subject: Hardscaping 101: Learning The Basics [print this page] Hardscaping is the term used for describing non-living things in the garden. This often includes paving, walkways, patios, and even benches, birdbaths and sculptures. By incorporating hardscape design in your lawn, you will add not only aesthetical value to your home, but monetary value as well.
Adding planters and sculptures
One of the main principles applied in graphic design and photography is finding a major element that would draw the audiences' eyes. Landscaping and hardscaping is the same, since careful planning is needed to keep everything in balance. Adding foliage and blooms on your garden can do a lot however, adding too many plants can make your yard look more of a rainforest instead of a garden. To avoid this, you can add additional elements, as well as texture and contrast to balance everything out. For hardscaping purposes, you can always add sculptures and big rocks to add more style and focal elements.
Keep the walls
If you want to add dimension to your own garden, it would be a good idea to add or retain walls. If you want, you can replace the back part of your garden with additional two short walls and add plants per level. This will allow you to maintain a certain theme, as well as put together same types of plants in different locations, without having to worry about making your garden look too dull and uniform. Curved walls on the other hand, will add somewhat a sense of motion through the addition of a curving wall or a terrace above your garden.
Another purpose of retaining the walls in your garden is for hiding your unattractive gray porch or foundation. They can also serve as a protection for the delicate flowers you have planted in your garden, from children or pets running around. If you want, you can also raise the surface of your soil, to keep the water from seeping into your home's foundation.
Paving
Another important aspect included in hardscaping is paving. This is another landscaping element that does not only serve the purpose of being a walkway but at the same time, protect your plants from being stepped on.
There are many materials that you can use for paving, with designs and styles ranging in different varieties. However, keep in mind that paving your yard would also create problems such as weeding and additional mowing requirements. This can be dealt with by setting pavers below grade, as well as leaving enough space for you to mow grass in. If this is not possible, you are left with no choice but to dig out your entire walkway space or patio to leave an area where you can lay out a weed barrier and add gravel, mortar, or sand between the pavers.
If you want to make the most out of your landscape garden, make sure that the hardscape design job is complete too, so that your garden will not look like much of a forest. By putting a separate element as your yard's main focal point, you can add more color, texture and style to your lawn.
