2016’s Newest Landscaping Trends

Trends come with every new year, and 2016 is bringing us wonderful new trends for landscape design.

From talking to some of our customers, we know that many homeowners in the Minneapolis area want their yards to reflect what’s currently popular in landscaping.  If that’s you, we’re here to help.  Here are some landscaping trends we’re hearing a lot about for 2016.

Outdoor Rooms 
With the warm weather comes a place where you can relax, but not feel completely outdoors. Outdoor rooms provide a beautiful area to spend your time, host guests or just enjoy the weather in a useful, purposeful area. Outdoor living rooms or kitchens are usually the most popular trend of outdoor rooms being used.

Older Era Materials
Many reclaimed and older building materials are now being used throughout landscaping. Pavers from an old building that was taken down would make an ideal patio area outside a home.   Weathered bricks can be turned into a pathway with old-world charm.  Recycling old materials but making them into something new is the trend for the year, so this can allow you to have some creativity when considering your new landscape.

Fire and Water Features
It is becoming more or more common to see both a fire pit and a water fountain or other features in a backyard.  It’s not unusual for a pool layout to include an adjoining fire pit. Both can provide a beautiful area to spend your time, while also creating a beautiful look anywhere that you choose to place them.  We’ve taken a spin on this trend and created our own custom-crafted Fire & Water table with its solid stone top and flames that are surrounded by water.  (Take a peek at it in our recent blog post on outdoor kitchens.)

Native Plants
As we all become a little more environmentally conscious, the use of native plants is something that many home and business owners around the Twin Cities are moving toward.  Native plant species require very little care, especially in the way of watering and fertilizing.  When you add native plant species to your yard you’re providing needed habitat for wildlife – especially pollinators like honeybees and butterflies.  There are many wildflowers and prairie grasses that are native to the area; you can check out some benefits here.

If you know it’s time to do something up-to-date with your yard but don’t know where to start, speak with us here at Architectural Landscape Design.  Making your yard into the getaway you’ve always wanted is something our MN landscaping company can help you with.