5 Key Landscaping Trends to Spark Your Outdoor Living Projects in 2022
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Though our return to "normal" has been slower than we hoped, many of us are returning to the office a few days a week, school activities are back, and our weekends are filled with events once again. This certainly will cause most of us to rethink our lush pandemic gardens that have flourished over the last year and a half (and counting), and we asked outdoor living experts about the concepts they expect to be important for gardeners in 2022 who want to preserve their landscapes while making upkeep a bit easier for our busier schedules.
Blythe Yost, CEO of Tilly, an online landscaping company, and Angelo Randaci, a master gardener and horticulture expert offer five key trends we can expect to be everywhere in the new year. Whether you're looking for ways to boost the environmental impact of your garden or maximize your outdoor living space year-round, these trends are sure to inspire your next great landscaping or design project.
Maximizing Garden Space
Whether you live in a New York City apartment or on a midwestern estate, Randaci says that people will looking for simple ways to maximize growing space without subtracting from precious square footage in the coming year. As many of us are returning to the office or are anticipating a return in early 2022, cultivating smart, small gardens in prime areas will be an important landscaping trend in the coming year to keep gardening an act of self-care instead of just another thing to check off our growing to-do lists.
"Homeowners want to use the patio space they have available and both container gardens and vertical gardens are popular choices," says Randaci. "Using a container or a raised bed is great way to add plants without permanently changing the property. Many beds and containers are moveable and give you control over the soil."
These low-maintenance, highly versatile creations are also ideal for entertaining enthusiasts. Stylish, transportable containers and vertical gardens can help the consummate hostess create lush, colorful scenes that establish a perfect atmosphere for a garden party or elegant cocktail hour.
Continued Interest in Kitchen Gardens
While many of us began using our extra time (or at least more flexible schedules) creating bountiful gardens. Some found empowerment in starting vegetable gardens modeled after the victory gardens of World War II while others delighted in strategic planting that would attract pollinators like butterflies and birds. While the upkeep has been manageable while we've worked from home full-time, that's no longer the case as we've begun exploring what our own personal "new normals" look like. Yost says because of these contrasting desires both to spend more time away from the home and enjoy the many benefits of gardening, herb and other culinary gardens will be front-and-center in 2022.
"As lives get busier, we predict homeowners will downsize and focus on herb gardens which are less upkeep, require less space, and can be used frequently when cooking or for drinks," Yost says. "These gardens can be as simple as having herbs in planters near your kitchen door—or on your balcony—for easy access from the kitchen."
Randaci says that homeowners will seek out organic seeds for their herb gardens and will also be interested in other forms of novelty kitchen gardens like pizza gardens and tea gardens. He says finding a type of garden that is exciting for kids will keep gardening a family activity everyone can look forward to in the new year. And herbs like basil, mint, and thyme are resilient, making them an excellent choice for simplifying your landscaping plans.
Seeking Out More Eco-Friendly Practices
The pandemic led many homeowners to reassess the air quality, health, and environmental impact of our own dwellings. Our landscaping experts anticipate that to stretch to our outdoor living spaces in 2022 with concepts that go far beyond purchasing organic seeds.
Yost anticipates a shift from an emphasis on native plants to a deeper understanding of the importance and harm invasive species can cause. She defines an invasive species as "an indigenous species whose introduction into a region is not natural and therefore they disrupt the ecosystem and cause harm to everything from the insect population to native plant life—even farming, soil and waterways." While we may not be able to transform the ecosystem of our neighborhoods or towns, we can start with our own green spaces and encourage our communities to do the same. Yost also advises the same when it comes to utilizing low water usage landscapes.
"With droughts, extreme heat waves and water shortages, xeriscape landscaping will continue to grow in popularity across the U.S. and specifically boom in the West and Southwest," she says. "Xeriscape is creating a landscape that requires little or no irrigation to maintain. A well-designed low water plan, combined with homeowner’s investing in smart irrigation systems, will greatly reduce water bills, remove the use of pesticides and fertilizers, and focus the design on native plants which are more likely to thrive in the surrounding environment. Designers have become savvy at making this pragmatic landscape look chic, sophisticated, natural and comfortable."
Other trending environmental concepts include storm water mitigation to help eradicate drainage and flooding problems that are major sources of pollution in our waterways, which includes installing drainage solutions, creating rain gardens that are designed to collect runoff from roofs and driveways, and by incorporating permeable pavers into their landscaping plans. But one of the ultimate ways to practice environmentally friendly gardening is by using safe, non-toxic products that support the health of your plants, pets, and household.
"Demand for gardening products that are safe and effective continues to grow," Randaci says. "When homeowners add plants to patios and outdoor spaces they inevitably face pests, like insects and disease. Consumers want formulas with no harsh chemicals in these high traffic spaces and products like Earth’s Ally are safe and effective for use around children and pets." Earth's Ally is a favorite pick for refreshing our gardening sheds with responsible, effective products as the brand's line is chemical-free, bee-safe, and made from natural ingredients.
Pet-Friendly Upgrades
A 2020 survey from Statista found that 70 percent of Americans reported spending more time with their pets during the pandemic and 10 percent added a new pet to their household. Yost believes this will have an impact on the way we landscape and strategize our outdoor living projects come 2022.
"Many people brought home dogs during the pandemic, and we expect homeowners will start making design decisions to support their furry friends and create beautiful dog-friendly areas," says Yost. "Dogs often create dead spots in the lawn, but adding synthetic turf and teaching them to use the turf as a bathroom can help save your grassy area as it will simply need a wash-down every once in a while. Homeowners will also invest in fences to keep their pups safe, and we’ll see a rise in dog runs where it’s okay for the dog to rip up the grass and run amock."
Further Investment in Outdoor Entertaining Spaces
Though we will all be thankful to have the option to host holiday gatherings indoors again and not have to rely on space heaters to host this winter, our outdoor living spaces will still be a priority to invest in this upcoming year. Yost says outdoor kitchens will continue to be a desired use of prime patio space and will expand from a grill and mini fridge to a fully equipped cook space with storage and counter space. She also expects these outdoor kitchen spaces to be geared towards establishing an idyllic outdoor bar area.
"As people continue to push entertaining outdoors, we predict you will see more elaborate set ups, specifically with 'bar areas,'" says Yost. "A bar type counter with stools for friends and family to relax and converse at will be the new coveted watering hole amongst friends."
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