Hardscaping Shows Its Soft Side
Who says hardscaping has to be hard? Consider these gentle, sustainable and DIY-friendly alternatives
Margie Grace
July 6, 2012
Margie Grace founder & lead designer at Grace Design Associates. A self-taught landscape designer and contractor with a degree in biology and minor in geology.
I’ve been hooked on gardening ever since I laid eyes on the teeny tiny Swiss Chard plant that sprang forth from the first improbable-looking seed I ever planted at the age of 10. I learned the practical side of design and construction from my very creative and resourceful (that is to say, broke) DIY parents, followed by a spate of home remodels in my twenties (seven houses in seven years!).
I definitely came to landscaping through a different door and I carry a different set of tools from my university trained colleagues. My designs are conceived as functioning ecosystems, grounded in pragmatism, married seamlessly to the...
Margie Grace founder & lead designer at Grace Design Associates. A self-taught landscape... More
Fantasizing about your dream garden but constrained by a budget? Concerned about the environmental impact of your magnum opus? Planning to do the work yourself but lack the skills of a master builder? Fear not. There’s hope for you.
Consider “softer” hardscaping for your little patch of paradise: a path made of gravel instead of mortared and grouted stone; a planted screen versus a fence; a broad-canopy tree overhead rather than an arbor for shade.
Go ahead and lighten up the built elements of your garden. Easy on the budget and requiring no specialized skills, softer hardscaping just might be the solution to creating the beautiful, timeless, earth-friendly landscape of your dreams. Here are some successful examples of softer hardscape elements.
Consider “softer” hardscaping for your little patch of paradise: a path made of gravel instead of mortared and grouted stone; a planted screen versus a fence; a broad-canopy tree overhead rather than an arbor for shade.
Go ahead and lighten up the built elements of your garden. Easy on the budget and requiring no specialized skills, softer hardscaping just might be the solution to creating the beautiful, timeless, earth-friendly landscape of your dreams. Here are some successful examples of softer hardscape elements.
Paths made of inexpensive bulk material. Whether you choose gravel, mulch or decomposed granite, permeable, earthy materials and organic lines integrate seamlessly with the setting, whereas structured paths can read as separate from their surroundings.
This gravel path leads to the desired destination, at low cost and with nominal environmental impact. Can’t you hear the crunch of the gravel underfoot and feel the warmth it gives off? And wouldn’t a heavily built path look out of place in this setting? Select locally sourced gravel to lighten your footprint even more, with the added benefit of giving the composition a sense of place.
Simple. Easy to build. Permeable. Sustainable. Inexpensive. What’s not to love? This naturalistic mulch path, with 100 percent recycled content, is über-inviting. Strong geometry executed with relaxed materials provides the best of all worlds: a direct path between points A and B and an invitation to linger.
An unbordered mulch footpath. This tranquil vignette is so inviting. It's hard to imagine attaining the feel of this composition using a concrete path, a boardwalk, stepping stones or other hard materials.
Paths with planted joints. Here, planted joints soften a stone walk. The addition of even the smallest amount of greenery provides a tremendous amount of visual softening. Use local stone to keep transportation requirements low and wider joints to increase permeability.
Ahhh ... just think how different this path would feel if it were solid stone. This planted cobblestone surface is beautiful and permeable.
Stone set over soil with planted joints costs much less and uses fewer resources than a grouted and mortared stone path. It also integrates well with the adjacent plantings while adding dimension, texture and pattern to the composition.
Paths with gravel joints. Softer hardscapes blend beautifully with other components of the landscape, rather than standing proud on their own. The plants, pavers and gravel in this photo comprise a single unified (and permeable) composition.
Lightening up the hardscape doesn’t mean losing heavy-duty function. This path, comprised of large flagstones set in a mortar bed with planted joints, is the primary path to the entry porch.
Don’t let its naturalistic look fool you. It delivers all the necessary functions of an entry path: It looks great, clearly delineates the route to the front door, allows visitors to walk two abreast, keeps your shoes clean, provides sure footing and can handle a loaded refrigerator dolly. Plus, it requires fewer materials to install than a harder path.
Don’t let its naturalistic look fool you. It delivers all the necessary functions of an entry path: It looks great, clearly delineates the route to the front door, allows visitors to walk two abreast, keeps your shoes clean, provides sure footing and can handle a loaded refrigerator dolly. Plus, it requires fewer materials to install than a harder path.
Monolithic stone slabs over soil. Pebble joints add permeability and textural interest. Visually, and in terms of resource consumption, this is so much lighter on the land than a solid walk.
Softer steps. Chopped stone set in a mortar bed forms the risers of these steps; recycled green waste mulch over compacted soil forms the treads. Dry stacked fieldstone provides soil retention where needed. Although they may not be suitable at the front door, softer hardscape elements farther from the house provide a close-to-nature experience.
Gravel walks connected by a narrow footpath of flagstone set over soil with gravel joints. There's a lot of bang for your buck here: You get texture, rhythm change and pattern. And by using less stone (which is more expensive than gravel), you'll save a ton of money and enhance the design.
Decomposed granite path. Blend mortared, stacked flagstone steps with boulders and cobbles as needed for soil retention. One color palette plus three materials equals a harmonious composition rich in texture, color, depth and pattern.
Get the most out of the resources you have by designing multifunctional spaces. This space leads to the garage, provides overflow parking if needed and serves as patio space for large gatherings. It's fully accessible, permeable and super low-maintenance, and it requires no additional resources (such as water and gas to run the mower). And it's goregous to boot!
Choosing softer hardscaping doesn't mean compromising function. These decomposed granite walks provide a quarter mile of accessiblity throughout this site, critical for a chair-bound homeowner who had never been in his own garden (!). The meandering paths provide vista points, areas in which to linger, speedy yet easily negotiated slopes, and a variety of garden experiences designed to be enjoyed from chair height. In addition, built-in seating areas, such as well-placed boulders, walls and benches, provide ample opportunity for the homeowner's guests to join their host at seat height for comfortable conversation.
More:
Patio Pavers Go Green In Between
Planning Paths and Walkways
Permeable Paving Soaks Up Rain
More:
Patio Pavers Go Green In Between
Planning Paths and Walkways
Permeable Paving Soaks Up Rain
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My husband and I are looking to landscape our yard this fall. We want to incorporate some hardscape to add texture and dimension to the yard. I love the look of the stone paths with greenery in the joints to provide visual softening, like you said. http://www.decorativecreations.com/services.html
Best of luck --- post photos!