It’s almost the middle of 2019—are the landscaping trends coming true for you? In case you didn’t get to check out these trends in January—we’re giving you a quick review to help you get on board with what your residential customers are looking for.
What the Top Trade Magazines Are Saying
Trade magazines for the green industry (lawn care and landscaping) let pros know what’s hot and what’s not. This year’s trends boil down to the following:
- Green is in—even more so than in previous years
- Smart technology for both the lawn care operator and the landscape contractor are a must to use in their companies and with their clients
- Minimalist landscape designs mean low maintenance and a return to nature
- Companies becoming transparent about the products and chemicals they use
- Private spaces to reflect, read, and relax in
Many Trends Are Years in the Making
This year’s trends have been in the making for the past decade. In 2019, the difference will be how these trends are more widespread. Lawn care and landscaping companies are starting to adopt these trends and have added them to their services.
Millennials are buying their first homes and starting to raise families. They want their lawns and landscapes safe for their children and pets to play on. Millennials also desire simplicity in their lawns and landscapes, so they don’t have to spend all of their free time working in the yard.
5 Trends Defined
So, what are these trends? Here is a list for 2019:
- Green is in—even more so than in previous years. Millennials are new to home buying, but they want green products including what they put on their yards. So, young homeowners wish to have organic fertilizers as well as organic pest and weed controls added to their properties.
Older homeowners are also going green, but not as fervently as Millennial homeowners. Instead, Gen X and Baby Boomers are using a hybrid approach using fewer synthetics mixed with organic products.
Homeowners are looking for some green in their landscapes too. They want their landscaped areas to serve two purposes: functional and beautiful at the same time.
For example, edible landscaping is still popular. And many homeowners enjoy vertical gardening where the edibles also function as a privacy screen.
Pollinator gardens are another continuing trend that can serve as privacy screens and shade as well as benefitting birds, bees, and other insects that are in decline. For example, native trees provide shade as well as blooms that feed bees and hummingbirds.
Conversely, you can have a trellis or an arbor to act as a doorway into a customer’s garden space while the blooms attract butterflies and other pollinators.
- Smart technology for both the lawn care operator and the landscape contractor are a must both in their companies and for their clients. Millennial lawn care operators and landscape contractors use apps to schedule with their customers and to keep their crews accountable.
Your Millennial customers also love smart technology from paying their bills online to texting questions to you about their lawns, to using smart controllers for their swimming pools, irrigation systems and landscaping lights. You can learn more about the top apps for Landscapers here.
While you may not be up-to-date with the latest gizmo, you need to be in touch with what your clients use to communicate and function in the world.
- Minimalist landscape designs. Simplicity is back. And it includes a wide variety of lawn and landscaping trends that many homeowners embrace because they lead hectic
Also, some homeowners don’t know the first thing about taking care of their properties, so they’ll hire you to take care of some of their outdoor jobs.
Millennials, however, get sticker shock when they need to hire a professional. So they opt to do simple lawn care, like mow the lawn, while they hire you to take care of the fertilization and plant health care.
Low maintenance is in with more asymmetrical lawns and natural landscapes using native plants, rocks and other features layered by weight rather than in symmetrical proportions.
Have you checked out Spyker’s Accuway feature?
- Companies are transparent about the products they use. Nowadays, homeowners want transparency about the products used on their lawns and landscaped areas. Some companies share the ingredients of the products they use, and others use a hybrid approach of using conventional products mixed with organic products.
- Private spaces to reflect, read, and reconnect. All of us need time to rest and recharge after a busy day or week. Homeowners now ask landscapers to create private spaces within their landscapes where the homeowners can go to unwind.
Many of these private spaces use Japanese elements to create solitude and a meditative atmosphere. Some of these elements include green, lush plants, a bench to sit on, and moving water.
Partner with Spyker to Create These Trends on Your Clients’ Property
At Spyker, we design our spreaders to help you create fabulous lawns and landscapes. Our spreaders help you broadcast fertilizer, weed, and pest controls, so your customers’ properties are sustainable and usable.
Spyker spreaders are a sound investment because you can use them throughout the entire year … not just during the growing season.
We have two commercial series to meet your lawn care and landscaping needs:
- Pro-series: Our classic spreaders get your lawn care jobs done correctly and quickly.
- Ergo-series: These spreaders work with your body instead of against it. No more straining with the handles. Instead, the handles can move up and down based on your height.
You can find your next Spyker spreader at your local dealer. In the unlikely event that you need a part, visit our website to find replacement parts and accessories.
Need customer support? Call us toll-free at (877) 728-8224, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. You can also fill out our contact form for one of our representatives to get back to you.
Here are additional sources to help you reach your clients using 2019’s trends:
“What’s Hot This Year? Top Five Landscape Trends for 2019”
“Seven Green Industry Trends for 2019”
“5 Major Social Trends Important to the Landscape Industry.”
