Hardscaping refers to hardscape materials integrated into a landscape, such as rock, concrete, stone, tile, or any other hard surface. It refers to any material that is used to create structures that will stand the test of time and hard work. These structures may be very attractive at first glance, but the trick is in knowing how to properly hardscape a landscape to create a long-term effect. Landscaping should not be taken lightly. In addition to the aesthetic beauty of a well-planned and executed landscape, it can add significant value to your home. Therefore, if you are considering adding a hardscape to your property, you should take several steps to make sure that it will withstand the elements.
One of the first things that you should do is to identify the major threats to your new hardscaping project. What environmental factors or events are most likely to harm your new landscaping? A hardscaping should not be vulnerable to these events because they are the ones that will eventually destroy most of your landscape investment. For example, if a major river overflows, the resulting flood could completely destroy any landscape investment. Other elements that pose threat include wind, rain, sun, tree limbs, frost, ice and termites.
Once you have identified the possible threats, you should then start evaluating the threat potentials of your hardscaping investment. This can be done by looking at your climate, soil type, topography, lighting conditions, utilities, street conditions, etc. To determine the suitability of your landscape for each of these elements, you can use a photograph, or better yet, draw an actual plan of your hardscaping. Once you know the elements that you will have to deal with, you can start making arrangements for proper landscape integration. The key is to strike the perfect balance between the various elements.
One fun fact about landscapes is that they require much more maintenance than a softscape. Since the landscape requires more attention to detail and upkeep, it may be a good idea to hire a landscaper to ensure proper implementation of your hardscaping project. There are also many online resources that you can use in order to determine the correct hardscaping elements to integrate into your outdoor space.
Another fun fact about hardscaping allows for you to incorporate your hardscaping into the design of your landscape, thereby integrating your hardscaping project into the overall theme of your yard or garden. For example, if you want to create an outdoor play area for your children, you can choose from many fun landscaping elements, such as trees, swings and slides. A well-designed play area will encourage children to spend hours of fun outdoors and will ultimately enhance the quality time you spend with your kids. This is also a great way to get your kids out of the house and spend some quality time with you.
Landscaping can also be incorporated into the design of your landscape design. In fact, the mere inclusion of hardscaping elements into your landscape design can have a multitude of effects. For example, walkways are an excellent addition to any yard or garden. These non-living elements give you the opportunity to showcase your hardscaping elements, and in so doing, add functionality to your yard or garden. Walkways, as well as other hardscaping elements such as stone pathways, can be used to bring your hardscaping elements into direct contact with your guests, visitors, and children. In this way, walkways can serve as a fun way to engage your guests and invite them to relax and enjoy your hardscaping elements, and in turn, give you the opportunity to give them a sense of fulfillment while taking part in your landscape design.
Retaining walls can also serve as a great way to enhance the aesthetic appeal of your yard or garden. In fact, hardscaping walls can serve as decorative landscaping elements on their own, or they can be used to define portions of your yard. Retaining walls are most often used to partition outdoor spaces such as patios, decks, or porches. In addition to adding an aesthetically pleasing feature to your landscape design, retaining walls also help to retain the moisture in your soil, which can save you money in the long run due to reduced water consumption. As a result, it is in your best interest to carefully consider the location and type of your hardscaping walls in order to ensure that they do not become a nuisance and hinder the functionality of your yard or garden.
In order to achieve the optimal benefits from your hardscaping efforts, it is important that you incorporate the proper hardscaping elements throughout your landscape design. This can include a variety of different techniques such as incorporating rock features, using landscapes as stepping stones, planting landscapes along with stepping stones, and using low-maintenance landscapes in conjunction with your softscaping efforts. There is no limit to what types of hardscaping elements you can integrate into your landscape design, and they all have different levels of success. By learning how to best incorporate these hardscaping elements into your outdoor space, you will be able to enjoy all of the hardscaping benefits without spending more time on the task than you need to.