For many people, buying a home is a huge life milestone. Owning a space to make your own for years or even generations is something that many people spend years working towards. That being said, maintaining a home can be a huge undertaking. There is a lot of time and money involved in home maintenance, especially when it comes to your backyard.
When it comes to maintaining your backyard, you have to focus on two key things: hardscaping and softscaping. Softscaping refers to the living elements of your space; the trees, grass, and flowers in your space. Any maintenance involving plants or horticulture in your area can be categorized as softscaping.
What is Hardscaping?
Hardscaping, on the other hand, is the design of the hard parts around the outside of your home. This can include rocks, cement, mulch, wood, metal, the lay of the land that is man-made to stand the tests of time. Sidewalks, driveways, fencing, walls, and outdoor lighting are all parts of your hardscape.
When you add features such as a patio, deck, pool or fire pit to your home, you are hardscaping. Statues, pergolas, terraces, outdoor stairs, and outdoor kitchens are also included in hardscaping. Hardscaping adds value and visual to your home and acts as a foundation for your landscape.
What Are The Benefits of Hardscaping?
Hardscaping comes with a wide variety of benefits. First and foremost, it acts as somewhat of an anchor to keep your softscaping in place. Hardscaping can be strategically placed to counteract the effects of erosion and elements such as wind and rain to keep your plants safe, steady, and in place.
Hardscaping can also act as a deterrent for pests and can be built to keep animals away from any of your greenery. The materials used in hardscaping are carefully selected. For instance, if you want your space to soak up as much water as possible, you will hardscape with features made of non-porous material that will avoid taking any water from your plants.
Utilizing hardscaping techniques may also give you better use of your space. You can create walkways, gazebos, porches, and patios to better enjoy your backyard. Hardscaping can help the overall organization and cohesiveness of your area.
Another benefit of hardscaping is the time it will save you in the long run. Hardscaping will help preserve your area when done efficiently. This essentially means the time you need to spend maintaining your yard will be cut down sufficiently.
When it comes to your home, hardscaping is a great way to increase its overall value and curb appeal. A well manicured and maintained outdoor space is a huge selling point for buyers and will make your home look better from a bystanders perspective. Curb appeal is often a huge attraction for potential buyers, so if you are looking to sell your house, hardscaping is a great place to start.
How do I Hardscape Effectively?
To get the best use out of hardscaping, there must be a method to your madness. What do you want from your space? For instance, do you have trouble walking around certain areas in your yard? If so, putting in a walking path may be beneficial. Have you noticed that your plants are not holding up well in inclement weather? Fashion a barrier for them out of bricks or rocks.
Hardscaping does not have to be completely practical, either. It can also be used to bolster the visual appeal of your backyard. You can add a pop of color, a trendy rock garden, a fountain, or a gorgeous sitting area to make your space more attractive and welcoming.
It is important to look at the big picture of your hard before you choose elements for hardscaping. Create a plan mapping out all your wants and needs for your space and the materials you will need for each of these elements. Make sure that everything flows together and has a beautiful and balanced overall look. Consider the color scheme as well as how your new installations will look with the greenery you already have.
Effective hardscaping can pay off greatly in the long run, so don’t skip out on the planning part of the process.
Consulting an Expert
Because of the complicated nature of hardscaping, it may be wise to call an expert for help planning and executing the plan for your space. Installing concrete, walkways, and outdoor structures can be complicated. If you are looking to add hardscaping features to your lawn, and want help making the best decisions possible, contact Ohio Valley Group today.
We can take your backyard vision and make it a reality. Our team of landscapers will work with you to make sure that all of your wants and needs for your outdoor space are met as efficiently as possible.