Outdated Backyard Trends to Avoid in 2026

Backyard trends are different from fast fashion – once implemented, the changes made to your turf are often sadly irrevocable. When planning your garden, it’s important to carefully consider which trends are appealing, especially those that require large-scale undertakings. There’s always that neighbor that starts out with building a deck, only to barely use it. 

Outdated gardening trends run rampant in every neighborhood, from lackadaisical hedges to woebegotten decks that nobody uses. Some gardens will need a complete overhaul, while others require just a few stylistic touches. Fortunately, even a small change can alter the style of your garden dramatically. 

Here’s a few outdated backyard trends and what to replace them with. 

1. Excessive Paving 

In the past, backyard designs were broken up by vast expanses of concrete or stone pavers. Large, paved areas tend to feel cold, lifeless, and corporate, mimicking the isolating sprawl of urban life – the very antithesis of what gardens are supposed to embody. Moreover, paving over every inch of your backyard can disrupt natural drainage, increase runoff, and contribute to urban heat islands.

Alternative: Modern backyard design emphasizes balance. Instead of excessive paving, mix natural materials like wood, gravel, and greenery. Raised garden beds can help define areas, allowing you to forgo the use of mulch or paving. 

2. Red Mulch 

Another mistake is the tendency to use generic finishes in an effort to save money or take a safe, neutralized approach. Red mulch is on par with plain white bread and turkey sandwiches in terms of appeal in the yard, yet it is so ubiquitous that it strands flower patches in a sea of barren wood chips. It doesn’t integrate naturally in the environment, and in many instances, it is used as wayward decoration instead of support.  

Alternative: Natural hardwood mulch, brick mulch, and organic straw mulches offer a more natural approach. Some gardeners have opted to do away with their mulch beds and cover lawns with naturalistic plantings of wildflowers. 

3. String Lights 

String lights are admittedly less visually harsh than some of the other items on the list, creating a vintage, whimsical facade. However, the consensus is that unless it's well-executed, it can give off a cheap, noisy “dorm room” feel. 

Alternative: Subtle light sources like solar lights create a soft, impressionist atmosphere. Vego solar lights, intended to be placed onto Vego beds, do a better job of illuminating spaces and walkways. 

4. Green Lawns     

Green lawns are increasingly seen as a personal affront, as trends accelerate towards naturalistic plantings. Once all the rage at a time when perfumes, spray tans, and other synthetics were taking off, those chemical-laden lawns are now being consciously rejected. Most yards feature tiny strips of flower beds near the house, followed by endless stretches of lawns that require constant upkeep and mowing. Both the style-conscious and eco-conscious view those swaths of green as gauche, offering little in the way of biodiversity. 

Alternative: Trends have shifted towards wild lawns, where asymmetry and natural plantings dominate. Even partial removals and the use of ornamental grass will break up the drab monotony. 

 

5. Evergreens    

Evergreens are often used to fill the space, which, in plainer terms, mean that they are boring and lackluster. Evergreens, including yews, junipers, and arborvitae, are heavy offenders. The only merit is that they are deemed ‘evergreen,’ although that term seems highly misleading when they become worn, desiccated, and tinged with brown. Not only do they inform guests that your home is outdated, but they can look uninviting and downright hostile. 

Alternative: Flowering shrubs like hardy hibiscus and butterfly bushes can inject color, while colorful perennials and ornamental grasses contribute to a layered effect. 

6. Tiki Bars and Over-the-Top Theme Decor

Tiki bars and heavily themed outdoor spaces can easily make you seem like the life of the party – if that party was held in the early 2000s. Beachy themes, encapsulated in bamboo, folksy thatch roofs, and tropical décor were seen everywhere. However, such heavily themed backyards can be difficult to maintain, especially in colder climates like Chicago, where frost and snow take a toll. 

Alternative: Greenhouses, focusing on sleek designs, neutral palettes, natural materials, are in. The Victorian line borrows from the superiority of Victorian architecture, featuring fluid panes that let the light in. The larger ones offer a safe, secure place to relax and hang out, regardless of weather. 

7. High-Maintenance Water Features

High-maintenance water features are on the other end of another outdated trend – inflatable pools and overly small water features. They may make you seem like you’re living the high life, but in the end, they rarely get used and instead sit like those sad decks you spot in your neighbor’s yard. Fountains, ponds, and waterfalls that require significant upkeep, such as cleaning, chemical balancing, and filtration, also run the hazard of creating mosquito breeding grounds if not properly managed. 

Alternative: Smaller water features like prefabricated fountains, miniature ponds, and water basins are more sustainable. Most gardeners are after the relaxing sounds water features create, focusing less on the appearance, and will accept simple systems that feature submersible pumps.