Conducted in December, the informal poll asked leading landscape architects about the top residential and commercial trends for 2008. ???Homeowners are reconnecting with their outdoor space, often in creative and imaginative ways,???? said Perry Howard, FASLA, president of ASLA. ???It???~s no surprise that people want to take elements that work so well inside their home and recreate them outside.????

Additionally, landscape architects anticipate a revival of the garden. Lawn maintenance costs????especially irrigation????will lead homeowners to consider water-saving features and less of the traditional grass lawn. Instead, gardens will increase in prominence while incorporating more native and drought-resistant plants. These same features can also make a home???~s landscape significantly more sustainable.

Cost mitigation will be a major consideration among commercial clients this year as well. Building owners will also use more porous paving and bioswales to manage stormwater runoff. All of these elements fit into another trend for 2008: more commercial clients obtaining certifications from green rating systems, such as the U. S. Green Building Council???~s LEED metrics.

???More and more landscape architects see a demand for incorporating and quantifying sustainable design????especially on the commercial side,???? Perry added. ???This is one reason we are creating the Sustainable Sites Initiative, which will give clients and designers the tools and best practices for designing energy efficient, environmentally friendly landscapes.???? Sustainable Sites is a partnership between ASLA, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and the U.S. Botanic Garden to create a green rating system for sustainable landscape design in all types of projects.