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When updating outdoor living spaces, people often think of lawns and
gardens. While grass and planting are important landscape elements, there are additional ways to improve your outdoor environment. One way to significantly enhance both the beauty and utility of outdoor areas is with hardscaping.
What is Hardscaping?
Hardscaping is the process of creating landscape areas and structures from “hard” materials such as gravel, wood, pavers, and stone. Examples of hardscapes that you would find in your yard include walkways, stone paths, decks, driveways, gazebos, curbs, patios, fountains, and fire pits.
How is Hardscaping Different from Other Landscape Areas?
Hardscaping provides the necessary structure and function to optimize outdoor living. Garden areas are beautiful and can provide other functionality such as screening or edible produce; however, they are designed more to be looked at than used. Lawn areas can also be beautiful and are great for activities like games and athletics, but they are not ideal for access and dining. Lawn areas can easily be damaged by significant foot traffic and can be wet, slippery, and dirty. Hardscape areas provide solid usable outdoor spaces and structures to support and define the landscape. Hardscape areas are great for any area that is regularly walked across, and for creating an outdoor space to dine, prepare food, or entertain.
The Benefits of Hardscaping
Implementing hardscaping into your landscape design can add both functionality and beautiful aesthetics. Here are five benefits of using landscaping.
Reduces Maintenance
Adding structures like stones and concrete will decrease the amount of grass used in your yard. This means that you’ll save time cutting and watering your lawn.
Expands Living Space
Most homeowners envision their outdoor space to be a place of leisure to host guests for summer parties. When adding hardscaping designs like patios, outdoor kitchens, and fire pits, you’re allowing more surface area for guests to roam. Plus, these structures are robust, fireproof, and weatherproof.
Can Enhance Privacy
If you’re looking to get more privacy from your neighbors, hardscaping structures like a stone wall can help. Even gazebos can give your home a little more seclusion.
Allows for Greater Water Efficiency
Hardscape structures, such as walkways, stone paths, driveways, gazebos, curbs, and patios, reduce the amount of vegetation and grass needed. As a result, you will need less water. This is especially important in areas where droughts are common.
Boosts Property Value
Including hardscaping in your outdoor design adds extra square footage, which helps functionality and creates more visual appeal. All of these factors will only boost your property value when you’re ready to sell.
Trust Annisquam Landcare with Your Hardscaping Needs
At Annisquam Landcare, we offer hardscaping services that will enhance your property. Let us renovate, repair, design, and install any hardscape element you desire. We can install the following structures: walkways, paths, driveways, curbs, patios, fountains, decks, gazebos, and much more. We’ll make sure every renovation and installation is safe, effective, and environmentally friendly.
Hardscaping doesn’t just have to be grand structures like patios or fire pits. It can incorporate any type of structure, as long as it’s nonliving. There are many ways you can add hardscaping to your outdoor living space that will only improve the function and form of your property.