Hardscape

A landscape is never complete if its soft elements are not rightfully complemented by its hardscape. Hardscape or “hardscaping” consists of the inanimate elements of landscaping, especially any masonry work or woodwork. For instance, stone walls, concrete or brick patios, tile paths, wooden decks and wooden arbors would all be considered part of the hardscape. But hardscape goes beyond large-scale projects such as these. Any non-living ornamentation in your landscaping is, technically, part of the hardscape. Without the skillful arrangement of stone and other hardscape components, the most artistic of landscapes would lack a frame to set it off the plants tastefully and beautifully. When designing your garden, always begin with the permanent structures. Let the physical area and surroundings dictate the shape and form of your design.

Wooden structures can be used in the garden to provide support for plant material and to define the elements of “outdoor rooms;” the trellis becomes a wall, the arbor a door, the pergola a roof - a gazebo combines all of these. The design of these features should take into account probable weight loads from plants, natural forces of wind, moisture and sun and the properties of the wood itself. Including wooden structures in the landscape offers us the opportunity to recycle material from “nature’s garden” to our own.

Hardscape materials are as varied as your imagination. But for weight-bearing construction, you are safest with tried and true materials like stone, wood, cement and the like. Most folks like patios and shade structures. But even these can be built with creativity, forming them to original designs and choosing imaginative materials. Cement can be colored, stamped or imbedded. Mosaics, pavers, tiles, brick, colored gravel, crushed glass, etc. or a combination of materials can make flat surfaces swirl with interest. Consider adding structures for both usage and beauty.

Sample 1: Pergola

Sample 2: Pathway