LATEST ARTICLES

Topic: Hardscaping

Date Posted: Friday, July 25, 2014
Posted by: Tanya Zanfa (Master Admin)
Source: http://cambridge.wickedlocal.com/article/20140711/News/140719053

Guest column: Don’t forget the hardscape when gardening

Guest column: Don’t forget the hardscape when gardening
By Doug Hanna
Posted Jul. 11, 2014 @ 3:07 pm

CAMBRIDGE
We made it through the harsh New England winter and here we are enjoying the balmy summer months. What better way to relax and get outside than to work on a garden? Don’t have a garden yet in your yard? No worries, it can all come together for you with some planning, and getting your outdoor space prepped and ready to go with some hardscaping. If you don’t feel up to the planning task yourself, there are many very talented landscape architects, designers and gardeners in the area. It’s not a bad idea to seek some professional advice for an outstanding outcome.
Before you consult a designer, take a close look at your yard and the area you have to work with. You may need some "hardscaping," which as the name implies, are the hard surfaces or materials used in creating garden spaces. Stone walls, retaining walls, paved surfaces or walkways and various other structures should be planned out in conjunction with the landscaping, or plant material. These areas are sometimes necessary to compensate for a sloping yard or to add some visual interest to a plain plot.
Pathways, terraces and stone walls are all vital components of a well-designed garden and need to be included early in the design process. As with the garden itself, these features can range from elaborate and formal, to simple and elegant. They can add a great deal of interest to an outdoor space and there can be a remarkable transformation to a garden just by adding a couple of new hardscaping features.
An easy addition is a stepping stone pathway. When the stones are set in a loam base with grasses or ground cover planted between and around them, it not only defines the space, but also invites you to wander through the garden and visit the different planting areas.
Terraces are tranquil places to sit and enjoy nature as you are in the garden. If possible, locate a terrace in an area that is accessible to the house, but far enough away so it becomes part of the garden with planting on three sides. A terrace can become a favorite space, an outdoor room that adds that extra space to relax with a good book.
An additional planting area can be created by adding a simple garden pool, which has the benefit of becoming a natural attraction for birds and other small wildlife to visit the garden. Try to locate the garden pool so that it can be viewed from the terrace, but set back into the garden area. A small pump and fountain will add the sound of running water to enhance the relaxing atmosphere.
Stone walls are another example of a hardscape feature that can help to define and separate areas of the garden as well as change elevations. There are many different styles and materials to choose from, and nothing quite captures a New England feeling as much as a beautiful stone wall. From a practical as well as aesthetic standpoint, low stone walls work well when capped with larger pieces of stone, such as bluestone.