A Closer Look:

Landscaping Trends and Planning for Summer Projects

An expected housing industry upswing is good news for professional landscapers, who can position their business for a strong recovery by meeting consumer demand for landscaping thats practical, affordable and sustainable.

very year, the cold and desolate winter eventually gives way to a warm and vital summer. Luckily for landscapers, whats true for the environment also holds true for

Builders (NAHB) forecasts a 25 percent growth in new-home construction this year over last. Most of that growth is in single-family homesNAHB is forecasting 697,000 total housing starts in 2010, up from an estimated 555,000 last year. Any positive growth in the construction sector trickles down to every aspect of the industryincluding landscaping.

the economy. And with spring finally here, summer cant be far behindfor landscapes, or for those that build them. With an economic upswing, new home construction is expect-

ed to increase this summer. The National Association of Home

A Closer Look: Landscaping Trends and Planning for Summer Projects

I think people have gone without for a while now, and theyre tired of it. People still want what they want. This year, luxury is therefore going to be bigger and betterbut without the rampant excess that we saw in the early to mid-2000s.
Landscape designer Danilo Maffei, a board spokesperson for the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) in Harrisburg, Pa.

Obviously, the landscaping business is tied to construction, says landscape designer Danilo Maffei, a board spokesperson for the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) in Harrisburg, Pa. [If construction improves this year] it certainly will be a good thing for landscapersalthough were not certain whether it will be a good thing this year or a good thing next year, as the landscape industry typically trends behind construction by a quarter or two. Whether outdoor investments take off this year or next, the best time to prepare for an eventual surge in landscaping demand is this summer, and the best way to prepare is by positioning your

business for growth with summer projects capitalizing on the top five landscaping trends of 2010: 1. Modest luxury In response to the economic downturn of 2009, consumers are holding back in 2010, which means smallerbut not necessarily fewerlandscaping projects. People are getting very practical and are tending toward more simple kinds of things, says landscaping professor Douglas R. Fox, director of the Center for Sustainability and Global Change at Unity College in Unity, Maine. Adds landscape designer and APLD board membership chair

A Closer Look: Landscaping Trends and Planning for Summer Projects

Food for Thought

Although vegetable gardening is a popular do-it-yourself trend, savvy landscapers know that do-it-yourselfers often can benefit from expert help. As more people understand the benefits of growing their own fresh produce, were finding consumers are hunSusan Cohan, Projects in 2010 will be smaller. Theyre looking to do more with less. Despite their more frugal nature, clients are still looking for that upscale feel. The big thing this yearbelieve it or notis going to be luxury, Maffei says. I think people have gone without for a while now, and theyre tired of it. People still want what they want. This year, luxury is therefore going to be bigger and betterbut without the rampant excess that we saw in the early to mid-2000s. What that means for landscapers is that the staycation trend of the last few years will continue, but with the volume turned down. Clients will still be asking for swimming pools, for instance, but without upscale waterfalls and slides; theyll still be asking for outdoor dining, but theyll be installing high-end grills rather than custom outdoor kitchens; theyll still be interested in water features, but theyll tend toward simple waterfalls over elaborate streams and ponds; and theyll still be looking for backyard campfires, but theyll be considering small fire bowls instead of large, built-in fire pits. 2. Incredible edibles Because they want to save money, eat healthier and learn a new at-home hobby, scores of consumers have expressed an interest in vegetable gardening, which is fueling an industry-wide trend in edibles thats extended all the way to the White House, where First Lady Michelle Obama planted her own vegetable garden last spring. People are very interested in growing food, Cohan says. Its probably the single largest trend going on in gardening and landscaping right now. In 2009, 43 million U.S. households planned to grow their own fruits, vegetables, herbs or berries, up 19 percent from 2008nearly double the 10 percent growth experienced between 2007 and 2008. 21 percent of U.S. households planned to start a food garden in 2009. 11 percent of households already active in food gardening planned to increase both the amount and variety of vegetables they grow in 2009. Gardeners spent a total of $2.5 billion to purchase seeds, plants, fertilizers, tools and other gardening supplies to grow their own food in 2008. Together the National Gardening Association (NGA) and Scotts Miracle-Gro studied the vegetable gardening trend last year. The resulting report, The Impact of Home and Community Gardening in America, found that: To turn a do-it-yourself trend like vegetable gardening into a business opportunity, establish yourself as an expert and educator. Landscapers who serve as a resource often benefit from more referralsand an increase in referrals typically translates into an increase in revenue. gry for information on how they can start and maintain a successful food garden, says Craig Humphries, director of consumer research at Scotts Miracle-Gro. In fact, last year alone we saw about a 66 percent increase in the number of vegetable gardening-related calls into our Scotts Consumer Services line.

A Closer Look: Landscaping Trends and Planning for Summer Projects

Classics like purple lilacs and red roses may be big, but the most popular color this year is green. People are looking to reduce their carbon footprint outside, Cohan says, and theyre doing exactly that by replacing exotic plants with native ones.

Although edibles are in, consumers are no longer interested in the traditional fenced-in vegetable garden. Instead of backyard vegetable patches, consumers this year will practice container gardening and vertical gardening so they can grow herbs and vegetables in even the smallest outdoor spacesand without bending over, which is a major benefit to aging baby boomers. 3. Vintage verdure Although consumers are interested in more modern forms of vegetable gardening, the traditional look of shrubbery is still popular. Theres a renewed interest in shrubs for color, Cohan says. Think Grandmas plantsflowering shrubslike hydrangeas, lilacs and roses.

People are thinking about plants that are appropriate to their region instead of something exotic that will have to be replaced or will be only marginally hardy, says Cohan. He adds that native plants tend to require less care and maintenance. They also support a healthier food chain, according to Fox, as native plants support native insects, which support native birds and so on. 5. Little lawns Because clients want to be more eco-friendly, theyre likely to want less grass. According to ecological landscape designer Risa Edelstein, lawns are one of the most damaging landscape practices because of the tremendous, necessary upkeep. Plus, lawns are very expensive between mowing and fertilizing,

4. Green greenery Classics like purple lilacs and red roses may be big, but the most popular color this year is green. People are looking to reduce their carbon footprint outside, Cohan says, and theyre doing exactly that by replacing exotic plants with native ones.

says Edelstein, board member for the Ecological Landscaping Association in Framingham, Mass. Since everybodys in a money-saving mode right now theyre combining saving money with being green, and so theyre looking at reducing the amount of lawn they have. Less lawn means more plants. While their clients still want a lawnenough for their kids to play on, for instancelandscapers should be prepared to replace large portions of lawns with edibles, perennial beds, trees and shrubs. Also organic lawns, Cohan adds. People want to reduce the size of their lawn, and they want to make it less chemically dependent.

of consumers are willing to pay more for green garden/landscaping supplies.

Source: Burst Media

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