When doing up the outdoor spaces at home or your place of business, it’s important to understand the differences between hard and soft landscaping so you can combine the two to create beautiful settings that are well designed, but practical at the same time.
Hard landscaping is an essential consideration for any well-designed garden because it’s what brings form and structure to your space and sets the scene for all your lovely planting.
It factors in everything from your driveways and patios to your pathways, fencing, decking, drainage systems, steps, walls and so on, creating well defined areas for vegetation, plants and grass.
Although these are practical elements, you don’t have to worry that you’ll have to compromise on aesthetics, as there are so many different materials, colours and variations to choose from. No matter what your personal style is or what other design choices you have in mind, you’ll be able to tailor your hard landscaping to suit the rest of your ideas.
In terms of specific materials, you’ll find everything from metals and timber to concrete, rock, gravel, brick, glass and so on, all of which can be used to great effect throughout the garden.
Your hard landscaping choices can also be used for all sorts of practical applications, everything from safety and lighting design to security, privacy planning and lots more. It’s generally advisable to approach hard landscaping relatively early on in the garden design planning process, as it will inform lots of other decisions you’ll need to make later on.
One of the top considerations for your hard landscaping, however, is water management and you can use it to help keep moisture levels under control by supporting your garden’s irrigation systems while storing/draining water.
It can also help protect your building from the likes of flooding, cracks and rot – so it’s certainly worth taking the time to give it sufficient amounts of thought before you get going with your garden plans.
For help with the landscaping at your Chester property, get in touch with LW Landscapes today.