What is Hardscaping?

Story and Photo by Colleen Miko, CPH   |   www.colleenmiko.com

Hardscaping is a term that refers to parts of the garden that are set in stone, if you will—paths, patios, decks, edgings, built in seating, firepits, patio covers.  These features, in contrast to more ephemeral garden components, provide what landscape designers refer to as the bones of the garden.  From an aesthetic standpoint, hardscaping provides order to the garden by providing lines that direct the eye, interesting surfaces for light and precipitation to play on, hard textures to contrast with the softness of plants and colors that stand out against bare earth.  The repetition of hardscaping materials and patterns can also provide unity to a garden, or a bold contrast, if an unusual material is employed. 

Hardscaping is also practical.  It gets us from here to there without muddy feet; allows us to enjoy manmade shade or roll a lounger into the sun.  It’s a low maintenance tool that keeps the lawn from creeping into planting beds.  Hardscaping is the garden construct that makes moving about and being in the garden more comfortable. 

Myriad materials can be used for hardscaping.  Wood, brick, pre-cast pavers and stone are favorites, but steel is becoming hugely popular for creating everything from stairs to steppers, edgings to pergolas.  Salvaged items repurposed in the garden bring charm and serendipity to hardscaping; seen about town--ceramic roofing tiles for edgings; a metal grill used as a bridge; garden seating lifted from the back of a ‘57 Chevy.  What material is right for you?  It’s a matter of both budget and style.

For those of us on a tight budget, one of the most versatile hardscaping materials is gravel.  Lovely driveways, paths and patios in both traditional and contemporary styles can be created using gravel.  One caveat of gravel is that it is an aggregate—in other words, composed of lots of little pieces that disappear into the soil and get tracked away in the treads of tires and shoes.  A gravel patio will need not only to be edged to keep the aggregates in place, but will also need to be replenished from time to time depending on the soil underneath and the wear it gets.  Weeds can also have a field day in soft surfaces.  Paths of concrete and decks of wood are smooth, fixed and allow for the easy movement of wheeled items and solid footing for people and furniture legs.  Such materials require a greater investment up front, but with proper installation and care, they should last a lifetime.

A trick for a new garden: start by using gravel for the original layout of paths and patios with less initial investment.  As time goes on, you’ll know whether you like the size and location of these hardscape features and which are used most.  Later on, you can replace the patio or path with flagstone or pavers.  The initial savings on the gravel can allow you to prioritize your garden installation.  Going with gravel hardscaping initially may allow you to have the funds to have an irrigation system installed right off the bat, or buy the necessary stackable pavers to terrace a steep slope into usable garden spaces.  A few years down the road, you can trade up.  See! Hardscaping is not hard at all.