Water issues? Not in my backyard, according to the respondents of our U.S. Landscaping and Gardening Trends survey. Of the 1,600 Houzzers who are either planning, in the midst of, or recently completed an outdoor project, more than half are updating their yards to address drought (35%) or flooding (19%). Unsurprisingly, these issues are especially prevalent for those of us in California, where 70% of Houzzers updating their outdoor spaces are tackling drought, and in Texas, where 47% are battling flooding.
A third of us updating our existing lawns are reducing them (36%), and 16% are removing them altogether. This number jumps to 46% in California, where Houzzers are also twice as likely to substitute their existing lawn for a synthetic one. Additionally, nearly one in five Houzzers nationwide is installing a rainwater harvesting system as part of their outdoor upgrades (17%). Two in five of us updating our greenery are selecting drought-resistant (42%) or native plants (41%).
Beyond addressing water woes, Houzzers are keen on creating outdoor spaces that are low on maintenance and high on party potential. Seventy-one percent of us upgrading our outdoor spaces most value an easy to maintain space when it comes to functionality. Areas that are easy to entertain in (60%) and easy for the entire family to enjoy (48%) are prioritized next.
These values make sense, considering how much time we spend outside. Over half of us upgrading our outdoor spaces spend six or more hours there per week (51%). Relaxing (65%), gardening (48%), and entertaining (47%) are the top three uses of outdoor areas.
For more insights from the report, see the full 2015 Houzz Landscaping & Garden Trends Study.