Sticks & Stones: Top Landscaping & Hardscaping Trends of 2022
Did you know American households spent $370 billion on home improvements recently? And that’s just for the first three months of the year! While home improvements refer to everything from roofing to remodeling, landscaping and hardscaping are two of the most popular ways to improve a home. Both landscaping and hardscaping add to a home’s value by lifting its curb appeal and improving its functional utility simultaneously. But are the latest landscaping and hardscaping trends worth following?
Here’s a look at the top landscaping and hardscaping trends of 2022!
Landscaping Trends
Microfarming
Have you ever thought of growing your own produce? That’s what micro-farming is all about! With national food prices soaring due to factors like world trade disruptions stemming from Russia’s war on Ukraine, numerous households are starting to grow their own fruits and vegetables. As a result, homeowners are spending a boat load of money on landscaping to transform their gardens into tiny agricultural patches.
The secret to successful micro-farming is to plant fruits and vegetables that suit the season. Therefore, if you’re thinking of following the micro-farming trend, we recommend researching what type of soil, irrigation, and care is required to grow local, seasonal produce in your garden. This will help you decide how to optimally landscape your lawn and/or backyard.
Drought-resistant Plants
If you think drought-resistant plants like cacti only belong in the desert, think again! With summer in full swing, there’s no better time to invest in drought-resistant plants for your home’s outdoor spaces.
This landscaping trend has caught the imagination of numerous homeowners because it requires minimal effort. Moreover, drought-resistant plants like cacti are quite cheap compared to fancier plants that require more maintenance. It’s no wonder households are planting everything from full-sized cacti to tiny succulents in their gardens!
Nature-scaping
Have you ever heard about the “natural look” makeup trend? It’s when a person uses makeup to accentuate their natural features without making it look like they’ve put anything on. Nature-scaping works in the same way! It involves landscaping a home’s outdoor spaces just enough to make them look well-kept.
Nature-scaping ensures your lawn/yard feels as pristine as possible. In other words, you’re more likely to experience the cognitive benefits of being surrounded by nature in a nature-scaped garden compared to a garden that has been landscaped to the extent that it feels artificial.
Hardscaping Trends
Garden Rooms
One of the most common reasons why homeowners invest in hardscaping is to have a patio installed in their backyard. But what if you want the utility of a patio without sacrificing your garden’s natural look? If that’s the case, garden rooms are for you!
Modern garden rooms are made using natural materials that blend in with the surrounding landscape. We’re talking wooden structures, minimal stonework, and plants growing in and around the room to make it look as natural as possible!
Spiral Brickwork
Keen to make the pathways in your garden look unique? It’s time to check out the world of spiral brickwork! As the name suggests, this trend is all about arranging the bricks in your pathways to create spiral patterns. It results in gorgeous designs that make homes stand out from others around them and are a throwback to old-school cobbled roads in Europe.
Spiral brickwork has always been a popular hardscaping choice for paths and driveways outside big properties like mansions. However, this year spiral brickwork has become extremely popular among owners of smaller homes.
Gardens with Indirect Exterior Lighting
Using garden lighting to illuminate the garden outside a home is nothing new. But have you ever stopped to consider what type of lighting works best for a home’s outdoor spaces? Direct and indirect lighting lend drastically different ambiances and aesthetic qualities to the lawn outside a home.
This year, the focus is on indirect exterior lighting because it provides a more refined, glare-free look that’s impossible to achieve with direct lighting. Unfortunately, indirect lighting is far less energy-efficient than direct lighting. Therefore, we recommend using energy-saving light fixtures such as LED strips to illuminate your garden if you’re looking to follow this hardscaping trend!
Popular Landscaping & Hardscaping Combinations
Garden Rooms & Nature-scaped Backyards
If you’re looking to give your backyard the ultimate all-natural look, why not have a garden room put in and invest in nature scaping simultaneously! The garden room will complement the organic look of your nature-scaped backyard perfectly.
If you want to go the extra mile, consider investing in outdoor furniture made using sustainable wood for your garden room. This will make your backyard look and feel completely natural!
Micro-farming & Indirect Exterior Lighting
Imagine the looks on your guests’ faces when they see a functional micro-farm in your backyard illuminated by indirect lighting. They’ll be blown away!
We recommend planting your favorite herbs on a corner patch in your backyard before installing indirect lighting around it. This way, you’ll be able to pick fresh herbs at night to garnish your dinner!
Conclusion
Now that you know some of the top landscaping and hardscaping trends of 2022, it’s time to spruce up your garden. But what tools should you use, and what other tips are worth noting? If you’re pondering these questions, it’s time to check out Fred’s Home and Garden!
We’re an Amazon affiliate in the home and garden category that posts lawn care content such as lawn mower reviews online and tips on how to care for your lawn. Our reviews cover various lawn care equipment, such as the Worx WG779 lawn mower, and we provide advice on everything from how to maintain a beautiful yard to the tools required to care for small gardens.
