Market Trends of Garden Structures - Decks & Lattice

Landscaping is not just about plants and walkways. It also involves a number of Garden Structures, depending on the space and the desires of the land owners. You can tailor these to suit the home, using more rustic designs for a log home and more modern ones for a sleeker design. While larger gardens work well with multiple structures, such as multi-level decks or a gazebo and an arbour, a smaller space may have just enough space for a lattice and a bench.

Over the years, the popularity of various garden structures has changed, depending on the year and the season. For obvious reasons, anything to do with landscaping is more popular during the summer months when plants are growing and people are thinking about their garden. However, the popularity of decks and other garden structures also depends on the year.

Popular Structures

Before looking at which structures were most popular, it can be helpful to understand the different types.

Pergola: A pergola is a structure that offers a shady walk and is often used to transition between two spaces in the garden. It may be planted with a climbing vine or flower to create additional visual appeal and shade.
Arbour: This structure is meant to provide a quiet place to sit, out of the sun. While open enough to enjoy the fresh air, there are Arbours that are enclosed on three sides and others that close just two. It usually offers a nice bench, as well.
Gazebo: Traditionally round or hexagonal in shape, the gazebo is a covered structure that offers a place to hide away from the sun or rain, though with open sides. These frequently have seating inside, as well.
Play House: These structures are designed specifically for children and usually appear as miniature versions of a full size house. They are ideal for giving children their own space and the ability to play on their own.

Garden Structures in 2011

According a poll done by ASLA (American Society of Landscape Architects), certain elements were more popular in gardens throughout the United States. Fencing was one of the most common structures included in gardens, with Arbours and pergolas coming in right behind fences. Many people also added steps to their gardens, along with fountains and pools.

Decks were another popular garden features, along with porches, giving people more of a chance to spend time outdoors. Play houses for children, as well as swings, were requested by many landscaping clients and were slightly more popular than pavilions and gazebos.

While these numbers are based on U.S. landscaping polls, online searches indicate that these Garden Structures were more popular in 2011, as well, increasing in popularity from previous years.

Five Years Ago

Back in 2007, Arbours spiked in popularity among UK garden owners, while gazebos were slightly less popular at the time. In fact, gazebos seem to have hit their most popular moment in 2006, when searches for these garden structures went through the roof. Pergolas and garden arches also spiked in interest in 2007. Open structures, it would seem, were the hottest gardening item of the season.

Five years ago, decks were the most searched garden structure online, with play houses coming in close behind. In comparison, the other structures were not that popular, though the gap has narrowed considerably in the past few years.

While all structures tend to do well, decks are still the winning choice among many gardeners. While an Arbour or Lattice style pergola is also nice, it seems that simply having open space to enjoy the outdoors is a high priority for many, whether they live in a Log Home or something slightly more modern.