As we spend more time at home, we realize the need for more livable outdoor spaces. Traditional lawns and landscapes provide visual beauty to our yards, but adding hardscapes to your property can significantly affect how you use your outdoor spaces.

Hardscaping

Hardscaping is the term used to describe and hard landscape materials incorporated into outdoor areas. These can include driveways and paved areas, retaining walls, walkways, decking, and gazebos. Hardscaping is any non-horticultural element of landscaping made of hard-wearing materials such as stone, concrete, and wood.

Increasing Outdoor Livability With Hardscaping

Hardscaping can serve many purposes, including increasing the outdoor livability of your property. Using hardscape materials to create spaces for gathering, entertaining, and relaxing, you can move the fun outdoors quickly. Hardscaping can also guide you to and through specific areas of your property, giving you access to spaces to enjoy. From small projects to largescale designs, hardscaping can turn your yard into a more usable space.

Stepping Stones And Pavers

Pathways direct the flow of traffic on your property. You can add stepping stones to provide access to your flower beds and vegetable gardens for a simple garden upgrade. The most common forms of stepping stones are made of natural rock or molded concrete, giving you plenty of choices for your property’s aesthetic.

Pavers are used to completely cover the ground of areas used for parking vehicles, driving, gathering, and walking. Unlike stepping stones that are simply placed on the ground, pavers are set slightly into the dirt and typically held in place with mortar. Pavers can update an old driveway to increase your home’s curb appeal, provide no-slip options for pool decking, and form a patio space for gatherings.

Fire Pits

Adding specific hardscape features to your outdoor spaces such as a fire pit you areas for activities and conversation. Fire pits that use natural gas light quickly and burn cleanly, making them excellent choices for urban areas and homeowners who value simplicity. Wood burning fire pits, perfect for roasting marshmallows, offer the rustic feel of camping in the comfort of your backyard.

Cabanas, Gazebos, And Pergolas

These outdoor hardscape structures are designed to provide shade and privacy on your property. When placed away from the home, cabanas, gazebos, and pergolas offer a space to relax and entertain in privacy. Built primarily of wood, iron, and composite wood, they can be used in many ways. While cabanas and gazebos make great destination points in a yard, arbors are perfect for transitioning between two distinct features or as focal points in a garden.

By adding hardscaping to your property, you will increase your enjoyment of your outside spaces. The variety of types of structures and features allow you to customize your space to your personal preferences.