1960s Garden Trends We Still See Being Used Today

In the 1960s, the pursuit of the American dream was in full swing as families flooded suburbs in search of the perfect white picket fenced house — and, of course, the perfect yard. From formal spaces such as the White House Rose Garden, which was reimagined under the Kennedy administration, to the average Americans' own backyard, the 1960s brought a transformation of outdoor spaces, forging them into an extension of the home itself as an entertaining and living area. At the same time, Americans were also becoming more conscious of the ways that human activity can have negative consequences on the environment, with budding awareness of the harmful effects of herbicides and pesticides, and increased environmentalism culminating in the first Earth Day celebration on April 22, 1970.

And while the era that brought us hippie fashion and Beatlemania may feel like eons ago, a lot of the mid-century modern home fashions that were popular in the 1960s are actually still in vogue today — including many of the gardening and outdoor trends that originated during that period. From "needing" to have that perfect lawn to the undeniable urge for an outdoor pool, some of the defining aspects of groovy '60s gardens have simply withstood the test of time. Here are some of the most notable examples.

After World War II, more people began to swap cramped city apartments for sprawling houses in the suburbs. These larger homes also began to take on a new look, trading front porches and stoops, for big fenced-in backyards and patios. This also meant that outdoor entertaining began to change, emphasizing private, more intimate socializing in the back of the house instead of enjoying the outdoors in the more visible, public-facing areas at the front of the house.

The 1962 publication of biologist and conservationist Rachel Carson's book "Silent Spring" was a pivotal moment in the environmentalism movement, calling attention to the effect that chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides can have on the environment. Pesticides and herbicides continued to be routinely used in home gardens in the 1960s, but this was the start of more widespread aversion to overusing chemicals in favor of more eco-friendly solutions. Today, there are plenty of alternatives to harmful chemicals available, and many gardeners are turning to bioherbicides and natural pest control methods.

In the 1960s, Americans developed a renewed interest in Japanese-style meditation gardens, which began to spring up in public parks as well as university campuses. Two issues of "House Beautiful" published in 1960 instructed Americans on how they could adapt the Japanese design in their own homes and gardens. It's a gardening style that's still admired and sought after, with components of Japanese meditation gardens and Zen gardens — such as asymmetry, natural materials, and water features — still copied in backyards today.

In addition to putting care and time into their outdoor gardens, more Americans in the 1960s began taking some of that natural beauty indoors and incorporating it in their home decor. Houseplants became incredibly popular in the 1960s, with philodendrons and rubber trees surging in popularity among homeowners. Those are still trendy houseplant choices today for anyone going for the classic mid-century look.

Today, lawn care is a billion-dollar industry, with homeowners going to great lengths to keep lawns lush and well-manicured. The perfect lawn as a status symbol began taking off in the 1950s and 1960s, as suburban culture took over. The rising popularity of golf in the 1950s under avid player President Dwight D. Eisenhower, helped solidify the desire for pristine plots of grass, with newly-engineered species of grass making the perfect lawn an attainable reality.

With more disposable income and free time on their hands, Americans in the 1960s embraced DIY as a hobby and form of leisure, as well as a way to improve the look and function of their gardens. DIY magazines such as Popular Mechanics and Family Handyman offered tips and tricks for backyard projects, such as how to build garden furniture and umbrellas. Thanks to instructional videos on YouTube, many Americans are still confidently taking on DIY garden projects today.

People in the 1960s began to have more money and ability to travel to tropical destinations such as Hawaii, Florida, and the Caribbean — and they often wanted to replicate that vacation vibe in their own backyards once they returned. Pink plastic flamingos adorned lawns, while Hawaiian-style pupu platters and Polynesian-inspired dinnerware were served at barbecues. Today, you'll still find many folks looking for ways to transform their backyards into tropical getaways, from adding tiki bars to stringing colorful lights.

In the aftermath of World War II, grilling everything from meats to veggies and fruits became more than just a way to prep food, but also a national pastime. No backyard was considered complete without a full barbecue setup, and American retailers were pumping out all the bells and whistles necessary for outdoor cooking and dining. Mid-century barbecuing was often "manned by" men — with the grill the domain of the dads while women were relegated to the kitchen cooking up the side dishes — but today it's a delicious bit of backyard life that's open to everyone.

Today, about 8% of homes in the U.S. have a swimming pool, but in the 1960s it was just beginning to become a popular home addition. Previously a status symbol for the very wealthy, '60s innovations in pool-building materials made it cheaper and easier to add a pool to your yard than ever before, and more middle class families began to do so with gusto. But while the allure of having your own swimming area was certainly behind the rise, some of the surge in private pools in the 1960s may have also been racist backlash to the desegregation of public pools.

Rock gardens — which, as the name suggests, are gardens composed primarily of rock and gravel, often with plants that thrive in rocky soil sprinkled throughout — are a popular home landscaping choice because they're relatively easy to construct and are incredibly low-maintenance and drought-proof. But did you know that rock gardens got a major boost as a home gardening choice during the 1960s? During that decade, four significant books on rock gardening were published in the U.S., the most popular being "Rock Gardening: A Guide to Growing Alpines and Other Wildflowers in the American Garden" in 1968.