Before you embark on any garden design project, you need to spend a significant amount of time planning, prepping and researching, so you have a cohesive look and feel to the space, creating somewhere you actually enjoy spending time in, a place that fits in well with your lifestyle.
You will need to take into account both hard and soft landscaping, but what exactly are these and how do they differ? Here’s a quick guide to what both include and why they both need due consideration before you start digging up the dirt.
Hard landscaping
Hard landscaping is the term used to describe any bigger elements that you intend to include in the garden, covering everything from your driveways and patios to fencing, ponds, rockeries, summer houses, garden sheds and so on.
Common hard landscaping materials include concrete, gravel, timber, stone varieties, brick and glass, all of which are very versatile and can be used to great effect throughout the space.
It’s essential to give your hard landscaping a lot of thought to ensure that you get the practical aspects of your garden just right, ensuring that you’re able to zone the space, install suitable drainage, prevent erosion and divert water, all of which will make your garden fully functional throughout the year.
Soft landscaping
Soft landscaping is the term used to refer to all the natural elements you introduce in your garden, including your lawn, hedges, flowers, plants and trees, as well as natural water features like ponds and streams.
No garden scheme is ever complete without these features and they all work together to bring your outdoor spaces to life, creating a lovely contrast with your hard landscaping and bringing in all sorts of textures, colours and patterns.
Of course, it’s easier said than done to get hard and soft landscaping right – so get in touch with the LW Landscapes team today if you need any further help or advice.