What’s the stylishly clad yard sporting this summer season?
According to a recent survey by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), it’s everything from swanky outdoor lighting systems to ornamental pools and low-maintenance plantings. Gardens, landscaped spaces, outdoor kitchens and entertainment areas are also hot.
We have a look at how that shakes out on this side of the border.
As the population ages and many of us scramble for free time, hardscaping − low-maintenance patios, walkways and more − is gaining on work-heavy plantings.
“It’s becoming popular in a stylish way,” says Denis Flanagan of the industry organization Landscape Ontario. “We already know what a patio looks like, so how can we be creative by mixing patterns and colours of stones?”
He says that dry stone construction, which uses no mortar but instead relies on the strategic placement of stones, is gaining traction for garden walls, pillars and the like. “It’s an art; it’s like it’s weaved.”
Read More here: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/life/great+trending+outdoors/9842968/story.html
