How You Can Use Hardscaping To Create A Beautiful Backyard
Most of us dream of having a beautiful outdoor area at our home.
Outdoor space allows you to relax, enjoy nature, and connect with friends and family. Everyone looks forward to time spent like this, and having an attractive area to share with friends is always welcome.
However, at Zimmerman Mulch, we know that gorgeous backyards don’t just spring up from the ground. A lot of work goes into designing and implementing the outdoor area of your dreams.
Plus, sometimes, you don’t know where to start.
Because of this, we wrote this article on hardscaping, an essential landscaping element. This article will discuss hardscaping, some common materials, and how to implement beautiful hardscaping into your outdoor spaces.
Let’s get started!
What Is Hardscaping?
You may have never heard the term “hardscaping” before. What exactly is it?
Is it the same as landscaping?
Not quite.
Landscaping is a broad term covering “hardscaping” and “softscaping.” According to the dictionary, landscaping is “the process of making a yard or other piece of land more attractive by altering the existing design, adding ornamental features, and planting trees and shrubs.”
Hardscaping refers to the manufactured elements of landscaping. It is things like the concrete walkway, patio, or the stones along the edge of the flowerbed. It is just a part of the overall landscaping.
On the other hand, softscaping is all the living elements of landscaping - trees, flowers, shrubs, etc. It completes the picture when paired with hardscaping.
Which should you use, hardscaping or softscaping?
The truth is, neither hardscaping nor softscaping is better than the other, and they are best together. They balance each other out and create beautiful overall landscaping.
However, here are some questions to ask yourself when designing your landscaping to help you determine how much hardscaping/softscaping you need.
- Is your setting mainly natural or artificial?
If you live where there is already a lot of concrete, brick, and other manufactured materials, adding some natural softscaping will soften the landscape and add an element of nature.
On the other hand, if you live in a woodsy setting, some hardscaping will tame and sculpt the landscape and add functionality.
- How much upkeep do you want to do?
Softscapes are beautiful, but they take a lot of work to maintain. Meanwhile, once hardscapes are built, they usually take little to no maintenance. They don’t need watering or mulching and typically don’t require weeding.
PRO TIP: Mulching is one of the quickest and easiest ways to spruce your landscaping. Read our blog on mulch for some tips on mulching!
- Is your property flat or hilly?
Flat landscapes can benefit from some creative hardscaping. The hardscaping allows you to build up some areas, making your space more textured and inviting.
If your property is naturally hilly and rolling, it could benefit from some natural softscaping. Trees and bushes enhance hilly landscapes.
- Do you host a lot?
If you love to host, you will want some quality hardscaping. After all, you don’t want to host a dinner party in the middle of a flower bed! A patio or another convenient spot to set up your grill and outdoor table works much better!
However, a fire ring surrounded by trees, bushes, and other softscaping may be a better choice if you like privacy.
- What is your style?
Hardscaping will do the trick if you want a manicured, structured look for your landscaping. Hardscapes are geometric, organized, and orderly.
Softscapes have a mind of their own. You can’t tell your plants just what to do! This can lead to a wild, untamed look, which some prefer.
To sum it all up, here are some reasons to utilize hardscaping in your outdoor space:
- You want functionality - Hardscapes provide functional places to walk, sit, and host.
- You want low maintenance - Hardscapes don’t need to be watered, pruned, or mowed!
- You want beauty and interest - Hardscapes can create interest and a particular type of beauty in your space.
- You want to increase your property value - Hardscaping is an investment that adds value to your home. 87% of buyers look for a patio when home shopping.
Important Hardscaping Materials
Now that we know what hardscaping is let's look at some common materials.
We will discuss some pros and cons and what each is useful for.
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Pavers
Pavers are paving stones made from different materials, such as concrete, brick, or tile. They come in many colors and styles to achieve many different designs.
You can use pavers for lots of different things. Some purposes for pavers include:
- Patios
- Walkways
- Flowerbed edging
- Paving the area around a pool, hot tub, or fire pit.
There are plenty of benefits to using pavers. For one thing, they are attractive! They have a "wow factor" that not many other landscaping materials have. Infinite design possibilities are possible with our paving stone products.
For another, they are low maintenance. Pavers are a floating pavement system comprised of individual stones instead of a single solid slab.
The density of concrete paving stones is two to three times higher than poured concrete. This means they are more durable and won't crack like poured-in-place concrete. On top of all this, a quality paving stone will have a lifetime warranty on the product's structural integrity.
Paving stones are cost-effective. If one stone gets damaged, it can be taken up and replaced with a new one.
Historically, one challenge of paving stones has been keeping the joint material in place and preventing weeds from growing in the joints. This challenge has been solved recently by developing better jointing products, such as our popular Easy Joint sand.
Like many projects, if you want a paving stone patio, walkway, or driveway, it can be labor intensive and require you to take the proper steps to make it last a lifetime. If you want to do the project yourself, it will need specialized construction tools. For this reason, many people choose to hire a professional hardscape contractor to install their project.
