Landscaping in the Hudson Valley means something very different today than it did just a few years ago. Today, it's about complete outdoor living spaces that become a true part of our homes.
The trend of investing in the outdoor spaces of our homes is alive and well here in the Hudson Valley. Many of us have either recently completed a backyard landscaping project ourselves, began thinking and budgeting for one in the near future, or know a friend or family member that just expanded their home’s livable space to the great outdoors. Whether it’s a new paver or natural stone patio, a simple fire pit room, or an elaborate poolside oasis, we have really warmed up to the idea that our outdoor living spaces can and should be as warm and inviting as our traditional living rooms and kitchens.
Because the market is exposing in popularity, there are new products, styles, and design ideas popping up online and in magazines everyday. But how do you know which ideas are worthy of entertaining and which ones are applicable to our landscaping in the Hudson Valley region? Designing and installing these landscapes and outdoor living spaces right here in the Hudson Valley day-in-and-day-out allows us the pleasure of meeting with many local home and business owners each year and really allows us to understand the growing trends here in our NY communities.
That said, let’s dive into the 3 big landscaping trends we’re seeing here in the Hudson Valley.
Complete Outdoor Living Spaces
Easily the biggest trend in landscape design is the concept of creating complete outdoor living rooms. No longer are people having a 10x10 patio installed without planning for how the space will really be used by their family. A movement in bringing together the interior and exterior living rooms of our homes has taken hold in the Hudson Valley and more often than not, that simple patio will be joined—if not right away, then soon there after—by an outdoor kitchen, overhead pergola, and/or outdoor fireplace. It’s more than just becoming more ‘feature’ heavy though; it’s really a mindset shift in the way that we think about landscaping. For many families seeking more space, it makes more sense to install a complete set of outdoor living rooms than it does to go down the road of a traditional home addition.
>> Read more about adding style and comfort to your patio space here.
Technology and the 'Smart Home' comes to Landscape Design
Over the last 2 years, we've all been gradually introduced to the idea of automating our homes’ basic functionality. You may have seen the impressive lightbulb display at Home Depot filled with fancy new bulbs that are controlled from your iPhone. Or, if you own an inground swimming pool, you may have first starting learning about it when you were told that your smart phone can control your pool pump, deck jets, lighting, or spa controls. Either way, the smart home concept has definitely transitioned its way to outdoor living design. We are seeing more and more requests for outdoor sound systems that are integrated into the home’s interior sound system, full-on landscape lighting systems controlled via a touchpad in the wall, and entire backyards that can be ‘switched on’ via your iPhone while driving home from the office.
Edibles arrive to Hudson Valley Landscapes
America at large is learning that the food industry has been putting some less than perfect additives into our food and Hudson Valley residents are no different. The local food/organic food movement has made many families interested in where their food is coming from, and it turn, peaked a revival of backyard farming. The difference this time around, though, is where these veggies and fruits are planted. Many Hudson Valley homeowners are realizing the benefits of mixing these edibles right into the normal planting beds, adjacent to traditional ornamental plants and shrubs like Boxwoods and Lavender. Wherever they end up, the idea of growing a few of your own fresh vegetables is spreading like, well, a patch of fresh strawberries.
