The results are in from the 2014 Residential Landscape Architecture Trends Survey, conducted by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). And the data shows that the most highly anticipated trends for gardens and outdoor spaces include low-maintenance landscapes and native plants.

More than 75 per cent of respondents predicted that food and vegetable gardens, including orchards and vineyards, will be in demand this year. Outdoor lighting was rated as another key trend area for homes in 2014, with 98.3 per cent of respondents rating it as very important.

Seating and dining areas were voted as the next most in-demand element (97.7 per cent), followed by fire pits (95.4 per cent), grills (94.3 per cent) and installed seating such as benches, ledges, steps, and boulders (89.6 per cent).

The most in-demand eco-friendly design elements of the moment include drought-tolerant plants, with 88 per cent of respondents rating it “very important”, and water-efficient irrigation systems came in at 84.5 per cent. Finally, permeable paving at 78.9 per cent and recycled materials at 65.1 per cent are the other popular elements that will help American homeowners reduce their environmental footprint.