system and allows you to run your in-ground sprinklers according to the needs of your yard.
Your landscape contractor can help you set up your irrigation system so that it meets the needs of your plants and grass. If you’re relying on an old sprinkler system, you could be wasting a lot of water and doing your lawn an injustice. Contact a landscape contractor to have a new sprinkler system installed.
Ready to Upgrade Your Landscaping? Contact Hidden Creek Landscaping
This is the perfect time of year to upgrade your landscaping and make your yard look. beautiful! To get started with your upcoming exterior renovation, contact Hidden Creek Landscaping. With over 20 years in the business, Hidden Creek Landscaping is a trusted name in residential and commercial landscaping in Ohio. Call us today!