By Lynette L. Walther| Correspondent
Keeping up with garden trends this year is a win for us and the environment as well with landscape architects leading the way. According to a feature by Damian Holmes in the January issue of “World Landscape Architect,” the trend is toward putting the environment front and center.
That said, it is climate change that is leading the charge in how professional landscape designers are approaching their projects.
“We have recently seen more project work is dedicated to mitigating climate change in the USA,” the article states. The article goes on to say: “The mitigation initiatives will cover a broad spectrum from changing land management practices to small initiatives such as regulations governing the colour (sic) and reflectivity of surfaces.”
Applying this idea at home could include a range of approaches — from avoiding “blacktop” asphalt driveways that absorb heat to roof-surface colors to considering water-conserving devices or garden installations, such as rain gardens, swales or a “green roof” for garden or other structures to conserve water and mitigate heat reflection.
Another aspect the pros will be looking at is greater emphasis on the value of outdoor space.
For commercial spaces this means: “People will place greater value on outdoor spaces as places to exercise, relax, meet, dine and recreate,” the article states. “Industries (especially arts and entertainment) will start to see smaller outdoor events are ways to get people to attend comfortably, this will place greater strain on parks and open spaces in cities. Will indoor stadiums and large entertainment venues continue to draw the crowds? Or will the expectation be that more events will need to be held outdoors with smaller crowds?”
Of course we are already seeing this happen as COVID issues continue constrict indoor activities, and with predictions of the possibility of continued public health issues like the COVID pandemic, it becomes obvious that commercial spaces will begin to conform with the needs of the public in order to keep people safe and healthy. Our own experiences are already mirroring this trend.
How many of us have planned outdoor events in the past year or two, to still enjoy the company of our friends and relatives while keeping them and ourselves as safe as possible? No doubt many of us are considering or already have looked at ways to extend our living areas outdoor as weather allows. The popularity of outdoor fire pits and free-standing outdoor heaters and areas dedicated to outdoor dining no doubt attest to this need.
Professional landscape designers are expecting homeowners to initiate design makeovers to facilitate greater use of outdoor spaces. We can expect to see expanded use of native plants in commercial landscapes, and there are plenty of reasons to consider this practice at home as well.
Reducing carbon footprints and dealing with staff shortages in these trying times has professional landscape designers looking for ways to reduce garden maintenance. Amen to that we say! Indeed quiet battery-operated power garden tools such as chainsaws and mowers are one way we home gardeners can join the corps taking the noise down a notch or two. And certainly planning to facilitate companion planting of species that have similar water requirements and care needs can help reduce the workload.
The article states: “There is a need to increase biodiversity, not just plants but also soil biology, to conserve and provide ecosystems for humans and animals … Planting design and soil should be front of mind, especially when it is increasingly challenging to obtain specified plants as commercial nurseries seem to be reducing the range of plants available (in favour of colour (sic) or flowering cultivars) to the industry.”
Even the topic of weeds has captured the pros: “Much has been written about the benefits of weeds in urban environments in creating habitats, however, landscape architects need to gain a greater understanding of which weeds are invasive and noxious as these weeds can have a devastating environmental and economic impact. The trend in weed management will go beyond the control period during the construction phase and will require a holistic approach across the whole project period from start through to maintenance … Many will think that this is not a trend but some of the tenets of landscape architecture, we will see a greater emphasis from governments and communities on conservation, biodiversity and weed management as tools to mitigate climate change.”
Another trend for the coming year is color! Every year the Pantone color company names a color of the year. The new one for 2022 is Veri Peri. Here’s what Pantone has to say about this color which we can expect to see a lot of this year — both inside our homes and outside in our gardens.
“Displaying a carefree confidence and a daring curiosity that animates our creative spirit, inquisitive and intriguing Pantone Very Peri helps us to embrace this altered landscape of possibilities, opening us up to a new vision as we rewrite our lives. Rekindling gratitude for some of the qualities that blue represents complemented by a new perspective that resonates today, Very Peri places the future ahead in a new light.
“We are living in transformative times … Very Peri is a symbol of the global zeitgeist of the moment and the transition we are going through. As we emerge from an intense period of isolation, our notions and standards are changing, and our physical and digital lives have merged in new ways. Very Peri illustrates the fusion of modern life and how color trends in the digital world are being manifested in the physical world and vice versa.”
Expect to see outdoor accents in this perky color as well as bedding plants to help spread the cheer the Very Peri represents.
LynetteL. Walther is the GardenComm Gold medal winner for writing, a five-time recipient of the GardenComm Silver Medal of Achievement, the National Garden Bureau’s Exemplary Journalism Award, and she is the author of “Florida Gardening on the Go.” She is a member of GardenComm, the organization of professional garden writers. Her gardens are on the banks of the St. Johns River.
