Top Seven Hardscaping Tips and Pointers
Hardscaping is the term used when elements that are not found in nature are added into a landscape. When brick or stone walls, gravel paths, wooden decks, and concrete patios are added into either a back or front yard, hardscape has been developed. Conversely, adding horticultural or natural items such as flowers, shrubs, plants and trees to a landscape is called soft scaping.
Here are seven tips and pointers to help you with your hardscaping project:
1. Choose a Theme
Find a theme you want and focus on it, however, make sure that the style you have in mind does match your home´s exterior. It is also important to make sure that you don't have a mixture of elements in your yard which make it seem more like an outdoor museum or yard sale.
2. Look at the Big Picture
Even if you are unable to complete all of the necessary yard work at one time, it is crucial that you develop a plan for the entire yard area. Without it, one of your elements could end up being in the way of a pond or walkways that later down the line you decide you want to add. What you are looking for is a completed project that will not only last for years, but also one that you will love.
3. Take the Drainage into Consideration
How the water drains can be altered by hardscape elements such as a patio or a wall. By including components that are permeable, water will still be able to seep into the ground. On top of the, a very level and flat patio can very easily and quickly turn into a small swimming pool every time it rains so your patio should have a slight slope. Last but not least, do not forget to use a rain barrel to save that runoff.
4. Professional Advice is Always the Best
When making any extreme or drastic changes to your yard, it is crucial that your site is properly prepared. You will have to have a level surface that you can build on and you should know the depth in which frost penetrates the soil or where the freeze line is. The best way of obtaining that information is by speaking with and inspectors at your local building authority, you could also talk to someone at the state landscaping association in your area.
5. Follow the Curves of Nature
If a yard is made up only of straight lines, not only is it a bit boring but it also looks unnatural. You want your landscaping and the shapes of Mother Nature to coincide, in other words not all paths and sidewalk have to be linear. Allow for some of the items of your hardscaping project to gracefully sweep, bend and arc. Ninety-degree angles do not have a place in nature.
6. Save Some of Your Greenery
Use shrubs and flowerbeds to frame your hardscape; this will balance out the amount of vegetation to the surface. You can even add a small patch of lawn, not only is it beautiful but it is also a lot safer for children to play on the lawn instead of concrete. By using gravel or green rocks you are also able to tone down the transition from your hard elements to your natural plantings.
7. Go from Grass to Gravel
Those who are all about conserving water and eliminating the use of chemicals in their yards can opt for stone and gravel instead of a lawn. Once a bed of crushed granite, river rock or pea gravel has been laid out, you no longer have to fuss around with maintenance, that time can now be put to better by participating in fun activities.
Hopefully, the seven tips and pointers mentioned above will help make your hardscaping project much easier and more fun. Be sure to check out the video below for an awesome time lapse to get an idea of what complete hardscape installation looks like.
Want to learn about our wonderful city? Read about top 5 things to do in Indianapolis.
Here are seven tips and pointers to help you with your hardscaping project:
1. Choose a Theme
Find a theme you want and focus on it, however, make sure that the style you have in mind does match your home´s exterior. It is also important to make sure that you don't have a mixture of elements in your yard which make it seem more like an outdoor museum or yard sale.
2. Look at the Big Picture
Even if you are unable to complete all of the necessary yard work at one time, it is crucial that you develop a plan for the entire yard area. Without it, one of your elements could end up being in the way of a pond or walkways that later down the line you decide you want to add. What you are looking for is a completed project that will not only last for years, but also one that you will love.
3. Take the Drainage into Consideration
How the water drains can be altered by hardscape elements such as a patio or a wall. By including components that are permeable, water will still be able to seep into the ground. On top of the, a very level and flat patio can very easily and quickly turn into a small swimming pool every time it rains so your patio should have a slight slope. Last but not least, do not forget to use a rain barrel to save that runoff.
4. Professional Advice is Always the Best
When making any extreme or drastic changes to your yard, it is crucial that your site is properly prepared. You will have to have a level surface that you can build on and you should know the depth in which frost penetrates the soil or where the freeze line is. The best way of obtaining that information is by speaking with and inspectors at your local building authority, you could also talk to someone at the state landscaping association in your area.
5. Follow the Curves of Nature
If a yard is made up only of straight lines, not only is it a bit boring but it also looks unnatural. You want your landscaping and the shapes of Mother Nature to coincide, in other words not all paths and sidewalk have to be linear. Allow for some of the items of your hardscaping project to gracefully sweep, bend and arc. Ninety-degree angles do not have a place in nature.
6. Save Some of Your Greenery
Use shrubs and flowerbeds to frame your hardscape; this will balance out the amount of vegetation to the surface. You can even add a small patch of lawn, not only is it beautiful but it is also a lot safer for children to play on the lawn instead of concrete. By using gravel or green rocks you are also able to tone down the transition from your hard elements to your natural plantings.
7. Go from Grass to Gravel
Those who are all about conserving water and eliminating the use of chemicals in their yards can opt for stone and gravel instead of a lawn. Once a bed of crushed granite, river rock or pea gravel has been laid out, you no longer have to fuss around with maintenance, that time can now be put to better by participating in fun activities.
Hopefully, the seven tips and pointers mentioned above will help make your hardscaping project much easier and more fun. Be sure to check out the video below for an awesome time lapse to get an idea of what complete hardscape installation looks like.
Want to learn about our wonderful city? Read about top 5 things to do in Indianapolis.