Now is the time of year many homeowners are contacting us to start planning changes to their yards for spring installation. There are many reasons to do so, the main ones being making the yard more attractive, easier to care for, and more usable.
There are numerous elements that are essential in order to make your landscaping functional as well as beautiful. Elements such as trees, benches, plants, and chairs (and if you are really enthusiastic, even a fountain or two) are necessary elements. But one area of a landscape that is often overlooked is the potential of hardscaping.
What Can Hardscaping Do For Your Property?
Hardscaping is the use of non-living elements such as stone, concrete, wood, and other materials to provide non-growing spots in a yard. Although hardscapes are often overlooked in landscape planning, they are just as important the living portion of your landscaping, especially when it comes to functionality.
In many cases hardscaped surfaces such as a rock wall will create the ultimate backbone of your landscape. Most of the times a hardscaping element such as a retaining wall will help define that outdoor room of your home. A patio or walkway leading from your back door can create a seamless transition into nature where you can bring your guest for a lovely evening of entertainment and food.
Hardscaping can produce features in your yard that will allow you to enjoy the recreational activities outdoors or just sit back and relax enjoying your beautiful surroundings. In other cases hardscaping can also be used simply to enhance the visual appearance of your landscaping through the use of texture in order to create proportion and symmetry within the area.
There are many additional benefits that come with hardscaping that are also overlooked such as:
- Decreasing the erosion on such properties that have slopes or the soil is uneven
- The increase of the property value
- It requires less maintenance
- Reduces the amount of water that is needed in order to maintain your landscaping
If you are considering updating your current hardscaping, or if you are considering incorporating a hardscaped area into the landscaping that already exists in your yard, contact us at Architectural Landscape Design. We would enjoy discussing how we can work with you in achieving that perfect look for your property. We are pleased to provide you with answers to any questions you may have, suggest design ideas, and complete the installation when you are ready to go forward. For some inspiration, visit us on Pinterest and check out some retaining wall ideas.