Here are the major components:
- Softscape: Trees, plants, grass, mulches
- Hardscape: Sidewalks, walls and fences, pavers, rocks, decks and patios
- Décor: Water features, statuary, tree hangers, pottery, lighting
- Supporting Features: Birdhouses, beehives, feeders, tree houses, trellises
What is the difference between hardscape and softscape?
- It increases the value of your property. Creating a few structures outside your house adds more usable space to your lot, thus increasing its overall selling value.
- It provides additional entertainment options. ...
- It allows you to spend more time outdoors. ...
- It does not require too much maintenance. ...
How to choose the best hardscape materials?
How to Choose the Right Hardscape Materials
- Stone in Sustainable Gardens. Stone comes in a variety of looks, cuts, and shapes. ...
- Using Wood in Your Garden Design. Wood is a traditional favorite for all sorts of hardscape features. ...
- Concrete in Your Outdoor Living Space. ...
- Composite Materials. ...
- Using Brick in Your Landscape Architecture Design. ...
- Incorporating Tile in Your Landscape Plan. ...
What is the difference between hardscape and landscape?
When selecting softscape:
- Consider these the "soft" horticultural (living, growing) components of the landscape. These might include flowers, trees, shrubs, ground covers, etc.
- Change and evolve constantly, as they grow and adapt to climate and other conditions.
- Are softer to the touch, quite literally. ...
- A brick wall is not softscape.
What does hardscape mean in landscaping?
The term "hardscape" refers to all of the non-living elements in landscaping, such as a brick patio, a stone wall, or a wooden arbor. It is one of the two major subcategories of landscaping, the other being softscape. Softscape is all of the living and organic elements in a garden or on a lawn, such as trees, flowers, and grass.
What is considered a hardscape?
Any solid structure in an outdoor area that is not plant life is considered hardscape. Some examples of hardscape features include driveways, patios, fountains, fire pits, and walkways.
What does the term softscape mean?
Definition of softscape : vegetation (such as shrubs and flowers) that is incorporated into a landscape — compare hardscape.
What is softscape landscape?
A softscape consists of all the living elements within a landscape—trees, flowers, grass, shrubs and other plants. It also pertains to other aspects that fall under gardening, including weed management, the use of mulch and other tasks like mowing, trimming, grading, and planting.
Are rocks hardscape or softscape?
Hardscaping elements are non-living things such as pavers, rocks, concrete, fences, gates, fountains, and more. Softscape elements are living things such as grasses, flowers, groundcovers, shrubs, and trees. You need to consider the following differences between the two when designing your outdoor spaces.
What are examples of hardscaping?
Hardscape refers to the solid, hard elements in landscape design that stay the same for years. Some examples of hardscape are rocks, walkways, retaining walls, paver patios, outdoor kitchens, water features, decks and driveways.
Why is hardscape and softscape design important?
Together softscape and hardscape help make up your landscaping design, transforming your yard into a relaxing oasis, which can be used for basking in the scenery, to extend your living space, or for entertaining family and friends.
What is the difference between landscaping and hardscaping?
So landscaping is more about adding plants or other items to a space that create curb appeal, which means it's often done with an eye towards appearances whereas hardscape surrounds the house with things like concrete walkways, patios, or decks.
How do softscape and hardscape features of a production site differ?
Generally speaking, hardscape is the hard stuff in the yard – concrete, bricks, stone – while softscape is the growing element – plants, flowers, shrubs and trees. In many areas, hardscape defines the space, whereas softscape beautifies it.
What is hardscape in landscape architecture?
Hardscape is the “hard” features in your landscape. It is the heavier, unchanging, inanimate objects comprised of gravel, paving, stone and wood. Hardscape elements include: Walkways. Patios.
Is Pond a softscape?
Most fountains, pools, man-made streams and ponds require hardscaping to keep the water in the water feature, rather than draining away into the earth. Patios and decks are types of hardscaping, as are stone barbecues, some types of outdoor kitchens, and firepits.
What is the difference between Softscaping and hardscaping?
As the name implies, hardscape refers to hard elements of landscaping like paving, walkways, wall-claddings while softscape involves more living elements like soil, trees, flowers, grass, and shrubs. The combination of both Hardscape & Softscape concluded the perfect outdoor design for landscape.
What do Hardscapers do?
A hardscape installer builds concrete, stone, and clay segmental pavements and retaining walls to complement the landscape on residential and commercial properties. These career professionals install patios, walkways, steps, retaining walls, driveways, plazas, parking lots, and roads that add beauty and value.
What is hardscape design?
Hardscaping is a design that is constructed using both man-made and natural, non-living materials. This means landscaping details like concrete and stone walkways, retaining walls, patios, decks, potting containers, stepping stones, and other designs that use wood, sand, stone, brick, pebbles, metal, and other hard materials.
What is softscape landscaping?
