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 Beautiful landscapes are filled with rolling lawns, lush plants, leafy trees and blooming flowers. But hardscaping can pave the way to a spectacular landscape. Hardscaping is the construction part of landscaping, using man-made or altered features. These can be structures such as decks, gazebos, playhouses, tree houses or sheds. Other hardscaping features include retaining walls, ponds, fences, pathways, patios, driveways, fountains, statues and other items. As a rule of thumb, hardscaping and landscaping should complement the style of your home and its surroundings. Whether formal or informal, the landscape style is usually defined more by the hardscape features than the plant materials. So, if possible, it is better to start with a hardscaping plan and then incorporate plants, trees and flowers.
Hardscape features not only add beautiful form to your home, but can also be functional. Retaining walls can prevent erosion or accommodate steep slopes and provide flat planting areas above the wall. Dry steambeds collect and channel water runoff to prevent damage to your home. You may want to consult with a landscape architect or designer to make sure that functional hardscaping is engineered and built according to approved building standards. And they can recommend the best materials to use for strength and appeal.
Hardscaping features can be made to blend in with their surroundings, based on the type of materials used, along with their colors and shapes. Formal hardscaping usually consists of stucco, concrete or brick features. An informal atmosphere can be created using wood or other natural materials. Stone or wrought iron is versatile so they can be used in both formal and informal settings. When it comes to shape, straight or crisply defined lines are often seen in formal settings while curves or soft edges are more informal characteristics. Any color can be used in either setting, although they should be in harmony with your home and surrounding area.
Whether you have a natural woodland garden or a formal English garden, a meadow or a cottage, there are some hardscaping features that should always be included.
Every house needs a beautiful entrance to welcome guests. The entrance can be columns of stone or a casual gate, an arbor or a stepping stone pathway.
If your landscaped area is large, you want to be able to walk through it to enjoy the beauty and have access for maintenance. Pathways should be wide enough for two people to walk side by side and should be made of materials that provide good traction. Edging is also important to contain soil or mulch.
To create a peaceful setting, some water feature should be incorporated into your landscape. This can be anything from a wall-mounted fountain to a large, formal fountain; a pond with a waterfall to a pondless waterfall.
And to complete your landscape, you need some accessories such as statues, birdbaths, birdhouses, sundials, water jars and windchimes.
By using some of these hardscaping features, you can add a whole new dimension of color, form and visual impact to your outdoor living space. For larger projects, you may want to consult with a professional hardscaping company.
Resources
DeMichele, Inc
610-361-7832
www.DeMicheleInc.com
Evergreen Hardscaping
302-633-1810
www.evergreenhardscaping.com
P.S. Davis Inc.
610-827-2225
Schnatz and Rohrer
610-696-5108
Thornbury Services
610-793-2933
Landscape Solutions
610-722-0336
www.mylandscapesolutions.com
Photo Credit: P.S. Davis, Inc |
