What makes hard landscaping so great?
In any well-landscaped garden, regardless of size or the nature of the garden, you will always find certain areas known as ‘hard landscaping.’ These are the areas that divide up or surround the garden such as dry, stoned or paved areas on which to walk, or any features within the garden other than lawn, trees or flower beds.
Hard landscaping can also refer to drainage systems, steps, electrical areas and retaining walls - and the materials used are generally brick, rock, concrete, asphalt, timber, metals, and even glass. Many of these materials are available in different colours and variations to allow for creativity in landscape design but they are always hard-wearing and picked for their resilience in all types of weather.
What are the advantages of hard landscaping areas?
There are reasons that we choose to use hard landscaping as an essential part of any garden design and a few of these are…
- Water saving - In an age when water saving and minimising consumption are deemed to be both wise and necessary, having larger hard landscaped areas cuts down on the areas that need to be watered, thereby saving on this precious resource.
- Minimal maintenance - Hard landscaping requires very little upkeep. With fewer plants to water and lawns to mow both time and labour can be saved. The hard-landscaped areas themselves, the patios and pathways and water features and boulders .., require attention only once in a while.
- Beauty and multi-seasonal functionality
–, and at any time of the year, these hardwearing parts of the landscape generally look just as great and never lose their appeal.
- Longevity – Apart from most trees and certain lawns, almost every type of soft landscaping is far more susceptible to wilting or dying, particularly in harsh weather conditions and needs to be replaced. Not so hard landscaping which pretty much weathers everything.
Great hard landscaping ideas!
- Pathways – Pathways around the house or office space allow for a ‘clean’ area between the dwelling and the lawned areas or flower beds. This is essential to avoid spillage into the home and just to keep feet off sensitive garden areas that should not be trodden on.
- Patios – A patio, even right in the middle of a garden, provides a focal point and creates a social space ; it might contain a dining table, a bench, flower pots or a water feature.
- Cobble or brick edging – a row of cobbles or bricks around the edge of a flower bed creates a tidy look and reduces maintenance.
- Retaining walls – These are not merely functional, as in preventing soil erosion and reducing flooding risks, but they can greatly enhance an outdoor space by creating levels to even out a hillside, and can even be planted creating a vertical garden. It’s all about using your imagination and great landscapers make the most of them.
These are just the tip of the iceberg, so watch this space for more great landscaping ideas.
An offer you can’t refuse!
Imagine if, along with a great landscaping job, you got wholesale prices and discounts for the plants you need in your garden – well it’s possible with Windy Willows Wholesale Nursery in Honeydew, Johannesburg. You pay a modest fee for a landscaping consultation and design, but can get your money back through your plant purchases!
Windy Willows offers a landscaping service for members of the public who would like to upgrade their gardens without having to take a second mortgage on the house. We offer free landscaping advice in the nursery if you bring along a diagram or photo of your garden, together with the size of your beds. We will provide advice on which plants to put where. Alternatively, for a modest fee, you can get a two-hour consultation at your house with a trained landscaper. Simply contact us for details.
Windy Willows Wholesale Nursery - Making your gardening and Landscaping dreams a reality!
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