BCR_Lawn & Garden Guide_032024

Lawn & Garden GUIDE

outdoor design trends for 2024

(BPT) - With the new year just around the corner, you may be thinking ahead about home improvements you want to make in the coming year. Especially if you'd like to maximize your outdoor space, planning ahead is crucial. Imagining exactly how you want to use the area outside your home can help you make decisions for expanding your living space beyond its four walls - comfortably and beautifully.

To start your planning process, these 2024 design trends may influence your decision-making, along with tips and tools to help turn your outdoor living dreams into reality.

1. Unique usage of space

Due to higher interest rates and other factors, today's homeowners are staying in their homes longer. As a result, homeowners are getting more creative around using their existing outdoor spaces, and are heavily investing in this part of their property. Instead of just an outdoor barbecue area where friends and family can hang out, outdoor spaces are fulfilling functions traditionally seen only indoors.

Beyond building entire outdoor kitchens, homeowners are creating outdoor office areas for remote work in the fresh air, studios for creative endeavors and areas suitable for meditation, yoga or other forms of exercise. The sky is the limit when it comes to your outdoor space. How about a gaming area or a movie theater? Imagine how you most want to spend your time outdoors, then see how you can make it happen.

2. A backyard retreat

Another result of today's economic climate is that multigenerational homes are becoming more popular. And with more family members sharing a home, many may be seeking ways to create more private spaces for family to enjoy a little "me time." Outdoor spaces present a huge opportunity to create more breathing room and expand beyond the four walls of your home.

Separating parts of your outdoor area by adding screen panels or shade structures can help invite solitude for individuals needing a little escape. You can even find ways to mask intrusive noise such as a water feature or wind chimes, which can make a world of difference for developing a peaceful outdoor oasis.

3. Eco-friendly attitudes

Although this is not a new trend, 2024 will see further expansion of environmentally friendly projects like pollinator gardens, stormwater captures, native planting, zero-scaping and using permeable pavers in outdoor spaces.

For example, Belgard's permeable pavers, also known as permeable interlocking concrete pavements (PICP), are installed with layers of varying-sized stone or aggregate underneath that filter and direct stormwater to underground aquifers, mimicking the way natural land absorbs water. With permeable concrete pavers and permeable grass pavers, any rain falling on your patio, walkway or driveway seeps back into the ground, reducing the burden on storm drains. The primary goal for all these approaches is to develop a more eco-friendly outdoor space requiring fewer resources - making it easier and more natural to maintain.

4. Natural tones and materials

The emphasis on the environment and incorporating nature into your outdoor

See TRENDS on page 7

Grow Like a Pro:

Award-Winning Plants and Products for Foolproof Gardens 11

(BPT) - A new year means a new garden! It's time to start thinking of what you'll cultivate indoors and outdoors in 2024. Whether large or small, in sun or shade, there are many choices of plants to fill your indoor and outdoor spaces, as well as the tools that make things easier. Looking for inspiration? Check out The National Garden Bureau's 2024 Green Thumb Award winners. These plants and products are perfect for both beginner and experienced gardeners and will make your garden a success this year and beyond!

1. Hydrangea First Editions Eclipse

The Eclipse® Hydrangea is a new variety of dark-leaf mophead hydrangea that offers season-long beauty! The shrub's intense, dark purple leaves hold their color, even in sunny, warm climates. The striking foliage and gorgeous dark purple or cranberry-colored blooms will pair perfectly with anything in your garden, adding dramatic impact. Maturing at 3-5 feet tall and wide, Eclipse® will stand out as a focal point in the garden or decorative containers. Hardy in zones 5-9.

2.

Catmint Chartreuse on the Loose

Chartreuse on the Loose is a perennial perfect for lining the front border. The foliage allows for a full three seasons of interest with bright chartreuse yellow leaves. Clusters of lavender blue flowers bloom just above the foliage and appear all summer long. Unlike most catmint, 'Chartreuse on the Loose' doesn't need to be cut back to produce flowers. Hardy in zones 3-8.

