Foundational elements combined with new technology are the themes that make up this year's list of lawn and landscape trends, according to the National Association of Landscape Professionals.

Here are the five trends NALP members predict will define outdoor spaces in 2020:

Lawn and Landscape Trends #1: Ornate Geometric Hardscaping

Intricate hardscape patterns - think waves, chevron, lattice and basketweave, which continue to show up in residential landscapes. These patterns mirror popular home decor patterns. And homeowners are taking them outdoors into their walkways, patios, retaining walls and fire features.

 

Lawn and Landscape Trends #2: Contemporary and Transitional Landscape Design

Homeowners are embracing simplistic designs with multi-purpose function. Outdoor kitchens serve as an outdoor entertainment and visually appealing space, but also function as a place to cook dinner. Contemporary sculptures or modern fire or water features add unique and fun elements to a landscape design. Also, transitional landscape design is part of this trend. An example of this would be native plants that can handle various temperature shifts.

Lawn and Landscape Trends #3: Bountiful Shades of Blue

Many of the companies predicting color trends are naming various shades of blue as their colors of choice for 2020. Sherwin-Williams is talking about naval, a strong and calming dark blue. PPG Paints is sharing Chinese porcelain, a cobalt and moody blue, as their top hue. As a result, industry experts predict blue will appear in the landscape. While not an abundant flower color, blue does appear in plants like hydrangea, delphinium, grape hyacinth and globe thistle. But blue can also crop up in other areas of the outdoors, including sculpture and water features.

Lawn and Landscape Trends #4: Your Style, Your Garden Design

Homeowners want gardens that do double duty. They want them to look aesthetically pleasing and also deliver the goods. The goods could be fruits, vegetables or herbs to add to those dishes they create in their outdoor kitchens. For those homeowners with smaller spaces, container and vertical gardens are trending.

Lawn and Landscape Trends #5: One Click, Remote Irrigation

Homeowners want to nourish their landscapes and save water at the same time. Today's latest irrigation technology allows them or their land care professionals to control irrigation systems from anywhere. They do this via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and smartphone apps.