Well-planned landscaping can improve the appearance and function of your outdoor areas. However, before installing flower beds and hardscaping features, you might want to include some of this year's hottest trends in your landscape design. Here are some popular elements and themes to consider.

4 Landscape Design Trends for 2021

1. Native Foliage

Including flowers and shrubs that naturally thrive in the Empire State can help your garden grow lush and gorgeous without much maintenance. Milkweeds, wild bergamots, and blue asters tolerate the region's moist soil conditions and produce colorful blossoms that can make landscapes more eye-catching. 

Native shrubs, including American elderberry, Virginia rose, and flowering raspberry, are shade- and drought-tolerant. Additionally, they can add greenery to planting beds and pops of color once they produce berries and flowers. 

2. Food Plants

Many Americans have become more conscious of the origins of their food and prefer to use fresh ingredients when preparing meals. You can source food directly from your garden by planting fruits, vegetables, and herbs as part of your landscape design. In addition to standard produce, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers, you might include mini watermelons, purple cauliflower, and towering basil to add delicious variety to the garden. 

3. Outdoor Living Spaces

Due to social distancing, entertaining friends and family members outdoors is more popular than ever in 2021. Adding a patio and fire pit made from brick and stone masonry, complete with plenty of comfortable outdoor furniture, can provide the perfect space to relax and socialize with guests. Add a gazebo or pergola to shield excess sunlight and provide shelter so that you can enjoy the outdoor area on rainy days. 

4. Pollinator Gardens

Pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds fertilize foliage and help ecosystems thrive. You can make the landscape design environmentally responsible by adding flowers, such as sunflowers, phlox, and zinnias, that attract pollinators to your planting beds. This can boost the reproduction of plants, promote biodiversity, and increase the production of edible foliage. 

Incorporate this year's trends into your landscaping with help from Vincent Construction and Landscaping. Located in Wingdale, NY, they provide landscape design and hardscape construction to clients throughout Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess counties. Call (845) 612-3300 to get started on plans with this garden designer.