There are a few landscaping trends that stand out in terms of making your outdoor living space more beautiful and more functional. Get ready because these 5 inspiring landscaping ideas for the spring in Sag Harbor, Long Island, NY could be the game-changers you’ve been waiting for.
Related: 11 LANDSCAPE DESIGN FEATURES OF SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPING FOR AN ECO-CONSCIOUS 2021 IN SOUTHAMPTON NY
1. An Eco-Friendly Approach
Not all landscapes are eco-friendly. For example, the lawn requires substantial amounts of water and chemicals just to keep it alive; so many homeowners are opting for more eco-friendly landscape designs to reduce their environmental impact. This includes reducing the size of the lawn in favor of native landscaping and xeriscaping.
Lawns are beautiful, but thirsty and high maintenance. You can have a stunningly beautiful landscape without a huge expanse of grass (unless you need it for kids and a dog). By adding native plants you’ll be rewarded by beautiful blossoms, fragrance, and fall color - and a smaller water bill and more time on your hands.
Choose from dozens of native plants that are perfectly adapted to the area. Pollinators and local wildlife will appreciate these habitat and food sources.
When using natives, you can keep the same style of design as you have now. Or, allowing a corner of your backyard to “go wild” can contrast beautifully with more structured planting areas.
2. An Expanded Outdoor Living Space
The best patios feature distinct activity zones that take into account traffic flow and varied forms of enjoyment, from a fireside chat with friends to relaxing with a book in the shade of a pergola.
A central hub that features an outdoor kitchen can radiate outward into quieter zones for relaxing, entertaining, and play. These quieter zones can be part of a single patio, or they could be attached peninsulas or even detached patios.
This is an opportunity to play around with mixed materials and multiple levels to give each space its own character such as a paver patio to house an outdoor kitchen and dining area, and then elevate the seating area on a teak deck one or two steps higher.
3. Creature Comforts
Shelter and fire are two essentials for comfortable outdoor living. A pergola offers stylish shelter from the hot sun. A pavilion gives you a solid roof for rain protection while maintaining the open-walled fresh air feel.
An outdoor fireplace or a fire pit is another way to add cozy comfort to your backyard. Ramp up the comfort factor by incorporating an outdoor fireplace into a pergola or pavilion for a wonderful living room feel.
4. Smart Technology
Outdoor entertainment systems and landscape lighting can be controlled by smart technology. This lets you customize your backyard experience and really blur the line between indoor and outdoor living.
Smart irrigation systems save water and money - not to mention time - with moisture sensors and temperature sensors as well as automated flow control that delivers the right amount of water to the right parts of the landscape, at the right time.
5. Water-Wise Surfaces
Paved surfaces come with an unexpected problem: water. The amount of water that runs off a hard surface such as a driveway or patio is significant. Rain and snow melt have to go somewhere, usually cascading down hard surfaces to the lowest point, spilling out onto the landscape or into the municipal storm drain system. Permeable pavers on the driveway, patio, and walkway feature larger joints that allow water to seep into the ground and disperse naturally into the aquifer. As a bonus, you’ll enjoy a faster-drying paved surface.
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