Hardscaping is the term for man-made objects placed in the yard or garden. They are made out of hard materials, such as natural or artificial stone or wood. They add structure, interest, beauty and boundaries to an outdoor space. Moreover, hardscaping persists when the plants have gone dormant and ensures your garden is a place of interest even during the winter.
Hardscaping for Boundaries and Enclosures: Walls and Fences
Some popular types of hardscaping are walls and fences. Walls are often made of stone, brick or cement. Stone walls can be built with or without mortar, and some have spaces where plants can grow. Brickwork walls come in a great variety of patterns, including English, Flemish and running bond. Sometimes they’re topped with cement or stone slabs. Despite their tough materials, these walls can be wonderfully decorative. They can be curved, angled, or broken up to guide the eye to certain places in the garden or arranged to contribute their own beauty. They can also contain attractive open screen units.
Fences can be even more decorative. Made of woven panels, trellises, or pickets, fences can support climbing plants such as certain roses, clematis and honeysuckle vines. They’re often made of materials such as wood, wrought metal, vinyl or bamboo, with the last one common in Japanese-themed gardens. Gates for fences or walls can also add beauty to an area.
Retaining walls help create different levels in the garden and often have steps. These structures are major undertakings and need to be installed by a professional landscaper.
The Garden Path
The garden path leads a visitor into the garden itself and then from one area of interest to another. Materials that make up garden paths range from flagstones to Belgian blocks, gravels, cobbles, and wooden slats. In addition, regular bricks can be set in many patterns. Paths can also be made of mixed materials, such as bands of Belgian blocks with cobblestones between them or repurposed railroad ties on beds of gravel. These paths are often softened by planting flowers and shrubs.
Hardscaping for Rest and Relaxation
Places in the garden where people can relax include decks, patios, benches, garden rooms and gazebos. A pergola over a paved area can hold a couple of garden benches or an outdoor dining set. The pergola can be freestanding or can project from the house to shade the patio. Outdoor kitchens with chimneys and pizza ovens or a stone seating area around a fire pit can also enhance a garden area.
Hardscaping Just for Fun and Beauty
A collection of boulders can be softened by planting alpine flowers or installing a water feature. Other types of hardscaping are pools filled with water plants, fountains and of course, swimming or lap pools.
Call the Experts to Learn About Garden Hardscaping
Stone, wood and metal can add a great deal of charm to your garden or yard. To learn more about the beauty of hardscaping in Zachary, Louisiana, don’t hesitate to contact our professionals at SRP Landscaping.
