There's a new survey out from ASLA (the American Society of Landscape Architects) re popular landscape design trends for 2011, and the results are not exactly what I would have guessed.
The top-rated outdoor living feature is landscape lighting — a whopping 96.2 percent of respondents said lighting is very popular for the coming year. That was followed by firepits or fireplaces, at 94.2 percent, outdoor seating and dining areas (94.1 percent), grills at 89 percent and installed seating arrangements, including benches and seat walls, at 89.5 percent.
But the survey results do not necessarily mean that a massive economic upturn is on the horizon for landscape designers. As ASLA CEO Nancy Somerville put it, "Despite the economic climate, homeowners continue to reconnect with their outdoor space. However, expect many households this year to either phase in projects over time or carefully select fewer features."
The poll found that clients want the same kind of features outdoors that they enjoy indoors: stereo systems, TVs and internet access, but less than 40 percent felt a need for outdoor cooling systems or sleeping areas. When asked about sustainable features, almost 95 percent wanted low-maintenance landscapes, and there was also high interest in native or drought-tolerant plants, food and vegetable gardens, fountains and ornamental water features, permeable paving systems, lawn substitutes, and the use of recycled materials. So maybe the message on sustainability is starting to get through to everyone.
As for garden structures, the desires of homeowners haven't changed much: they like fencing, arbors and pergolas, decks and porches, followed further down the line by artworks, garden sheds, pavilions and elements for childen, such as swing sets and treehouses.
(photos: ASLA and top, Nic LeHoux/Michael Vergason Landscape Architects; bottom, Keith LeBlanc Landscape Architecture)
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