Hardscaping With Patios, Decks and More

Turning from functionality (addressed on Page 1) to the aesthetics of your landscape design, you first have some decisions to make regarding hardscaping (or "hardscape"), existing trees, and what you'll have as a view when you gaze out the window. Getting the hardscaping part of the project right will make implementing the softscape refinements relatively easy.

Two of the most labor-intensive hardscaping projects are the building of decks and patios. Yet as potentially large and beautiful outdoor living spaces, decks and patios are also two of the more common and rewarding hardscaping features. Other hardscaping features include:

• Fences and walls
• Stone or brick walkways
• Gazebos and arbors
• Statuary, water gardens and fountains

If you were giving a room a total makeover, you wouldn't start by hanging pictures and arranging knickknacks, would you? Of course not: such fragile refinements would get damaged as you did the heavier work, such as stripping the walls and moving furniture. The way to begin a landscape makeover is not so very different, in principle. You do your hardscaping first, saving the refinements for last.

Hardscaping will constitute the heavier work in a landscape makeover, forming the backbone for your landscape aesthetics. Leave such icing on the cake as the planting of beds of perennial flowers for last -- they'll just be in your way during the hardscaping phase. Some basic guidelines follow for getting your landscape design project underway.

Unity, Vistas, Privacy Fences

• Your landscape should be in harmony with your home, to ensure unity in the overall appearance of the property. One consideration influencing unity is proportion. Large trees are in proportion with large homes, but are out of proportion with smaller homes. When in doubt, however, leave the tree in place -- provided that it doesn't pose a safety hazard.
• Accentuate desirable views. If you live on a rural hillside with the potential for panoramic views of a valley and surrounding hills, you probably won't want your home to be entirely encased in trees that will obstruct your view. Don't cut down all the trees, though. Determine what your finest vistas are, clear the trees in just those areas, and use the remaining trees to frame those nice views. When set off like a picture by grand trees to the left and right, nice views become truly spectacular views!
• By contrast, you'll want to block out undesirable views. A suburban home with close neighbors is an ideal candidate for some sort of privacy fence. Privacy can be achieved via either inanimate fencing (i.e., hardscaping) or "living" fences. If you prefer living fences (composed of shrubs), your main decision is between planting a hedge or a loose border as a privacy fence. If you prefer hardscaping to screen out prying eyes, some of the options for privacy fences include the following hardscaping features:
  • Wooden fences
  • Vinyl fences
  • Masonry walls

  With the hardscaping already in place, it will be easier later to integrate the softscape with it in a seamless fashion. In the case of some hardscaping features, complementary softscape elements are so commonly used in conjunction with them as to come to mind immediately. Let's look at these briefly.

  Integration of Hardscaping and Softscape

  Water gardens, particularly those with fountains or statuary, can supply your landscape design with a focal point. Because such a water feature is, by itself, so impressive, the softscape needed to make it a true "garden" is rather minimal. A few container-held aquatic plants would be sufficient to supplement your hardscaping. But certainly more elaborate softscape treatments are possible as well.

  Similarly, in installing gazebos, arbors, decks and patios you are laying the groundwork to display your softscape elements in a more favorable light than would be possible without hardscaping. A vine on a well-located arbor becomes more than just a vine: it becomes a festive garland beckoning us to pass under its arch. Nor is building a garden arbor all that difficult. Gazebos, patios and decks are all excellent choices for showcasing window boxes and potted specimen plants. For more on patio construction, please see my resources on building patios. To provide an introduction to deck construction, I relate the essential steps in building decks elsewhere.

  Now that the hardscaping is in place, you have a firm structure on which to build. On Page 3 let's shed some light on the next step -- literally....