Help Your Customers (and Yourself) Get Ahead – Here Are the Biggest Landscaping Trends of 2026

While being a retailer can mean simply selling materials and tools to your customers, understanding the seasonal trends can set you apart. When you understand what your customers want, you can stock and sell more of those items. So, what is trending in landscaping right now? 

Landscapes as an Extension of the Home 

Landscape designers are seeing consumers turn away from flashy and instead move towards spaces that feel like a refuge (Odom, 2025). Many consumers want their yard to be a comfortable place to host their friends and family. But what this “refuge” looks like can vary. Some landscape designers are seeing more homeowners who want comfortable spaces where they can reconnect with nature (Jordison, 2025). Other designers are seeing a rise in homeowners who want wellness spaces for yoga and meditation. Either way, consumers want spaces to relax and reset.  

Natural Elements are Back 

Landscaping experts say that natural elements are on the rise. As far as hardscaping goes, there is a rise in flagstone and river rock (Dilmore, 2025), along with limestone and natural limestone (Odom, 2025). The rise in natural elements also applies to the actual landscape. Some homeowners are moving towards native plants that encourage biodiversity (Dilmore, 2025). At the same time, other homeowners desire biophilic designs that look nice and are edible (Jordison, 2025). These trends encourage a more “natural looking landscape that ties homeowner’s desire to use their landscapes as refuge and wellness spaces.  

More homeowners are stressing the importance of sustainability (and decreased water bills) through their landscapes. Homeowners are doing so through a combination of drought-tolerant plants, efficient irrigation, and soil to reduce water usage and environmental impact, referred to as xeriscaping (Dilmore, 2025). Not only does this save water, but it creates a unique, eco-friendly space. 

Automation, AI, and Apps 

Like almost every other area of life, technology is on the rise in landscaping. Many homeowners are embracing the ease and convenience of outdoor automation through water features, pool lights, and lighting that can be controlled from their phone (Odom, 2025). Many landscapers also predict that there will be an increase in AI technology in the landscaping industry. These “smart tools” provide precise data that helps them know what to plant and when to water. There is also a rise in eco-friendly, automated irrigation systems. Through drip systems, weather-based controls, and soil moisture sensors, these irrigation systems water at optimal times and can be controlled from an app (Dilmore, 2025). Smart tools and systems such as these can help homeowners and landscapers minimize water waste and provide insight to keep yards looking healthier for years to come.  

Overall, this year’s landscape trends are all about creating spaces that go beyond being “just a yard”, while promoting sustainability and efficiency. 

Dilmore, W. (2025, September 29). Landscaping Trends to Watch in 2026: The Future of Luxury Outdoor Living. Petrus Landscaping. https://petruslandscape.com/landscaping-trends-to-watch-in-2026-the-future-of-luxury-outdoor-living/ 

Jordison, T. (2025, November 24). 5 Uplifting Landscape Design Trends Set to Define 2026 – and Why Designers Say They’re Here to Stay. Homes & Gardens. https://www.homesandgardens.com/gardens/2026-landscape-design-trends 

Odom, J. (2025, December 29). Five Landscaping Design Trends for 2026. The Edge. https://blog.landscapeprofessionals.org/five-landscape-design-trends-for-2026/