Balancing Act: How to Balance Hardscape Design with Plants

So you’ve finally saved up to create the landscaping of your dreams - now you just need a plan. With so many options to choose from, it can be difficult to pick greenery and stonework that are perfect for your home. One of the most difficult questions remains: How do we balance the hardscape design with plants?
 
If money were not an issue, hiring someone to design your perfect outdoor area would be ideal. In our current economy, however, it may not always be feasible to pay someone to create your outdoor oasis. It’s you time to shine, weekend warriors!
 
We’ve collected a few tips to think about when combining hardscape with plant features. Use these tips to construct a beautiful outdoor landscape filled with both stone structure and natural elements!

• Picture it.

When you paint a room, you think long and hard about the shade of blue, the depth of the grey, right? You agonize over the paint swatches, holding them up to the wall and standing back to see if you can picture it… The same goes for your outdoor decorating. If you are looking for a certain ambience in the yard, you need to picture the color scheme of the stone and plant combination, picture the way the grasses will layer in front of the stone steps. How will the bushes look against the wood? Will the landing stand out enough? Ask yourself questions. Draw it out. Make a gameplan that you can see physically. The more you can visualize the end result, the more satisfied you will be with your product.

• Materials matter.

The experts typically recommend paying a little more now to save more in the long run when it comes to materials, and they’re right. Higher quality now leads to less need for repair in the future. Find samples of the materials you want to use so that you can take them to look at next to your plant selections. Do they look right? WIll they complement each other? Focus on the details so that when you step back, everything looks like it was designed with care.

• Create, not destroy.

An important mantra to recite to yourself as you construct your outdoor area is this: Be a facilitator of the beauty already there. Take care not to suppress the pre-existing natural beauty, but enhance it instead. Respect the area you build on. Remember the habitats of those already living where you plan to construct, and create a space for the continuation of natural processes. Incorporate the elements into your design so that nothing looks forced.
 
As you plan and design, keep these three tips in mind to help you balance the hardscaping with the plant life. Respect the natural elements while picturing a place touched with the hand of humanity. Happy creating!

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