Believe it or not, contemporary gardening and landscaping trends are a lot like contemporary fashion design trends. Some things are “in” while other things are “out” -- and what's hot or not changes year to year. As the move toward eco-friendly spaces increases, gardens across the globe are also turning a fine shade of green. Here are some trends to consider while planning your spring gardening and landscaping.

• Bye-Bye Pesticides: People are a lot more health conscious than they were a decade ago, which is why contemporary trends include pesticide-free gardening and landscaping. Gardens that don’t rely on chemicals to grow are sprouting all across the world.
  
  
• Local Is Where It’s At: Gardeners have begun using more native plants and growing a lot more vegetables. This trend makes a lot of sense, since growing your own veggies will ensure that you’re eating local, non-commercial products, while planting native plants means that your garden will grow big and strong.
  
  
• Different Designs: Modern gardeners use the land that they have rather than try to create a perfectly square garden patch. Whether your outdoor space includes a sloping hill, a curvy front yard or a concrete backyard, make do with what you have.
  
  
• Light Up the Night: This trend is interesting, since it also reflects upon current times. Home gardeners don’t have as much time as they used to, since they usually are at work during the day. The solution to this problem is clear: Use lots of gardening lights to light up your space. This way, you can garden at night as well as during the daytime.
  
  
• Creative Color: While terra cotta and natural stone were all the rage a few years back, today’s garden accessories and hardscape have moved toward more color. Look for contemporary bright hues  in gardening stores all across the nation.
  
  
• Mirroring Minimalism: Garden design trends have followed interior design when it comes to a minimalist approach. Less is most definitely more, so choose only a few select pots and trinkets for your garden.
  
  
• Entertaining Effects: Entertaining guests in the garden has caught on in a big way. Thus, a contemporary garden design trend revolve around setting up your backyard for entertainment purposes.

Whether you choose to follow gardening and landscape trends or just stick to your own tried-and-true style is up to you, but it’s always fun to experiment with a creative garden space. Need a little help? Hire a landscaper to update your outdoors.

Harriette Halepis writes for networx.com.

Updated November 11, 2018.