5 Landscaping Additions to Invest In This Year
A thoughtfully designed yard can make outdoor areas more attractive, comfortable, and practical. Rather than making changes simply to fill empty space, homeowners can choose landscaping additions that address specific needs, from improving nighttime visibility to creating better places for relaxing outdoors.
Choosing improvements should start with the property's existing layout, drainage, sunlight, and intended use. The following five additions offer different ways to make a yard more enjoyable while supporting its overall appearance and functionality.
1. New Planting Beds
Planting beds can introduce color, texture, and definition around a home, driveway, walkway, or outdoor living area. Homeowners can combine appropriately chosen shrubs, flowers, ornamental grasses, and other plants to create visual interest throughout the yard. Plant choices should account for factors such as available sunlight, soil conditions, mature plant size, and maintenance requirements.
Landscaping may also contribute to a property's financial appeal. According to RubyHome, landscaping that is carefully planned and properly completed may increase a home's value by approximately 5.5% to 12.7%. Creating cohesive planting areas instead of placing plants randomly throughout the property can contribute to a more intentional overall design.
2. Landscape Lighting
Outdoor lighting can make patios, walkways, entrances, and landscaping features more usable and visible after sunset. Strategically positioned fixtures can highlight trees or architectural details while illuminating areas where household members and guests regularly walk.
Interest in residential landscape lighting is also expected to continue increasing. According to Grand View Research, demand for landscape lighting in residential applications is projected to rise at a compound annual growth rate of 9.9% between 2024 and 2030. Homeowners considering this addition can plan lighting around both practical needs and the visual characteristics they want to emphasize at night.
3. Defined Walkways
A well-placed walkway gives people a clear path through the property while visually connecting different outdoor spaces. Paths can lead from the driveway to an entrance, connect a patio with a garden, or provide a deliberate route through a larger landscape.
The appropriate walkway material depends on the home's appearance, the surrounding landscape, and how frequently the path will be used. Keeping the route intuitive is equally important. A pathway that follows the natural way people move around the property can improve function without making the landscape feel unnecessarily complicated.
4. Improved Landscaping on Sloped Areas
Sloped yards can benefit from landscaping designed specifically around elevation changes. Depending on site conditions, thoughtfully developed planting areas and professionally planned grade improvements can make difficult portions of a property more manageable while addressing concerns about soil movement and water flow.
Steepness is particularly important when planning improvements. According to This Old House, slopes exceeding 25% can be susceptible to erosion and frequently require a separate approach known as landscape grading. Because changing a property's grade affects how water moves across the site, homeowners dealing with substantial slopes should have the conditions properly evaluated before deciding on landscaping additions.
5. A Dedicated Outdoor Gathering Area
Creating a defined gathering space can make the yard more useful for dining, relaxing, and spending time with family or guests. A patio or similar hardscaped area can establish a stable location for outdoor furniture while separating entertaining areas from lawns and planting beds.
The design does not need to dominate the yard. An appropriately sized gathering area can complement surrounding vegetation and leave room for open lawn, gardens, or other landscape features. Homeowners should consider how many people typically use the space, how it connects to the house, and whether shade will affect comfort during warmer parts of the day.
Adding to a landscape works best when each improvement serves a clear purpose. Planting beds can strengthen visual appeal, lighting extends the usability of outdoor areas, walkways improve circulation, appropriate changes can address challenging slopes, and gathering areas create dedicated places for enjoying the property. By choosing additions around the yard's actual conditions and household priorities, homeowners can create an outdoor environment that remains functional and appealing well beyond this year.
