When it comes to planning your next hardscape project utilizing the off season such as winter is a great time to do it. We often times over look a very important part of a projects installation and that is the planning stage. There are many possibilities and options to consider when we are planning. Things such as what are you planning on using the space for? Or is the size of my project going to be large enough to host the amount of guests that come to your annual get together? These are some options we will discuss when it comes to the planning phase of your hardscape project. Some of you may have purchased a shed in the past for example and by the time it was delivered and used you might have realized the next size up would have been the better option. This is something we want to avoid. Utilizing seating walls are a great way to add usable seating areas with out increasing the square feet of a patio and avoiding more chairs for seating as well. Planning also involves what type of landscape will be incorporated into the design. Whether or not to use natural stone or perhaps a paver. Since each Home or Business is unique we want to make sure that when everything is complete it is safe, beautiful and functional to your needs. 

Hardscape – What Does That Mean?

Hardscaping is a term that is usually used by most people to describe anything used in an outdoor space design that is made of natural materials, but not living materials such as trees, shrubs or other plants and grasses. “Hardscape” can include a large number of things. Paver walks, stone pathways,driveways, retaining walls, and patios are a few examples. Generally it’s going to be the structural part of your landscape. Consisting of pavers,blockwall systems and natural stone.

Landscape

Most people are more familiar with the term “Landscape” or “Landscaping”. These terms would refer to all your softer living materials. Plants, turf or sod grasses, and organic ground covering materials of many types can be considered landscaping. Landscaping will compliment a hardscape project when completed.

Landscaping and Hardscaping and How They Work Together

When a project is being designed it is very important that you take into consideration how the landscape and hardscape will be working together. You want them to flow with each other and compliment one another. Since landscaping is dealing with actual living plants its important to take into consideration how these plants are going to look now and years down the road. Its important that they don’t over crowd the walkways and patios. Or sometimes we want to create a “living fence” and variety and placement is even more crucial. When planning a walk way or patio we will often times run conduit under them to provide access for low voltage lighting or possibly access for irrigation lines. So as you can see it is very important to look at the bigger picture when planning a hardscape project. You generally want to mix hardscape and landscape together. It helps to bring out the characteristics and the beauty of the plant materials used and give the lawn and landscaping some shape and variety of texture, with more of a three dimensional look.Depending on each individual situation, we can easily find ways to use them together or separately while creating the most functional outdoor spaces possible.

When we are discussing and installing a hardscape project we are always excited to see what the new living space is going to be used for. We recommend Installing a BBQ grill, fountain, patio furniture or outdoor lighting to your project, this often times rounds out and complements a hardscape project. Whether your focus is food, safety, additional privacy, or just to kick back and relax these items will help you create a family friendly space for your outdoor living area, items like these will help you put the finishing touch to your hardscape creation

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