7 Outdoor Living Trends for 2021 According to Landscapers Near Me in Jamestown and Middletown RI Areas
Several innovative trends have grabbed the attention of landscapers, and companies are poised to help you transform your landscape into an eco-friendly (yet also beautiful and functional) oasis for the upcoming summer season. Many landscaping trends are focused on back to nature with water-wise, low-maintenance, and technology-friendly designs that reflect a homeowner’s desire to expand indoor living into the great outdoors. Here are seven outdoor living trends for 2021 according to landscapers near me in Jamestown and Middletown, RI, areas.
Related: Landscape Design Ideas for Backyards With a View in Bristol and Middletown RI Areas
1. Native Trees and Plants
More and more people are recognizing the inherent value (and beauty) of native plants. There are significantly less watering and care involved with natives; they are ideally suited to the area; they provide much-needed habitat and food sources for local wildlife; and, they are more resistant to pests and diseases than exotics. Even in the face of climate change, which often manifests as weather extremes, they are more resilient than non-natives.
2. Sophisticated Outdoor Living
The pandemic forced homeowners to stay at home, and this led to a significant upsurge in homeowners realizing that their old concrete-patio-with-a-grill didn’t make the best use of the space, and didn’t offer the comfort or convenience of a more sophisticated outdoor living space.
Our outdoor areas have become fair-weather kitchens, living rooms, dining rooms, play areas, and even offices.
The use of concrete pavers - especially permeable pavers that allow rainwater and snowmelt to seep into the ground naturally - and the addition of a shade structure such as a pergola or pavilion, can transform a backyard into a private oasis.
Fire features, outdoor pizza ovens, water features, and outdoor entertainment systems are hot trends that aren’t going away anytime soon.
3. A Wildlife-Friendly Backyard
Homeowners are also choosing to leave parts of their landscape wild to accommodate local wildlife. Pollinator gardens are important, as are untouched areas that offer much-needed shelter and food for local wildlife that is already stressed by human presence.
Once you get used to the wild look - and just as importantly, once you get used to how low-maintenance it is - you’ll appreciate its beauty more with each passing season.
This doesn’t mean your backyard has to become a jungle. You can choose to replace a part of your thirsty, labor-intensive lawn with native species; and define wild areas with an attractive low masonry seat wall where you can sit comfortably and watch the goings-on of butterflies, birds, bees, and small mammals.
4. Edible Gardens
Homeowners discovered (or rediscovered) the joys of growing their own food in 2020. But even before that, there was a growing trend toward front yard food gardens, replacing the “food desert” of a lawn with edible plants in attractive raised beds. If you’re not ready to sacrifice the front yard to food (yet) you can easily add a few raised bed planters alongside your backyard patio, and have the true farm-to-table experience all season long!
5. Going Up?
Even small backyards can be a cornucopia of deliciousness thanks to vertical gardening. Choose a wall or a privacy fence, protect it with plastic sheeting, and transform it into a vertical edible garden, or plant flowering vines that will provide fall beauty and a habitat for small birds and animals.
6. Smart Irrigation
Smart technology is making headway in landscaping with smart irrigation systems that sense natural rainfall and adjust watering times and amounts accordingly. More efficient watering means a lower water bill as well as much less water waste.
7. Organic Matter
Poor soil is one of the main reasons a landscape struggles. Instead of applying chemical fertilizers - which inevitably make their toxic way into waterways - opt for organic matter that can be spread on lawns and around trees and plants. This can include composted mulch, leaves, spent flowers and grass clippings from your landscape, and food scraps from the kitchen.