Softscape is pretty much the opposite of hardscape. This trend in landscaping comprises the living, horticultural elements of landscaping design. It focuses solely on the plants. Examples of softscape include your lawn grass, flowers, trees, and any other living plants you have as part of your landscaping.
What is hardscape in indoor gardens?
You can use planters, pots, and other man-made details to turn your indoor plants into a gorgeous display that adds to your decor. Examples of inside hardscaping include pebbles, sand, shelves, racks, fountains, planters, and pots.
Does softscape work?
Softscape does a great job of softening the hard edges that hardscaping creates. For example, a patio is most likely all hard lines, and using flowers or other plants around a patio can blur the edges and bring the whole look together. It gives your landscaping a better flow.
Is hardscape good for drought?
The Positives. Hardscaping has quite a few positive qualities – it saves you water, the work you have done will last much longer than softscaping, and a lot of it is incredibly functional. This type of landscaping is wonderful in areas suffering from drought, and is also perfect in any type of weather.
What is a softscape?
Softscape. Softscape is the “soft”, living part of your landscape, the vegetation. These features may be permanent, such as shrubs and evergreens, or temporary like perennials. Examples of softscape include: Trees. Shrubs. Grass. Flowers. Vegetable Plants.
What is the ideal landscape?
The ideal landscape incorporates elements from both categories. A design that mostly focuses on rocks, gravel, a large paved driveway, and other stone features is hardscape overkill, which is hard on the eye. Conversely, a yard that is overflowing with trees, shrubs and flowers without any walkways or walls to break up the growth can look like an out of control jungle you want to steer clear of. The happy medium lies in a tranquil balance of soft and hard features that creates harmony. The result is an inviting space you and your guests will want to enter and enjoy.
What is softscape landscaping?
What is Softscape? The term "softscape" refers to the living, growing elements of your landscaping. These include trees, shrubs, flowers, grass, and all other horticultural components. In other words, anything that is "soft" to the touch and continuously growing is considered to be "softscape.".
What is the purpose of hardscape?
Outdoor Accessories. The main purpose of hardscape services is to give the landscaping structure and usability for everyday living. After all, plants and other softscape features add life to landscaping, but they aren't suitable for walking through or lounging in.
What happens if you add too much hardscape?
On the other hand, an overabundance of hardscape services can make your outdoor space look cold and unnatural.
How to design a hardscape?
1. Make sure that any hardscape you install in your lot has a purpose. Never put anything there just for the sake of having one . After identifying its reason for being there, then you can focus on how to make it more pleasing to the eyes. 2. Most homeowners match the hardscape’s design to the design of their house. This makes the whole property feel more seamless and harmonious. 3. Take into account the drainage system of your house. You can improve your drainage first to ensure that your newly-installed hardscape will not be flooded in the long run. 4. Incorporate curved edges to your hardscape’s design to give it a more organic or natural look. Straight lines provide an artificial appearance , although some prefer it that way. 5. Do not forget to find the right balance between hardscape and softscape. Include bushes and plants appropriately.
What is the best hardscape to put in a garden?
1. Stone fountain – This is a delightful piece of art if done carefully by an expert. Aside from standing out, it also provides a haven for visiting birds. Indeed, it is a wonderful hardscape addition to your garden.
What is hardscape design?
Hardscape is a critical part of landscape design, providing definition and a sense of organization to the natural areas and features.
How to use hardscape elements?
Hardscape elements can also define the use of a space, such as with a driveway, or it can lead visitors through different zones of softscaping, as with a gravel path that winds through a grassy area and into a secluded garden. There are so many ways to use hardscape elements to enhance your property: 1 Stone retaining walls create planting areas or convert a slope to flat yard space. 2 Concrete patios are the classic low-maintenance and versatile patio option. 3 Brick patios offer a more upscale and natural look than concrete. 4 Flagstone patios are the low-cost option for natural stone outdoor flooring. 5 Tile patios are a great way to dress up a concrete patio slab. 6 Stone walkways are ideal for garden paths. 7 Gravel paths have a "softer" alternative to brick, concrete, or solid stone. 8 Stone landscape steps have heavy stone slabs that make beautiful outdoor steps. 9 Metal fences include coated steel, which is the modern standard, but iron is still an option. 10 Wooden fences use the most versatile fence (and hardscaping) material—wood. 11 Wooden decks are hardscaping, too, just like patios. 12 Wooden arbors or gazebos enhance a landscape while providing shade. 13 Pergolas are arbor-like structures attached to the house or other building.
When to do hardscapes?
That is why most homeowners choose to get these jobs done during favorable weather—in spring or fall, or during moderate times of summer. Some hardscape projects are too physically demanding to complete with manual labor alone, and some require heavy equipment.
Is a pool a hardscape?
Water Features as Hardscape. It may be somewhat counterintuitive, but even water features used in your yard count as hardscape. These structures assume a variety of forms, both with and without fountains: With small water features containing a pool, the pool portion is often made with a preformed rigid plastic liner.
