Happy New Year! At Simpson Landscape, we are welcoming 2016 along with a new crop of trends and developments in the gardening industry. In general, we’re all becoming more eco-conscious. We’re moving more toward using native plants, which is good for the environment and for the gardener. People are connecting more with nature, and there is a growing ideology of gardening for the greater good.
So, our gardens are getting “greener.” Here are some of the other hot gardening trends to be looking for in 2016:
Hibiscus
Hyper Color Gardens
From vivid neon shades to brilliant bi-color plants, gardeners want to make their landscape designs stand out with super-bright flowers in 2016. For instance, this Rose Mallow/Hardy Hibiscus plant blooms with huge, dramatic flowers in bright pink, red or white, often with a contrasting eye. ‘Moy Grande,’ ‘Flare’ and ‘Lord Baltimore’ are Texas Superstar varieties.
Oriental Lily
Fragrance Rules
Colorful gardens have added appeal when the air is filled with intoxicating fragrance. An aromatic garden is a wonderful place to sit and relax and take in all the pleasant perfumes the plants lend to the atmosphere. Flowers such as Oriental Lilies, Phlox and Dianthus are stunning showstoppers that offer a powerful, distinctive aroma.
Salvia
Heat-Tolerant Landscape
Although we are enjoying a few months of slightly cooler temperatures right now, it won’t be long before the Texas heat returns to fry our foliage. Heat-loving plants such as Texas Lantana and Salvia offer a profuse show of color over a long season, while succulents, such as Agave and Yucca, are tough plants that are a good choice for dry gardens and containers.
The heat-tolerance trend also means a movement toward Xeriscaping and water-conserving landscaping design. Xeriscaping often incorporates the use of soil, rocks, mulch and drought-tolerant vegetation and is a low-maintenance way to provide natural beauty to your garden.
Bold Backyards
Bold Backyards
Homeowners are taking a bolder approach to the backyard and are extending the square footage of their homes by creating functional and luxurious outdoor living spaces. From outdoor kitchens, to fire pits, to water features, people are turning to new customization, lighting and movement to add imagination and sensory appeal to their backyards. Gardeners are also adding decorative landscaping lighting such as garden lights, path lighting, security lighting and outdoor accent lights to enhance their outdoor space with the added benefit of improving safety and security.
Layered Landscapes
Layered Landscapes
The landscaping trend is also shifting from green deserts to “Living Landscapes.” A living landscape starts with trees and is layered underneath with shrubs and flowers. Homeowners want gardens with a hardy combination of trees, conifers, shrubs and perennials, rather than endless meadows of perennials. This change is driven by a desire to create more impactful, lasting and sustainable landscapes that will last for many years to come.
2016 is a year for bolder, brighter, “greener” gardening trends. Contact the professional landscapers at Simpson Landscape today for more information on updating your garden for the New Year.