April Showers: Cool Garden Trends
Every masterpiece deserves a beautiful frame just as every custom-built log home deserves a beautiful garden. A lovely garden is the finishing touch to any home. It should be as carefully considered and planned out as your indoor living spaces. At Town + Country, custom homes are our number one passion and a complementary outdoor space is a close second. So let us help you fill your mind with ideas and inspiration with some of the latest garden trends.
Expected to influence more than just fashion and design, the pale blue and blush pink Pantone colors of 2016 may be popping up in gardens throughout the country. Marshastewart.com lists Blushing Knock Out Roses, tea roses, Cafe Au Lait Dahlias, and Raspberry Sundae Peonies as some of the fauna that share the blush-pink hue of Rose Quartz, while periwinkles, bluestars, bellflowers, delphiniums, and plumbago contain the powder blue hue of Serenity.
Native Nurseries
For a long time it’s been very popular to transplant and cultivate exotic flora from faraway lands. In fact, it seemed to be that the more exotic the better. But for 2016 the focus is on native vegetation, which refers to plants that originated or adapted to thrive in a specific region and don’t require any adjustments to the soil to survive. A native nursery is eco-friendly as it benefits the health of the local ecosystem and reduces the carbon footprint.
Colored Structures
A trend coming out of Europe is to paint fences, arbors and other garden structures in colorful hues rather than the traditional choices of white, brown and gray. It’s a great way to add depth and interest to your outdoor space and it can look really stylish and fun. Just be sure to pick a color that complements the color of your home.
Bring the indoors out
People are beginning to be a bit more creative with the lounging and gathering spaces in their gardens. They’ve gone beyond just patio tables and wicker furniture. Garden furniture and accessories are more varied, nearly catching up with the level of choice for indoor décor. Consumers can be more selective with fabric and accessories. Places to gather and relax, not just dine, are becoming very popular. For example, deep seating with cushions around a firepit are in demand. Homeowners are also installing heating elements to extend the outdoor season.
Sustainable features integrated with design
Sustainable landscapes are highly functioning but they aren’t always aesthetically pleasing or suited to their surroundings. In 2016 we will see more sustainable landscapes that are also beautiful and complementary to the rest of the space.
Keeping rain water on site is becoming more important to homeowners. While it’s been implemented in commercial spaces for some time, sustainable gardens with attractive rain water management solutions are becoming more in demand in the residential arena. Rain water harvesting is being incorporated as rain water features and as an auxiliary water source as seen in the photo to the left.
Lighting
LED technology has gotten better over the years and although LED lighting costs more upfront, the long term energy savings are improving. LEDs are available in all kinds of systems and the brightness, dimming and on/off controls can be done on a smart phone. LED lighting can even be modified for different social gatherings. Change the colors for a 4th of July barbecue or change the colors to that of your sports team’s colors for a big game night. You can even set lighting schemes to highlight different plant materials in your garden. Another popular lighting theme is cafe lighting. Feel like you’re dining in a French bistro on the French Riviera from the comfort of your own backyard.
