Wave Outdoors offers full service hardscaping to residential, commercial and municipal clients. Every step of the project is meant to improve the final result, from the initial interview and 3D rendering to teaching you how to make the most of your newest and most enjoyable landscape features.
To ensure the hardscape features we install match your vision, we get feedback from you throughout all the stages of the project and actively implement it in order to get stunningly beautiful results.
What Is Hardscaping
Hardscaping are the inorganic or non-living elements of a landscape. Some examples are stone structures and features, benches or a wood fence (because the wood is not part of a living tree anymore, it is considered non-living).
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Hardscaping vs Softscaping
Hardscaping is complemented by softscaping , both being parts of landscaping. Hardscape elements are usually heavier than softscape elements.
Examples of Softscaping
Softscaping usually starts after all hardscaping elements are installed. Softscape elements literally give life to the scenery and may change based on season. This adds a much welcome variety to the landscape as colors and scents change throughout the warmer seasons.
Some examples of softscape elements are:
- Soil
- Trees (flowering trees, shade trees, privacy tress, etc)
- Shrubs (lilac, azalea, weigela, etc)
- Flowers (columbine, blue sage, little bluestem and many others)
- Soil (good drainage, plants and some hardscape elements can keep the soil in place and give it more stability)
- Vegetable & herb gardens
Hardscaping Materials
Hardscaping usually combines a wide variety of materials, from brick stone and marble to wood, metal and glass.
Water features such as spas, fountains, pools, ponds, creeks and hot tubs all use specific materials meant to keep them safe, environment friendly and to improve their durability.
Hardscaping Ideas
Hardscaping elements can be also categorized based on their purpose:
- Leisure (such as benches, pools)
- Purely aesthetical
- Meant to give you privacy
- Functional (such as pathways, driveways and retaining walls)
- Meant to defend you or your landscape from the weather (such as deck, patios or hothouses)
- Meant to improve or direct lighting
- Outdoor living areas (such as kitchen, bars and outdoor rooms
It is a good idea to decide on one or more benefits you want to get out of your landscape and ask for your landscape designer’s help to put them together seamlessly.
For example, a pathway can lead you and your guests to your favorite flower garden. Orb lights can illuminate your way to your outdoor kitchen and to your awesome grill.
Hardscaping Benefits:
Hardscaping can definitely increase the value of your property. But there are numerous other benefits to installing various hardscape elements:
- Some of the elements, such as fences, pathways and driveways require very little maintenance
- Hardscaping helps you manage water – you can irrigate effortlessly or you can manage water drainage and prevent flooding of your property or the erosion of your soil
- You can add a leisure element to your yard that you can share with family, friends and neighbors
- Good hardscaping helps you make the most even out of limited spaces
