Trending on the Land

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Demand in our Big Lake region keeps growing for landscaping and its close relative, hardscaping – outdoor living spaces such as patios, fire pits, fireplaces, kitchens, bars, theaters, walkways, pergolas and built-in seating areas.

“I think landscaping is trending, in part, due to the current real estate market,” says Mike Saline, owner of Saline Landscape & Design in Duluth. “People are

getting priced out of the housing market, so many people are investing back into the house they have. Landscaping is an area where people are choosing to spend money on upgrades.”

The COVID pandemic also fueled increased interest, Mike says.

“During the pandemic, people spent more time at home, and many are still working at home or even laid off. Creating an outdoor living space adds another ‘room’ to the house, but at a fraction of the cost of an addition.”

Owning a design/build firm that employs eight people and has been in business since 2009, he sees another trend, too – more requests for ecologically friendly landscaping.

Other local companies note popular trends among residential and commercial landscaping clients from technology (think lighting) to edible gardens.

Jon and Lynette Hanel own Northern Connections Landscaping, Evergreen Products and Greenhouse in Two Harbors, Minnesota. Working together since 2000 with their two sons, Devon and Isaiah, this family-run business offers the full gamut of landscaping services and operates a small greenhouse with retail sales plus plants for installations. Jon sees a big trend toward more natural spaces.

“People are shying away from large lawns with the heavy use of chemicals and maintenance. People are trending more toward less demanding native plants.”

Same goes for Cole Sicheneder, owner of CHS Superior Landscaping in Duluth, which offers services across Minnesota.

“A lot of people here in Duluth are requesting a more natural look, with natural walkways and clean-cut lines.”

Cole, just 22, opened his business in August 2020 and employs a crew of 10, most of them students at the University of Minnesota Duluth. “When I attended UMD, I realized there was a shortage of part-time and flexible work for students in the area. So that became my priority.”

From his clients, he notes, come “lots of requests for pollinator gardens to attract butterflies and bees.”

These local landscapers note several trending interests for Big Lake-region home and cabin owners.

Shoreline preservation

A Minnesota DNR publication, “Restore Your Shore,” says of most yards, “A residential lawn provides little wildlife habitat, has shallow roots that don’t stabilize soil and demands artificial inputs for its maintenance, such as fertilizing and mowing.  A diversity of native plants will naturally provide better wildlife habitat, protect and build soil, and filter polluted runoff through the soil.”

Paul Radomski, a research scientist with the DNR’s Lake Ecology Unit in Brainerd, says many

people recognize responsible shoreline landscaping should keep ecology in mind.

“The three principles of landscaping at the shore include asset protection, asset creation and connecting people with nature,” he says.

Paul offers a few tips for home or business owners. “You’ll want to manage water runoff so it gets into the ground close to where it falls. This way, it’ll get filtered and remove pollutants. Another tip is to put a buffer strip of vegetation, such as native trees, shrubs and flowering plants along the water line to help slow down the water runoff.”

Protecting the water through landscape creates beauty, adds privacy, reduces erosion and develops habitat for birds. “It also means you can quit mowing along the shoreline,” Paul adds.

Eco-Friendly Options

Shoreside homeowners are not the only ones keeping ecology in mind when choosing home landscapes.

Mike Saline notes that many of his clients want to convert from a lawn to native plants and meadows.

“Most native plants are very drought-tolerant and require little maintenance.” he says. “Last summer is a good example; we were largely in a drought. Native plants provide a more sustainable landscape.”

Requests for pollinator gardens are also on the rise.

“People want to attract pollinators like birds and bees,” Mike says. “The client can feel good about what they’ve installed, and we like to think we’re stewards of the Earth, too.”

Dan Schutte, owner of Shoreview Natives in Two Harbors, grows a variety of plant species, including his top four best plants for pollinators: stiff goldenrod, purple prairie clover, narrowleaf mountain mint and milkweed. He sells them in local farmers’ markets and at the Whole Foods Co-op of Duluth.

“Our wheelhouse is doing no-chemical yard transitions from turf grass to native pollinator habitats,” Dan says. “We advocate for removing grass and planting wildflowers.”

Michelle Wietek-Stephens, owner of the fledgling Designs by Nature – Upper Peninsula Native Plants in Marquette, notes her clients are looking for native Michigan wildflowers, woodland plants, shrubs, grasses and sedges, all of which she offers through online-only sales that started in 2021.

In the Upper Peninsula, “native plants” mean something different than in the Lower Peninsula, where her father-in-law runs Designs by Nature LLC in Lansing.

“We have a different habitat up here, and we have different clientele,” she says, pointing out that many of her customers have large properties and want plants that will spread out to combat non-native invaders. What plants will survive in the U.P. also differs from lower Michigan. “We are several zones north.”

Attention to the plight of monarch butterflies and to bees have changed attitudes for homeowners and gardeners.

During her first summer in business last year, Michelle’s green house became a breeding haven for butterflies and dragonflies, among others. She noted in a blog last year the nursery’s plants were “Monarch Tested and Approved.” These monarch-friendly plants work well for landscaping and gardens.

Jon Hanel is getting requests for water gardens, a special installation where water collects and percolates through the ground. “It helps filter the runoff.”

Edible gardens

Edible gardens are another popular – and delicious – trend. “Most of our master plan designs include a vegetable garden,” Mike notes. “The tricky part is making sure you shield them from deer and rabbits.”

Jon says some native plant options serve multiple functions. He has been introducing blueberries into landscaping.

“People love blueberries. They’re a native plant, and they’re also really beautiful. Strawberries also work well as ground cover. Herbs and cherry tomatoes can be grown in containers on a deck, and elderberries have become more popular, too.”

Cole says he’s fulfilled requests for installations of tomato, pumpkin and pepper plantings.

“People like to provide food for their families,” he says. “It offers them a sense of security.”

Technology

Technology may not immediately come to mind when talking landscaping, but advancements have created options, these experts say.

“Home technology is becoming more popular,” Mike says. “This includes lighting and sound systems that you can control with your phone.”

Jon also sees that trend in requests from customers.

“I’ve had a lot of lighting requests in the last few years. Solar lighting has come a long way in the last five years.”

Outdoor living spaces

“People really want backyard living spaces, including patios and firepits,” says Jon. “With COVID, people aren’t traveling as much.”

“New patio installations are huge,” Cole agrees. “People want exterior kitchens, bars and patio additions.”

Outdoor bars, pergolas and even outdoor TV watching areas are part of that hot trend in landscaping .

Popular materials for these spaces include natural stone, boulders and bluestone, Mike has found. Steel is in high-demand for finishes, including planters, fire rings, retaining walls and steps.

Like much of the business world, the local landscaping industry is experiencing challenges with supply shortages and delays, a lagging labor market and increased costs due to inflation.

“While there is a lot of demand for landscaping services, supply has been an issue,” said Hanel. “It’s been hard to get all of the supplies we need, and even some plants. The local labor market is still tough yet, and we’ll have to see what inflation does.”