You want to make the most of your outdoor space in Greater Chicago. Who doesn’t? We all love a great place to soak in the sun, dine al fresco, grill your favorite foods, relax poolside, listen to birds, or just enjoy some fresh air.
Wouldn’t it be great to just walk out of your back door and find an oasis waiting for you or a patio table and gourmet grill that’s always ready for your arrival?
Ready to turn your backyard into a place you love escaping to on a daily basis? If you’re dreaming of a new landscape, you’re not alone.
In fact, according to the International Casual Furnishings Association, more than 64% of Americans said they spent a lot more time in their outdoors spaces in 2023 compared to the previous year and 80% said their outdoor living space was more valuable to them than ever before.
Americans with outdoor living spaces spent an average of 9 hours per week in them compared to 7 hours the year before, the survey further showed. Our connection with outdoor spaces continues to grow.
To inspire you this year, we’ve put together a list of our favorite landscape design trends for 2024. Dive in and find out which one you’d like to try.
6 of the Top Landscape Design Trends for 2024
Greater Chicagoans are always looking forward to a new growing year. After a long winter, who isn’t envisioning those warm summer days?
We get it. We all crave spring after the weight of winter has taken its toll. And once you’ve gotten a taste of how much fun you can have outdoors, you want to maximize your backyard landscape so you can truly embrace it.
Maybe you want to take your home office outside or incorporate more native plants into your landscape. Or maybe you want to create more spaces for friends and family to enjoy.
As you do your research and explore some good ideas, here are some great landscaping design trends for 2024 to consider.
1. Create An Outdoor Room
One of the top landscaping design trends for 2024 is using your outdoors to create an extension of your home. You can add “rooms” that draw you into the yard for cozy relaxation.
Devoting spaces that are part of everyday life is increasing. Think about outdoor living areas with pavilions, televisions, and comfortable seating for enjoying favorite shows or movies outside. These spaces can include couches or sectionals and even recliners, as well as coffee tables, fire tables, fireplaces, and even custom water features.
Or you can incorporate reading, homework, or office nooks in the fresh air of your yard to give a new perspective to these types of activities. A quiet, privacy garden can create the perfect meditation or yoga space.
Define these spaces with pergolas, covered structures, arbors, or decorative screens. These can also shield unpleasant views or add privacy and seclusion.
2. Outdoor Kitchens
Outdoor kitchens continue to be popular, and this is why it continues to be a landscape design trend for 2024. In fact, research from the National Kitchen and Bath Association says outdoor kitchens are growing at a fast pace.
And when you think of outdoor kitchens, you must think beyond just grills today.
Today’s outdoor kitchens include pizza ovens, smokers, griddles, outdoor refrigerators, custom bars, built-in coolers, and kitchen sinks.
3. Outdoor Gaming Areas
Playing outside is part of the fun of being outdoors. That’s why many Chicagoans are adding gaming spots to their backyards as new landscape design ideas in 2024.
These spots can include putting greens or full sports courts or batting cages. People are even incorporating designated areas for cornhole and bocce ball.
4. Low-Maintenance Plantings
People still love plants that add color and texture to their space, but this year they want to say goodbye to any plant that requires too much of their time for care.
Incorporating low-maintenance plants can still bring that charm and appeal without all the extra care requirements.
What kind of plants can fill this bill? Boxwoods are a great choice because they are evergreen, providing color all year long, and also offer structure. Some of our favorite varieties are ‘Green Gem,’ ‘Chicagoland Green,’ and ‘Northern Charm.’
If you’re looking for low-maintenance foliage with some fire, try ‘Fire Chief’ globe arborvitae to add some pops of orange to your yard.
And for those gorgeous, large blooms, hydrangea are great low-maintenance additions to any Chicago landscape. ‘Annabell’ offers lovely white flowers, while ‘Incrediball’ boasts bigger blooms and ‘Invincibelle Ruby’ delivers some red color.
5. Plants With Soothing Movement
Not only do homeowners want plants that are low-maintenance, they also crave plants that offer movement and texture as a top landscape design trend.
Ornamental grasses offer this swaying type aesthetic. Tapping into a sensory experience can also bring this relaxation to your home landscape.
Think about plants that are aromatic like lavender, honeysuckle, or rosemary, as well as those that tape into other senses: scents for smell, soft leaves for touch, bright colors for sight, and movement or those that draw birds for sound.
6. Kitchen Gardens
Since outdoor kitchens are popular, many are incorporating kitchen gardens to accompany them as a landscape design trend for 2024.
These gardens include planting herbs or vegetables that you can not only enjoy in their unique planting arrangement but also for their inclusion as ingredients in your recipes.
Think about herbs like rosemary, thyme, and oregano, and vegetables like kale, cabbage, and asparagus. These tend to be plants that are lower in maintenance but also deliver fresh produce.
Let Us Help You Enjoy Incorporating a Landscaping Design Trend in 2024
As you review these landscape design trends for 2024 in Greater Chicago, you might find yourself scratching your head and looking at your backyard, trying to figure out what to do with your space. We get it. A backyard makeover can be a huge endeavor.
Let KD Landscape make this process easier and more enjoyable for you. We’d love to have our team of experts take a look at your backyard and give you some ideas that will ensure you will use your yard for years to come.
Ready to see how KD Landscape can transform your Chicagoland home landscape with a new landscape trend? We’d love to share our design and installation expertise with you. Get started today with a free consultation. Together, we can prepare a design that you will love and your neighbors will envy.