Zimmerman Mulch carries three brands of pavers:
- Techo-Bloc
- Unilock
- Newline
Check out these products' endless design options and see which is best for you!
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Poured-in-place concrete
Concrete is one of the most versatile construction materials on earth! It can be used for all of the following:
- Patios
- Walkways
- The areas around pools
- Planters
- Statuary or birdbaths
- Slabs
- Driveways
- Even furniture!
As we said, concrete is highly versatile!
Poured-in-place concrete is a cost-effective product and can be used for many of the same things as paving stones. Plain concrete may be for you if you are on a tight budget.
Poured-in-place concrete can also be colored and stamped to look like bricks or natural stone.
A downside of poured-in-place concrete is that it is less attractive than pavers. Another downside is that concrete slabs tend to crack when the ground swells and heaves due to the many freeze/thaw cycles over the winter. Unsightly expansion joints need to be cut in the concrete to control how a slab will crack. Once a concrete slab cracks, the only way to fix it is to caulk it shut or remove the entire slab, which is costly and time-consuming.
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Natural stone
Whereas pavers are knockoffs, natural stone is the real deal. Pavers are just made to look like different types of natural stone.
If you want a patio, walkway, or wall that blends with nature, you want natural stone. You just can’t quite beat the look of genuine stone!
You can get natural stone cut into squares for a uniform look or embrace its natural irregularities. Either way, it looks classy.
The downside to natural stone is that it’s usually pretty expensive. If you are on a tight budget, pavers may be a better option. Another downside is that it can be harder to level natural stone, so it may not be your best bet if you want to build a flat patio for a table and chairs.
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Gravel and crushed stone
Maybe you ask yourself, what is the difference between gravel and crushed stone?
The short answer is that gravel is a naturally occurring small stone, whereas crushed stone is bits of boulders manually broken up for landscaping and construction.
Crushed stone is not as aesthetically pleasing as gravel, so it is mainly helpful for practical projects such as walkways and driveways, drainage solutions, or as a base for other materials. It is often limestone and is classified by numbers.
Gravel is more attractive than crushed stone, so it is used for projects like decorative walkways, filling the cracks between paving stones, or as a ground cover. Sometimes you can use it as mulch to keep the weeds down in your flower beds!
If you want to know more about stone and gravel, read our Ultimate Buying Guide to Crushed Stone and Gravel.
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Hardscape accessories
You will need numerous other materials and accessories for a hardscaping project.
For example, sand is necessary to level the area for your patio and fill in the cracks between the pavers. You may need paver edging and paver sealer and cleaner as well.
You may want to check out some landscape lighting. Lighting adds some flare and/or romance to your property at night! Besides that, it’s a practical addition that adds safety and functionality to your landscape. Why not enjoy your space at night as well as in the daytime?
And, of course, you will need to rent or buy the tools to use on your project. At Zimmerman Mulch, we offer tool rentals for the most common tools and small machines you may need for your project.
Other outdoor accessories you may consider adding to your landscape include outdoor furniture, water features, and a fire pit or fireplace.
What To Think About When Planning Your Hardscaping
Are you inspired and ready to plan some hardscaping for your outdoor space?
If so, here are a few things to consider before you build your new patio, walkway, retaining wall, or other hardscaping projects.
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The Topography of Your Project
The topography of your yard can affect your hardscaping plans in multiple ways. For instance, are there low areas in your yard that collect water? Those areas may not be the best place for a patio.
Is your yard sloped? Some retaining walls may be in order.
By thinking about your topography and designing carefully, you can work with your existing landscape instead of against it.
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The Functionality of Your Landscape
Envision in your head what the purpose is for your hardscape. Do you want a large patio where you can host lots of people?
Or a walkway to guide people through your garden?
Or maybe a large fountain or statue to add height and interest to your space?
Whatever your hardscape project's purpose, ensure it is well-suited for its function.
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Determining Your Landscaping Budget
How much can you spend on your project? If you don't have a large budget, you may want to go with concrete instead of pavers or a simple slab instead of an elaborate patio.
It's always good to have a budget before you start your project.
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Privacy and sun exposure
Think about where you plan to put your patio. Now think about the position of the road or your neighbor’s windows. Is the spot private or open to all prying eyes? Do you care if the area is private?
Also, think about sun exposure. Are you going to be baked by the sun? Or sit shivering in the shade? Maybe you need to plant or cut down some trees.
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Style
Of course, the bottom line is your taste and style. Maybe you like modern, geometric concrete patterns. Or perhaps you prefer rustic pavers.
It’s all up to you!
conclusion
Everyone wants an outdoor space for hosting, relaxing, and connecting with friends and family.
Hardscaping adds an element of beauty and functionality to that space!
If you want to spruce up your landscaping or bring new backyard creations to life, contact us here at Zimmerman Mulch.
We have all you need to create your dream backyard, including hardscape materials.
Other products we carry include:
- Mulch
- Dirt and soil
- Gravel and stone
- Lawn and garden supplies
- Landscape lighting
- Outdoor living supplies
- And more!
Give us a call or visit our store today!
We look forward to hearing from you.