9 Landscaping Trends That Have Fallen Out of Favor
Landscaping trends can fall out of fashion as quickly as they arrive. What some people thought was an amazing idea twenty years ago may now seem dull compared to modern standards. But some trends disappeared, and we don’t really know why. Here are some landscaping trends that fell out of fashion for no good reason.
High-Maintenance Plants
Most modern-day gardens have low-maintenance plants and flowers, but this removes a lot of the hard work that felt great when it finally paid off. If you’re looking for a rewarding experience, go for harder-to-grow plants in your landscaping, but otherwise, there’s nothing wrong with going the low-maintenance route.
White Gravel
Many homes today are paved with black or grey gravel that gives off a naturalistic look, but many may remember seeing white gravel in their parents’ garden or driveway growing up. This trend died out and is seen as outdated, but with the right shrubbery, you can revive it.
Scallop Edging
Modern-day edging is generally steel or stone, creating a natural or sleek look to any garden. The days of cheap scallop edging seem to be gone, with no red or white edging in sight. When in a financial pinch, consider going back to cheap scallop edging. Otherwise, the more expensive edging might be the way to go.
Unnatural Mulch Colors
Most modern landscaping companies use natural mulch, but an old trend was using unnatural and vibrant colors. It’s a personal preference, but brightly colored mulch can work with the right vegetation.
Sculpting
Many white-picket-fenced houses used to have perfectly sculpted shrubs and trees. This trend showed a lot of creativity, but it was anything but natural. Most modern shrub trims ensure the vegetation isn’t overgrowing, but sculpted shrubbery has a place, although it is a daring choice.
Fake Grass
Grass can be a nightmare to upkeep. The initial cost of installing real grass isn’t cheap, and through no fault of the owner, it can wilt and die. Decades ago, artificial grass was quite popular due to the money saved on the water bill and the guarantee that it wouldn’t die.
Hard Architecture
Many landscaping companies used to add hardscaping, which incorporates rocks and other hard elements to break up a garden’s natural, softer look. Hardscaping is less common today, and most gardens have a soft, inviting visual feel.
Variety
Most modern gardens have a natural, thematic feeling, with complimenting plants creating a harmonic appeal. Variety used to be the game’s name, with all sorts of different, exotic plants that clashed but were in a broad spectrum. There is a middle ground to be had as long as no plants are invasive species.
Themes
One last landscaping trend is thematic gardens. Most homeowners today keep a modern and simplistic garden. Older gardens would incorporate a rigid theme that would be very inflexible but would nail whatever theme it was trying to achieve. Sadly, these trends also mean people either love or hate them.