3. Begonia Stonehedge Rose Bronze Leaf

Stonehedge begonias are as iconic as their namesake! These annual begonias have extreme vigor, excellent heat tolerance and a wellbranched mounded shape that grows up to 48 inches (120 centimeters) tall! You can even plant them in large containers. Eye-catching bronze foliage shows off rich rose blooms. Best

of all, there's no need to deadhead these lowmaintenance begonias.

4. Centaurea The Bride

Centaurea The Bride is a large annual featuring pure white flowers with a gorgeous feathery texture scented with sweet vanilla. The bushy plant grows 2 to 3 feet tall and works well in containers or beds, a must-have for any pollinator garden.

5. Cucumber Quick Snack

Winner of both the Professional's Choice and People's Choice awards in the edible category, the Quick Snack Cucumber produces deliciously crisp and sweet cucumbers in a matter of weeks. In just a month or so, you can eat handfuls of cocktail-sized cucumbers fresh off the plant or add to a vegetable platter or salad. You can enjoy cucumbers indoors and out with Quick Snack because the blooms do not require pollinators to produce fruit. An excellent way to enjoy homegrown vegetables all year long without an outdoor garden space.

6. Echeveria Coral Reef Red

Winner of both the Professional's Choice and People's Choice awards in the houseplant category, Echeveria Coral Reef Red lives up to its name with strongly pronounced ruffled foliage, perfect for adding intense indoor and outdoor colors! Elegant stems produce bell flowers throughout most of the year. This droughttolerant beauty grows to just under 12 inches tall in full sun or shade.

7. Laura's Edition 3" x 36" Auger

Laura's Edition Auger is an incredibly useful garden product. Using the extended-length bulb auger, you can effortlessly plant bulbs and 3- to 5-inch potted plants without kneeling or bending over. You'll be planting trees and shrubs and digging post holes faster than you ever could before with a 3-inch auger drill bit.

Power Planter bulb augers are also a great choice for installing beach volleyball poles and umbrellas or boring holes under sidewalks for electrical or irrigation lines.

8. Better Boxwood Skylight™

Be a more successful gardener with this new boxwood! Better Boxwood® is the first collection of blight-resistant boxwood resulting from two decades of revolutionary breeding and plant trialing. Skylight™ is one of four varieties, including Babylon Beauty™, Heritage™ and Renaissance™. Skylight™ is the faster growing of the collection with medium green leaves, suitable for pruning into shapes, in mass plantings and medium hedges. Hardy to zone 5.

9. Agapanthus Blackjack™

Blackjack agapanthus offers superior performance and exceptional blooms, near-black, purple flower clusters soaring atop tall stems. This resilient agapanthus combines a compact semi-dwarf growth habit with abundant blooms, offering an extended flowering season surpassing conventional varieties. Hardy in zone 8-11 and can be grown as an annual in all other zones. Named the Royal Horticultural Society 2023 Plant of the Year.

10. Petunia AMAZONAS Plum Cockatoo

AMAZONAS™ Plum Cockatoo petunia will certainly attract attention in your garden! These petunias bring a bit of the rainforest to gardens everywhere. Lush green hues pair with vivid, tropical purples to create a truly unique petunia. The variety creates a calming backdrop of natural color that pairs well with foliage plants. Large blooms grow on plants 12 to 18 inches tall.

11. Sunshine® Black Bear™ Potting Mix

Garden more sustainably with this new product! Black Bear™ is pure carbon captured and stored as a beneficial growing media formulated for growing in containers, hanging baskets, window boxes and fabric pots. The potting mix is produced by wood waste that would otherwise be burned or sent to landfills, releasing carbon into our atmosphere. The innovative potting mix provides exceptional aeration and drainage for both indoor and outdoor plants.

