Landscaping ideas that trended in 2017

Every year comes with unique ideas and preferences in the landscaping industry. Sometimes ideas stick thus being elevated from trend to tradition; others stay for a while and fade as trends usually do. This year was filled with major landscaping innovations and creativity.

More and more home owners embraced the natural look with an emphasis on locally sourced materials turning the outdoor into luxurious living spaces. Below we compile a list of the biggest landscaping trends in 2017.

Functional gardens
Boniface Wanja, a landscaper at Bonre Consultancy Parlour in Bweyogere notes that functional gardens that paved their way in 2016 may still rock in 2018. In addition to ornamental plants, adding edible and functional plants was a popular trend. We saw more herbs and spices being added to gardens. Some of the popular plants included rosemary, lavender, cedar, lemon grass, and basil among others.
Fruit gardens
Edible trees such as avocado, mangoes, oranges, papaws among others made a big come back into the front and backyards. “Trees that grow big and tall such as avocados and mangoes have the dual advantages of providing a shade from the sun and fresh fruits at the same time,” Wanja points out.

Hanging gardens
With a bit of creativity, we saw more hanging plants evolving in homes. Pots, vases and wooden boxes filled with succulent flowers, herbs and fruits hang in rooms, over the balcony and fences was not only a fresh take on an old practice but also provides a great view for the eye. “The most common plants used have been vegetables especially cherry tomatoes and strawberries, other plants include; petunias, vine species, mint, moss rose among others,” Robert Kyagulanyi, a florist, says.

Rock gardens
Willy Kayima, a landscape designer reveals that more home owners bought rocks and pebbles to add to their gardens this year than last year. Rocks and pebbles have that unique and classy look that make gardens look great. They also have the added advantage of controlling weeds although they can be a little bit costly.

Garden rooms
Wanja notes that being able to enjoy your outdoor living spaces is paramount, which is why many landscapers are now being tasked with making beautiful outdoor garden rooms.

“People have embraced the idea of luxurious outdoor living and are willing to invest heavily in quality furniture and design,” he adds. More chairs, loungers plastic, metallic or wooden can now be spotted in most urban homes.

Play areas
The little children were not left behind. Parents created little islands for their children using either sand pits, wooden swings or water features.

Low maintenance
Because of the dry season, homeowners moved towards building outdoor living spaces that are as low maintenance as possible. This saw the rise of sustainable and natural gardens that favour the use of grasses, shrubs and plants that can survive harsh weather.

Contemporary styling
Gardens are now more neatly organised and favour plants with bold silhouettes that have a clean look which feels appropriate next to the architecture. “The aim is to create a sleek and sophisticated look that is also natural. So you will find textures and colors that tend to blur the sharp boundary lines of the landscape,” Kayima explains.