KEEP OFF THE GRASS

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As McMansions get replaced with smaller, more energy-efficient homes, the landscaping that went with them is following the same path. Will large, green, well-manicured lawns start disappearing next?

"In the past people had big areas covered in grass or materials that needed to be watered," said Rob Pressman, landscape architect for TGP Inc., located in Encino, CA. "People are reducing the amount of lawn on their property and using a lot of hardscaping, rocks and ground cover to take up space and add texture."

Pressman said that not only have builders and homeowners have been making a switch to drought-tolerant plants to save the homeowner money in watering costs, but native plants and grasses are increasingly popular because they look nice and are virtually maintenance-free.

"People are doing large-scale plantings, ornamental or native grasses, but not turf grass," Pressman said. "We're seeing a lot of the 'salad' approach, which is to just fill the entire yard with native plants." Another trend Pressman sees is "the Phoenix look," where the entire yard is filled with rock, virtually eliminating any need to water anything. "There is a move toward using non-living materials, rocks and gravel. It not only saves money on water, but there is also no need to fertilize anything. It's not as much work for the homeowner, and it saves them money. This is a big trend."

With water conservation being a major issue, water fountains have been virtually eliminated from today's landscape blueprint. But people aren't steering away from water as a whole. Some people are using recirculation fountains.

Pressman has also seen an increase in the amount of homeowners looking for edible garden space, and those crops need watering. "As people are growing more conscience of what they are eating, they want more space to garden and grow food themselves." Retaining walls are one way to add additional gardening space to a yard. Arnie Pellegrino of Long Island Elite landscaping said retaining walls are a huge part of his business. "Retaining walls get people more property," said Pellegrino.

And in this economy, most homeowners are looking to get as much as they can, for as little as they can. In the last few years, like lots of amenities in the building industry, residential landscaping has seen a hit. The big differentiator, says Pellegrino, is labor.

"There have been upgrades that are now considered commonplace. It's like in the auto industry, things that were considered extras, like air conditioning and FM radio, are now included. Same for landscaping. A lot of the fancier stuff is now being sold for the same price. But we're selling labor; we don't sell plants. There are times where the materials are more expensive, but it's actually easier to install than the cheaper option, so I'll offer it for the same price."

Both Pellegrino and Pressman agree that outdoor living space has also become a major amenity. "Barbecuing has always been popular, but it's becoming more developed. The outdoor spaces and outdoor rooms are being to look very similar to the indoor rooms," said Pressman. "You're not only getting people who want outdoor kitchens, but they want outdoor heaters. There has been such a development in affordable outdoor products that have really made it easy to transform an outdoor living area."

With an outdoor living area come add-ons. Lighting and grills are two huge components to making an outdoor kitchen a space the homeowner will use on a consistent basis.

Julie Smith-Taylor of Eldorado Stone is seeing more outdoor customization features. "Homeowners value timeless elements that reflect quality, authenticity and permanence," she said. "As people are staying in their homes longer and customizing them, you're seeing more stone retaining walls, stone fireplaces, and barbecue islands being built. These are elements that bring people together."

Smith-Taylor said Eldorado Stone has seen in increase in manufactured stone being used over natural stone, as a finish material for these projects, due to its cost benefits.

Concrete pavers and interlocking pavers are becoming more widely used, to add livable outdoor space and create walkways. Pressman said one reason for this is because with sand there is no cracking, and you can have water lines and other utilities run underneath pavers without having to tear up traditional concrete paths.

"I think in some ways concrete is being used less commonly. Gravel and decomposed granite offer a softer look," said Pressman. "Porous pavement also allows water to seap into the ground."

Miles Chaffee, owner of Milestone Imports, a company out of Santa Fe, NM, that specializes in pour-free pavers, said his company has a seen an increase in builders using pavers of all types during the last few years. "The use of permeable pavers is on the uptick mainly because of legislation dealing with runoff. They help get the water back into the ground instead of into the sewer systems."

Not only do pavers help deal with stormwater runoff, Chaffee claims, they last much longer than traditional cement paths.

Natural stone pavers, when set correctly, need minimal maintenance and can last 50 to 100 years. The durability and looks are smooth, and they meet ADA standards, are slip-resistant and make an area more desirable. "The beauty of the pavers attracts people to walk on them, they've done studies, and they actually appear more inviting and have more people using them," says Chaffee.