Having an attractive landscape can increase the value of your property by up to about 15 percent. Are you looking to update your outdoor space?
You’ve probably heard the term hardscaping. Are you wondering what is hardscaping? Keep reading to learn the answer to this question and how hardscaping can add to your curb appeal.
What Is Hardscaping?
Hardscape refers to the physical structure in the landscape, whether they are for practical or decorative purposes. Hardscape includes things like:
- Benches
- Patios
- Driveways
- Walls
- Lawn statues
- Fences
- Pergolas and gazebos
- Decks
- Walkways
- Stairs
Basically, any non-living structure used in the landscape is considered a hardscape. It can be organic or manmade material.
Hardscape offers utilitarian, aesthetic, and practical elements to the landscaping process. Check out some great designs and hardscaping service ideas at hydrodynamicscorp.com.
What Is the Difference Between Hardscape Design and Landscape Design?
Landscaping is an umbrella term that encompasses all of the yard design and sculpting, including both non-living and living objects. Hardscaping is non-living structures, but landscaping refers to both the organisms and objects in the yard. Landscaping is the process of transforming the exterior of a property.
Landscaping refers to all the parts of the same process while hardscape refers to only the inanimate objects in the landscape.
What are Hardscape Elements?
By using hardscaping elements, you can provide function, break up space, or simply add some design elements to the landscape. For example, fences, walkways, and walls provide practical function, but you can also use designs to improve the overall aesthetic. In addition, you can use structures like pergolas and gazebos for relaxation and recreation, but they also add to the appearance of the lawn.
Working with a hardscaping company you can work to create structures with both hardscape and softscape to optimize your outdoor space and create a functional and aesthetically pleasing space. A skilled hardscape contractor can help organize your hardscape elements to make your yard look great and give you function as well.
Customize With Softscapes
After you get your hardscape design, you should also think about how to incorporate softscapes into your overall landscape design. Softscape refers to the living elements of landscape design—mainly, plants and trees of all kinds. You can complement hardscape elements with the right plants.
Softscape adds a natural and colorful flair to your outdoors. You can get creative with elements like integrated garden beds, vertical garden walls, pergolas, and more.
Softscapes provide additional benefits such as:
- Attracting wildlife
- Evolving natural designs through the different seasons
- Enhancing your yard with flowers, shrubs, trees, and groundcovers
You can use annuals that need to be planted each year, or perennials that will come back on their own year after year. Work with your landscaper to put together a design that highlights the blooms of all seasons like spring blooms and late summer blooms to keep your landscape looking great all year.
Take Your Outdoor Space to the Next Level
Now that we’ve answered the question, “what is hardscaping,” you can figure out how to incorporate it into your overall landscape design. Add some function, design, and more by choosing the right structures. You can really take your property to the next level with the right design.
Interested in other home advice? Keep exploring our site for more insight today.
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