Try these exciting new plants and products to make your gardening life easier this year, making you more successful than ever! To learn more, visit NBG.org.

Maintaining a lawn routinely roamed by pets

Vibrant, green lawns can draw attention to any landscape. Many homeowners toil for hours each week to ensure their lawns are pristine, or invest in lawn care services to help maintain a yard if they do not have the time to do so themselves. While many treatments can be applied to lawns to help them thrive, animal waste is not among them. Pet owners who aspire to have beautiful lawns will have to take a few extra steps to ensure lawns can persevere despite the presence of furry companions.

Reseed with a damage-resistant grass

There are many different types of grass, and some are more resilient than others. Tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and Bermuda grass are just some of the grass varieties that can capably handle pet traffic. If replacing the entire lawn is not possible, consider reseeding or addressing the areas that pets frequent.

Strengthen the root system

It may be tempting to cut the lawn short, particularly if dogs or cats like to nibble on longer blades of grass. But that approach could be doing the lawn a disservice. According to The Home Depot, letting the lawn grow to at least

three inches will help keep moisture in the soil and prevent evaporation. That moisture will strengthen the roots, creating a healthier lawn for pets and people.

Create pet paths

Various materials can be used in these high-traffic areas to minimize the sights and signs of pet traffic. Mulch or crushed stone can establish these pet highways and look like intended features.

Set boundaries

Pet urine contains high levels of nitrogen, which can burn grass and turn it brown. It’s not possible to water down urine or pick up solid waste immediately every time a pet goes outdoors, so designate a pet-friendly spot for potty time. Use fencing or a dog run to separate this area and help mitigate “land mines” all over the lawn. Fencing also can keep pets out of vegetable gardens and away from potentially toxic plants.

Avoid chemical lawn treatments

When pets use the yard and rest on the lawn, you’ll need to eliminate products that can be harmful to them. Choose all-natural fertilizers and weed and pest preventatives.

Look for alternatives

If maintaining a lawn with pets seems like an uphill battle, consider swapping out your landscape with a variety of materials. Scale back on grass, and incorporate groundcover, hardscape materials like pea gravel, or extend the patio. Artificial turf also is an option, as it won’t brown and wither. Some turf products can even be quickly and thoroughly cleaned with water.

It can take some trial and error for pet parents to protect their lawns from the effects of having furry friends playing in the yard.

• TRENDS continued from page 3

space also inspires design choices based on colors found in nature, and materials with the look and feel of organic elements.

Staying within this aesthetic, you can find hardscaping options ranging from retaining wall systems, outdoor kitchens, fire pits and pavers for patios, walkways and driveways from Belgard offering a color palette ranging from neutrals to cool and warm tones - but always appearing natural and pleasing to the eye.

5. Gardens galore

One of the biggest shifts across the country is a renewed interest in gardening and growing your own food. From those who want to live more healthful, balanced lives to foodies who seek to use the freshest produce in their culinary creations, gardening is the answer - and a fun, easy way to spend time outside. This trend also brings generations together, from those who've been gardening for decades to enthusiastic new gardeners of Gen Z.

Another great thing about gardening is that you don't need much square footage to get started. Container gardens, raised beds and vertical gardening are all ways to explore growing your own fruits, vegetables and herbs.

Ready to get inspired? Learn about all the possibilities for your outdoor space at Belgard.com.

For additional help envisioning your outdoor space, Belgard Rooms Planner gives contractors and homeowners a templated outdoor design plan that can be further customized to meet every homeowner's needs. Even better, Belgard Rooms provides an augmented reality (AR)

feature, letting you select AR plans and drop them into your outdoor space to view, walk through and scale templated outdoor rooms, bringing them to life in your own backyard. AR Rooms makes it easy for you to test a variety of rooms, features and styles in your outdoor space, also making it easier to communicate your vision with your contractor. Currently, 38 AR Rooms can be viewed on any device that will help you design your dream space in 2024.