Each new year brings new ideas for home gardens and landscaping. We’ve rounded up a few ideas that would work great for homeowners and commercial properties here in Visalia and Central Valley area. Maybe you’ll be inspired and put a few of these into your plans for Spring!
Pollination Gardens
Landscape designs with a focus on attracting and nurturing bees, butterflies and other pollinators will be big in 2019. Creating a haven for pollinators will not only help bees and other insects that are struggling for survival, but support a healthy, thriving landscape as well. Planning an eco-conscious garden or landscape starts with using native plants that are known to attract bees and butterflies, using non-toxic methods for weed control or fertilization, and adding safe water sources. All that’s left to do is sit back, enjoy the color, and watch the show.
Secluded Spaces
Getting away from it all can be as close as your backyard by designing secluded spaces for home landscapes or spaces at business or commercial properties where employees can take a break, have a quick meeting, or do some work while enjoying the fresh air.
While larger outdoor spaces tend to be about visual attractiveness, entertainment or larger gatherings, secluded spaces are about creating a place to relax, focus, meditate or just unwind. Secluded spaces start with using natural elements to screen off the rest of the world. Hedges, ornamental trees, hardscape walls or screen are great ways to do this. Seating for one or two (ok, maybe 3) can then be surrounded by elements that encourage relaxation. Some tastes might lean toward Zen-type gardens with sand, succulents, simple water features and a green or white palette for plants. Those who desire lush surroundings can use an arbor or pergola covered with flowering vines, add lots of colorful flowers, mosaics and fun statues.
Edible Landscaping
Vegetable gardens aren’t anything new, we know. But adding food in unused or unexpected places is a trend that’s catching on. As a society increasingly focused on both sustainability and knowing where your food comes from, this can work for anyone as a surprising amount of food can be grown in very limited spaces. Some ideas for integrating this trend into your current landscape include:
- Adding pots for berries, tomatoes or herbs on your front or back porch
- Hanging planters from decks, porches or hardscape walls
- Growing herbs or strawberries on walls with vertical planters
- Adding ornamental edibles such as artichokes, cauliflower or sunflowers to landscape beds
All things “Coral”
Pantone announced its color of the year for 2019 – Living Coral – and industries ranging from fashion to interior design to landscaping have embraced it. You can add this on-trend color to your landscaping by planting coral-colored flowers such as drought-tolerant coral drift roses, vibrant coneflowers, hummingbird-favorite Kniphofia Redhot Popsicle, or native California poppies.