Looking to refresh your landscape design this year? You’ve landed at the right spot for the newest HOA landscaping ideas for 2024. Get inspired by our top landscaping trends from our distinguished designers. We asked our team what our hundreds of HOA clients across the country are requesting, and we collected the newest trends from national landscape industry shows and plant grower showcases we’ve attended. Innovative landscaping matters because as home shoppers take notice, demand for homes in your community spikes. And this leads to property values moving in the right direction. Up!
Staying on top of trends also helps navigate local watering restrictions and reveals cost-saving opportunities. The latest outdoor aesthetics go a long way toward keeping your residents happy in more ways than you imagine. (Especially with trend number six.)
#1 Outdoor Structures: Weatherproof Beauty
HOA communities are leaning into weatherproofing so residents can enjoy the great outdoors rain or shine. After being stuck at home during the early years of the 2020s, the outdoors became a treat, even if ‘the outdoors’ is only 50 feet from your mailbox.
Still, awareness of the dangers of sun exposure is higher than ever, so HOA landscapes are installing more shade structures in 2024. Residents can get outside while still minimizing risks of skin damage. Cost-effective sunshades that can protect large groups from UV rays are one of the coolest trends this year.
As for pop-up showers, automated pergolas are great solutions. Retractable systems with rain and wind sensors can open and close based on weather changes.
There’s less upkeep on these trendy ideas as long as you invest in materials built to last, like powder coating over paint or stain. Also, fewer plants are needed in the space occupied by a gazebo. HOA landscape maintenance is reduced since gazebos require no watering or fertilizing!
#2 Innovative Stonework: Rockin' Landscapes
Will retaining walls ever go out of style? Not as long as HOAs have to battle drainage issues. Lucky for us, creative stone designers keep coming up with artistic ways to make functional walls visually appealing to all. Stonework in 2024 is showcasing a wider array of colors, textures, and materials.
A similar trend is happening with mulch taking a backseat to landscape rock in many regions. A major function of mulch is to retain moisture, but when drought conditions call for fewer plants, mulch isn’t the only option for a community’s landscape beds.
Not to pile on mulch, but landscape rocks and decorative boulders have additional advantages. Heavy rains can wash out mulch, and the color is prone to fading. You might even have wildlife digging into soft mulched areas.
HOA managers do have to weigh upfront costs versus potential long-term savings. But decorative boulders require no man-hours to maintain after they’re installed. That’s not the case with plants and annual flowers.
#3 Color Trends & Combos: A Big Splash
New HOA landscaping ideas should incorporate the new year’s colors that are catching everyone’s eye, right? 2024 is no different, as we’ll see with Pantone’s Color of the Year in a moment. The thing that trips up some HOA managers, though, is focusing only on flower colors. Expand your options with:
- Foliage colors
- Plant container color options
- Outdoor sculptures in unique shades/tones
As for specific colors? Pink is always welcoming, while red is usually only prominent during winter holidays. Black, white, and gray are the hottest trends for patios and flower containers. Just be aware that landscaping color choices can turn on a dime based on several factors.
And yes, Peach Fuzz is as trendy as you can get when it comes to HOA landscaping ideas. It’s Pantone’s 2024 Color of the Year, and Pantone’s notes on it are:
- Warm and cozy
- Mix between pink and orange
- Clean peach tone with a vintage vibe
Two flowers closely matching Peach Fuzz?
- Giant peach sunrise mandevilla
- Granvia peach keen strawflower
#4 Contemporary Landscape Designs: Sleek & Shapely
New contemporary designs are popping up everywhere currently, but here are some dominant features:
- Geometric shapes
- Modern-styled pavers
- Cubed containers
- Unique pathway angles
Natural curves found in the landscape will always be timeless, but synthetic or “no mow” turf is making its mark this year with sharper, distinctive angles that provide contrast to the organic shapes found in most outdoor spaces.
Now, let’s do some saving.
#5 Native Planting & Sustainability: Save Money & Resources
Yellowstone Landscape encourages our clients to use native plants when possible. We even have a team dedicated to native planting and sustainability. And why not? Native plants are a forever trend with concern for our planet rising. Plus, native plants pack a punch for improving HOA communities’ landscaping.
We promote native plants because they’re:
- More drought-tolerant
- Natural pollinators for bees and butterflies
- Super-resilient to seasonal changes
Careful though. Native plants don’t always provide the same look some HOA neighborhoods are seeking. Many residents expect a manicured look that puts five-star resorts to shame. So, when you’re on the HOA board, keeping residents’ preferences top-of-mind keeps complaints low.
Our Lead Landscape Designer, Jack Simmons, who specializes in both commercial and residential design, enthusiastically shares his passion for native plantings: "With increasing regulations on water usage in states and cities, native plants emerge as a fantastic choice for conserving water."
Now, let’s explore some awesome native plants that are great ideas for HOA landscaping. These plants are native to three of our Yellowstone Landscape locations. Remember that contacting a local landscape designer gives you vital details versus a general list of native plants. Find Yellowstone Landscape’s nearest branch.
Native plants for:
Atlanta, GA
- Silverbell
- American hazelnut
- Red maple
Las Vegas, NV
- Pink fairy duster
- Barrel cactus
- Joshua tree
Columbus, OH
- Black-eyed susan
- Red-osier dogwood
- American beech
#6 Outdoor Well-Being: Enviro-Mental Health
Boosting your community's well-being is not only a popular HOA landscaping trend this year but also a stress-free way to do so! Start by expanding your current outdoor spaces, creating comfortable seating areas at clubhouses or within the blossoms and trees. This approach not only welcomes residents seeking relaxation but also offers opportunities for them to connect with their neighbors.
If your HOA is looking to invest in more ways to enhance well-being and improve mental health in the community, consider these ideas:
- Community gardens
- Cold plunges and saunas
- ‘Zen-hanced’ spaces
- Outdoor yoga areas
- Water features
- Picnic areas
We believe a healthy community starts with healthy individuals. These outdoor trends help reduce anxiety through mindfulness and being around like-minded neighbors.
Just spending time outside among flowers and greenery has been shown to improve our health. Studies show green spaces at school positively impact children, and trees have the recordable effect of lowering blood pressure in adults.
Fresh HOA Landscaping Ideas Recap
Recapping our top trends to spark your HOA landscaping ideas:
- Outdoor structures
- Innovative stonework
- Color trends & combos
- Contemporary landscape designs
- Native planting & sustainability
- Outdoor well-being
The good news for HOA boards and managers? These trends produce landscaping ideas that can save you money on your HOA landscape maintenance. They should also boost curb appeal at every address, resulting in increased property values. Plus, beautiful, innovative environments put smiles on residents’ faces.
The key is to not get overwhelmed. Think of your outdoor spaces as you would your home’s interior with a remodel or room addition. Look at outdoor areas as individual “rooms” that can easily be upgraded with a fresh coat of color, a splash of zen, or the perfect flowers for bringing a corner to life.
Want to chat about your HOA landscaping ideas? Get in touch with Yellowstone Landscape. Hundreds of HOAs across the country trust us with their properties, and we’d love to have you partner with us too. Contact us today for a quote.
