Landscape Trends for 2025
January is a special time for us at Landscape East & West. We’re always excited to start a fresh new year, and winter is prime time for designing a new yard that’s ready for you to enjoy when the first warm weather day hits. As we look ahead, we’re taking note of what’s trending in landscape designs and how we can help our clients create innovative solutions.
A primary focus for many busy households is to reduce the time and effort needed to keep yards looking good. We’re seeing projects that require minimal maintenance. We’re happy to offer suggestions that leave you lounging or playing, not mowing and pruning.
Alternatives to Lawns
The heyday of sprawling green lawns has come to a close. While there is still a place for grass, many homeowners are turning to more natural alternatives on one end of the spectrum and synthetics on the other.
Turf: If your goal is to have a small area for your dog to use, synthetic turf looks and feels much like the real thing and is a great choice.
Dry streambeds: Many Portland area yards are sloped and pose a drainage challenge with our abundance of rain. A dry streambed may be the perfect solution. As the name implies, we use different rocks to mimic the look of a stream, complete with large rocks and greenery along the banks. When it rains, the structure directs the water to drain efficiently. During the dry season, the streambed becomes a focal point of the yard, adding interest that requires essentially zero maintenance.
Hardscapes: Patios constructed of large format pavers are popular replacements for grass. They provide a solid foundation for structures, fire and water features, and anything else you want in an outdoor living space. The larger pavers are durable, come in a variety of colors and textures, and can be laid in different patterns to complement your own aesthetic. Porcelain pavers are gaining in popularity as they are practically indestructible and can easily be sprayed off if they become dirty, bringing them back to their original luster.
Structures
Ever since COVID-19 encouraged homeowners to enjoy “staycations” in their own backyards, the concept of outdoor living areas that blur the line between inside and outside has been gaining quite a following. Our clients want to not only use their yards in the summer but want to transform their landscape to accommodate year-round cooking, dining, lounging, and even TV watching.
Covered Structures: From covered patios to gazebos, we’re installing more and more covered structures. With our rainy weather, a cover is a necessity. Our designers will discuss what you want to do outside, explore your space to determine what size structure is appropriate, and then work with you to find a design that matches your style. Whether it’s metal with wood accents, wood with metal accents, enclosed or open designs, skylights, or ceiling fans, we’ll create exactly what you envision.
Outdoor Kitchen: Outdoor kitchens truly bring the feel of the indoors out. They continue to be popular if you have the space and the available infrastructure for plumbing and electrical. We can add grills, refrigerators, sinks, cabinets, wine coolers, and kegerators to keep the party going.
Fire Features: It’s cold outside. Not just now, but even at the height of summer, Pacific Northwest nights can put a chill in the air. If you want to enjoy the outdoors without donning your parka and gloves, consider a fire feature. From a full-on stone fireplace to a portable metal firepit, we can find what works best for you and your space. Stone, metal, brick, and even tile are finding their way into fire features across Northwest backyards.
Water Features: Water provides an added natural element to any landscape with its soothing sound and ability to attract wildlife. Traditionally, ponds overflowing with Coy were the water feature of choice. However, keeping with the low maintenance theme, today’s homeowners are choosing pondless water features that have constantly recycled water. The stream may tumble down a rock column or a small waterfall and seemingly disappear underground, where it’s collected and pumped right back out. No stagnant water means no slime buildup and no place for leaves and needles to collect and clog the pumps–an easy-care, attractive focal point for any yard.
Final Touches
Lighting: We feel no yard is complete until it has lighting to complement the landscape. Choose from uplights to highlight the trees, downlights to help you grill, or path lights for safety. We can help you find what best meets your needs and add a bit of a wow factor to your space. Modern technology has made lighting efficient and simple to operate with the use of smart controllers. Light systems that work from your phone are trending as well as sophisticated timers that can be set to sense daylight and turn on when it’s too dark to see. Remembering to flick on the outside lights may soon be an old-fashioned concept.
Plants: Plants don’t really change with the times. There isn’t a modern-day version of a boxwood. However, there are trends in the plants homeowners choose to incorporate into their landscapes. Keeping with the year-round yard enjoyment theme, we’re seeing the popularity of plants that offer different shapes, colors, and textures throughout the seasons. Also trending is the use of dwarf species that are less maintenance and afford the space for greater variety.
Adapting these trends to your yard may be just the refresh you’ve been looking for to give your landscape a boost. However, like with any trend, choosing what you like best and what works in your space are the keys to an outdoor living area you’ll love for years. Contact the professionals at Landscape East & West for a free consultation, and let’s start designing for your 2025 spring season.
