These days, it seems that people are moving away from the traditional all-grass lawn and moving toward other landscaping.

Bob Stirling, owner of Stirling Landscape and Nursery in Center Township, said he has seen a trend over the past five years of people going for landscaping that requires little maintenance.

“A lot of people are moving toward decorative stone,” Stirling said.

One thing his company offers is a two-tone landscape featuring mulch and stones.

Another trend he has noticed is greater use of perennial flowers. Stirling said he normally pushes perennials as opposed to annuals, which have to be replanted each year. He said more people have been seeking fencing and hedges, as well.

Some people also are looking for more old-fashioned plants and bushes, and he also has seen blueberry bushes becoming more popular.

“A little bit of a trend there,” Stirling said.

Another option is thinning out older plants, which renews them. Stirling said this can be easier than getting rid of an old plant completely and installing a new one.

Another thing people seem to be using more these days is uplighting, which is decorative lighting that can illuminate the outdoor portion of a house or yard with different colors.

In addition to selling landscaping items, Stirling’s company also offers landscape design services.

“People need ideas,” Stirling said.

When people seek his services, he said they generally are looking for low maintenance landscaping and more color.

Dennis Culley, a master gardener with the Penn State Extension, said rock gardens are becoming more popular, too.

“The rock garden thing has kind of spread over the past five years,” Culley said.

Culley also said that raised gardens are becoming more popular.

When it comes to preparing for a change in landscaping, the first thing Culley recommends is a soil test.

Tests show the chemical composition of the soil and suggest what needs to be added to make it more viable.

“Soil preparation is the key, in my opinion,” Culley said.

The second thing to do, Culley said, is to choose the right plant for the right situation. He said the soil test will help with that.

The third thing Culley suggests is choosing the colors of the landscaping.

When planning, he suggests making a sketch.

Placement also is important. For plants that prefer a lot of light, Culley said they should be planted facing south. Plants that do not like a lot of light should be planted facing north. Plants liking partial light should be planted facing east, he said.

Most of these landscape options require a lot of up front work, but then a lot less regular maintenance than traditional grass lawns.

“It’s a lot of work in the beginning, but (later), people really seem to enjoy it,” Culley said.