It’s not too late to put in a pickleball court.
’Tis the season for all things landscaping! It’s the perfect time to give your outdoor space a makeover. Whether you’ve recently purchased a new home and are looking to craft your dream garden or simply want to refresh and revitalize your yard, we’re here to help inspire your next landscaping project.
We’ve consulted with top designers, landscape architects, and gardening experts to bring you the most exciting landscaping trends of the year. From small urban patios to sprawling backyard retreats, these innovative ideas can easily be tailored to various spaces and styles. Plus, there are ideas for those with green thumbs, those looking for low-maintenance landscaping ideas, and those who simply love entertaining in a beautiful space.
Ready to dive in? Read on for the top landscaping trends for 2024, according to experts.
“One of the biggest shifts across the country recently has been a renewed interest in gardening and growing your own food,” Joe Raboine, vice president of design at hardscaping manufacturer Belgard, says. “As Blue Zones continue to show us how large of an impact what we eat has on our health and people have started trying to live a more balanced life, gardening has become a fun and easy way to spend time outside and grow your own food—particularly within Gen Z.”
Best of all, this trend lends itself to exquisite entertaining. “Homeowners are utilizing portions of their yard and property to support a ‘farm-to-table’ experience at home and to entertain friends and family with dinners or hors d’oeuvres featuring veggies, fruits, and herbs grown onsite,” designer Casey Case, president of the landscape architecture firm Gates + Associates, says. “It’s a hyper-localized version of what we’re seeing executive chefs do with farm-to-table offerings at resorts, high-end restaurants, and even urban eateries growing small plots on high-rise green roofs."
At this Nashville home designed by architects Pfeffer Torode and Liz Bonesio Interiors, raised beds contain vegetables and herbs, and a greenhouse offers a place to prep ingredients before bringing them into the kitchen.
Remember that whole multipurpose room trend of the pandemic era? Well, people are taking that outside.
“Transitional zones are areas that can serve multiple uses, such as gravel parking areas that are sizable enough to accommodate a long dining table for an outdoor event, folding glass doors that can easily expand the living space once opened to the outdoor patio, or pass-through outdoor fireplaces that can provide a fire feature for a pool and also a warm place to gather around on a patio,” Cate Singleton, director of design at the landscape design firm Tilly Design, says. “These types of spaces are great for small and large yards and really maximize how you use your space.”
Here, a rustic stone patio at Dave and Jenny Marrs’s rental in the Italian countryside is ready to host.
“More and more of our clients are opting out of second home ownership. Instead, they are opting to make their principal residences oases filled with activity zones,” Diana Melichar, president of Melichar Architects, says. “One such client has called the fun zone of their property their ‘ESPN zone,’ which includes a lap/play pool, a pickleball/sport court, a play yard for little ones, and a fire pit for roasting marshmallows.”
Speaking of pickleball, at-home courts are certainly a trend. “The boom in popular new sports of pickleball and padel is leading many homeowners to explore building a court or converting an existing hardscape,” Case says.
Related: Here’s How Much It Costs to Build a Home Pickleball Court
Here’s one for all the fans of low-maintenance yards. “We’re seeing less demand for more static landscape features such as lawns and hedges and more demand for dynamic landscape elements that vary with the season, such as wildflower meadows,” master gardener Dan Allen, CEO and cofounder of Farmscape, says. “Besides being beautiful and helping to mark the seasons, these meadows bring bees, butterflies, and birds into your yard on a daily basis.”
“Outdoor culinary spaces can serve as a second kitchen for preparing food and beverages as well as entertaining guests,” Tilly design director Singleton says. “This becomes an extension of the house and really helps to maximize use of the outdoor space." Her firm is getting increasing requests for outdoor pizza ovens, smokers, and even hibachi tables.
In this Texas home designed by Marie Flanigan, an outdoor kitchen is equipped with all the comforts of an indoor one, including a custom vent hood cover.
Sorry, nostalgic millennials—swing sets are out. “Our clients are increasingly moving away from traditional play structures for their kids and opting instead for play elements that are more harmonious with the surrounding landscape,” Farmscape cofounder Allen says. “Natural play features include play tunnels, boulders, logs, swings, and slides, and they can be incorporated into the contours of the landscape around them.”
“Though not a new trend, 2024 will see the expansion of pollinator gardens, stormwater captures, native planting, zero-scaping, and permeable pavers in the outdoor living world, all ultimately making for a more eco-friendly outdoor space that requires fewer resources and is more natural to maintain,” Raboine says. The ornamental grasses seen here, which are indigenous to the area surrounding Susannah Charbin’s home on Long Island, are a good example of how striking simple native plantings can be.
Low-water landscaping ideas are particularly popular, particularly in drier regions. “More and more people are replacing lawns with drought-tolerant plants and creating beautiful outdoor spaces that incorporate decorative gravel, decomposed granite, and boulders that also reduce watering needs,” Case says.
Hardscaping elements are also receiving attention in landscaping trends. Because they’re durable, require little upkeep, and can give the overall design of your yard texture and visual interest, “materials like composite decking, natural stone, and concrete pavers are growing in popularity,” Derek Perzylo, co-owner of Big 5 Exteriors Ltd, says. “These hardscaping components can be imaginatively included into the landscape to create walkways, patios, retaining walls, or other useful and ornamental features.”
One specific hardscaping trend making waves right now is gravel patios. “Gravel is cooler than stone, doesn't need repair and regrouting, and isn’t likely to be slippery in the rain. It’s also more efficient with drainage,” says landscape architect Janice Parker. “There are many colors, edging options, and shapes. Also, if you use stone dust or sand as your base, you won't need to weed.” The gravel conversation pit at this Nantucket home designed by Michael Ellison is one stylish example.
But if gravel isn’t for you, don’t fret—natural stone paving is popular, too. “This trend is not new but has gained popularity due to its ability to add a touch of luxury and sophistication to outdoor spaces,” Kath Meier of Hunter Landscaping Design + Construct says. “Natural stone is a sustainable choice as it is a natural resource and can be sourced locally.”
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