Hardscaping has become a big landscaping trend in recent years, especially for areas affected by droughts and have restricted water use. Residents in these areas had to pause and rethink how their landscaping should work without being able to water so much. Instead of letting landscaping dry out and die, leaving an unpleasant looking yard, a lot of people are implementing hardscape into their landscaping. What exactly is hardscape? Keep reading to find out!

All About Hardscape

Hardscaping deals with non plant design elements of landscaping, such as paved walkways, walls, patios, fences, lawn ornaments, and especially rocks. As one of the foundations and anchors of a landscaping plan, hardscaping should be planned and implemented before your start softscaping (which is all of your greenery you want to add). Hardscaping provides continuity from your home’s interior to yard, then from your yard to surrounding landscape.

Hardscaping not only beautify your outdoor landscaping, but also makes it more livable. You can use hardscaping to enhance privacy, creating boundaries, leveling out the yard, providing shelter, and depending on your preference, reduces lawn maintenance. Fences and walls can be used to divide up your yard for different purposes. Vegetable gardens thrive in hard surfaces, but you might still want some grassy area for pets, children, or just for eye appeal.

Does your yard have a steep or awkward hill, making it almost seemingly impossible to use? Depending on how steep the slope is, you can install a retaining wall to correct it. Retaining walls all serve the same purpose, regardless of the style. They hold back sections of soil so you can separate flat areas of your yard, and they also prevent soil erosion.

Hardscaping is also used to provide shelter for you and your friends and family. Gazebos? Those are technically hardscaping, as well as overhangs, which are two examples of hardscaping that will allow you to get out in the great outdoors and use your yard more! They provide shelter from rain, or provide shade during the hot, sunny, summer days.

Do you hate mowing the lawn week after week? Well, if the answer is “yes”, hardscaping is for you! Hardscaping cuts down on mowing the lawn and yard maintenance significantly. Paving walkways and laying down rocks instead of grass will greatly reduce the amount of grass in your lawn to little or nothing at all, providing an incredibly low-maintenance yard.

Finally, even some water features can be considered hardscaping. The types of fountains that feature hardscaping are stone fountains, ceramic fountains, DIY fountains, and clay pot fountains.

Before you go to your local hardware store and purchase a ton of rocks, it’s important to consider the functions of hardscaping and to talk to the professionals. At Water Solutions Company, we’re your go-to landscaping professionals in the Denver area! For twenty-two years and counting, we’ve been providing the best sprinkler and landscaping services. Our main specialities include sprinkler installation, eco-friendly landscaping and design, sprinkler blowouts, and other routine maintenance. Give us a call today!