When you hire a landscape architect, you might hear the term “hardscaping”. It is an ideal way to expand your living space outdoors with non-living materials such as stone. Images of a concrete jungle might come into your head but this is contradictory to how hardscaping can compliment your landscape. To maximize the use of your landscape, hard features are blended in with the living environment for function, low maintenance, and aesthetics.
Good planning is needed to add the proper balance in material and style. You should understand the size of the project so you can select the right materials. Some projects are smaller in scope and others larger.
3 Hardscaping Ideas
Functional Patios
A patio is the backbone of your outdoor living space. It is the gathering place for friends and family to enjoy the outdoors. It compliments your landscape by creating a transition from the inside to the outside. With hardscaping, you can add function with a relaxing sitting or eating area. Frame your area with a rock wall and use your natural landscape as the backdrop.
Since your patio will be an area of high traffic, flagstone is a favorite choice for the surface. It is durable and low maintenance. It is a good option no matter what size area you are working with. And the natural color hues help to transition from indoors to outdoors while providing many ways to be creative with the stone’s numerous patterns and uses. Mix in thin stone veneer when building luxury features like an outdoor kitchen or fireplace. And add in drystack stone for a bar.
Low Maintenance Lawn
Replacing portions of your grass with hardscape materials is becoming increasingly popular. Besides decreasing your maintenance and conserving on your watering needs, aggregates like river rock, pea gravel, and crushed granite can be a beautiful compliment to the rest of your landscaping.
You may already have an area where the grass is difficult to grow. Think of how much easier it would be and better it would look if you didn’t have to struggle with caring for those bare patches. Instead, redefine the area with stone or aggregates. If the area gets a lot of traffic, you can design a wide gravel area bordered by low maintenance plants or beds. For an area that is not used often, spread pea gravel and add iron or wicker furniture for a cozy resting place.
Walkways
A stone walkway can compliment a landscape by bringing diversity and creating a natural flow for traveling through an area. There are a number of hardscape materials with different shapes and sizes to compliment every type of outdoor environment. Design a simple gravel path for low maintenance and quick access through a landscape area. Or design an intricate stone walkway that leisurely winds through a garden with several drystacked stone water features and other points of interest. Plan a rock retaining wall as an added feature to compliment a property boundary. Your options are plentiful.
To design the best compliment for your landscape, the amount and type of hardscaping you add should blend with the surrounding area. You don’t want to overpower a quaint, cottage garden. Although you can still add in a strong structure such as a stone fireplace or wall to a small area, be creative with the greenery hanging or growing alongside the structures so that you maintain the cozy feeling. A scenic landscape that has more open space or a grand view is typically more suitable for standalone hardscape feature that creates a statement.
When you are ready to add in hardscaping to your landscape, Fieldstone Center has the natural stone, thin stone veneer, aggregates, and other materials for your project. Contact us at 770.385.7708 for more information.