Find out what hardscapes can add to your landscaping

When you think of landscaping, you probably picture healthy green grass, towering trees, tidy shrubs, and colorful flowers. While these elements, referred to as softscapes, are an important part of landscaping, they don’t provide the whole picture. Hardscapes provide an equally important aspect of landscaping, adding a sense of balance and giving your outdoor space an anchored appearance. Here is everything you need to know about adding hardscapes to your Springfield, IL home.

What Are Hardscapes?

As the name suggests, hardscapes are the hard, inanimate elements of landscaping. These include walkways, pavers, retaining walls, gazebos, decks, driveways, and more; generally speaking, if an element of your landscaping isn’t a living thing, then it’s likely hardscape. Hardscapes can either be manmade, such as an outdoor structure like a pergola, or natural, like stone. Hardscaping enhances your yard’s usability and privacy while providing needed balance to your softscaping elements.

Adding a Hardscape Feature to Your Yard

As with any landscape feature, before you add hardscape, you want to consider the form and function you ultimately want it to achieve. Generally, hardscape elements serve a purpose, providing a bridge between a larger structure, such as a house or a garden shed, to a smaller landscaping element like a garden or a pond. Therefore, you should think of hardscapes as transitional elements, rather than as focal points that get all the attention.

It’s important that the hardscaping element complements and blends in with your outdoor décor. When it comes to choosing a hardscaping element, let your existing architecture be your guide. For example, a granite retaining wall would look out of place next to a rustic cabin dwelling, and an elaborate fountain would provide an unwelcome contrast to a quaint beach cottage. Choose materials and styles that will fit in and enhance your outdoor space.

Creating an inviting outdoor space that reflects and accommodates your needs and lifestyle requires experience and knowledge, and striking the right balance between hardscaping and softscaping elements can be a big challenge. At Land Design Landscaping, our experts are here to help you choose the hardscaping and softscaping solution that will increase the beauty, comfort, and value of your Springfield, IL home.

Contact us today at (217) 793-3920 to learn more about the services we provide and to schedule a consultation.