Contrast is a beautiful thing in almost any context, but especially when it comes to landscape design. The two biggest elements to face off against each other in any outdoor space are hardscape vs. softscape – and they immediately fall into harmony when handled appropriately. Work with an experienced landscape designer to bring your vision of a soothing exterior setting to life and learn about the elemental differences of landscaping.
Hardscape vs. Softscape: Different Yet Alike
Landscape design is all about balance, and hardscape vs. softscape come together in their differences. Both components are equally important when designing an outdoor space, even though they are separate from each other.
- Hardscape elements: Features include non-living elements that provide structure, like bricks, concrete, stone, and pavers.
- Softscape elements: Features living elements that add beauty, color, and scent, like plants, trees, and flowers.
- Both elements: Feature texture in a variety of forms, which includes hard and soft, of course, but also rough, smooth, velvety, bumpy, and more.
Digging Into Hardscapes
The most common hardscape construction projects are patios, retaining walls, seating walls, fire pits, walkways, driveways, pool decking, steps, and more. These elements beautify but they are also functional, delivering everything from a place to cook your food to a way to define a planting area. Hardscape materials come in different colors, shapes, and sizes to suit a homeowner’s aesthetic and preferences.
Settling on Softscapes
From perennials to annuals, flowing trees to lush grass, perky shrubs to brilliant flowers, softscapes deliver a gentle touch. This category overflows with options that allow you to bring your favorite color collections and seasonal elements together for an ebb and flow of year-round beauty. Softscape installations, though, do require ongoing TLC and may be need regular mowing, draining, watering, weed removal, or trimming to keep the vegetation in tip-top shape.
Balanced Landscape Construction
Softscapes enhance your outdoor space with beauty and color, while your chosen hardscapes deliver visual interest, practicality, usefulness, and accessibility. Together, these features create a picture of defined living areas and sections that are open to wild growing and living. Hardscapes are often selected to deliver erosion control through a retaining wall, and this helpful purpose is easily camouflaged with the right softer features.
Most of all, landscape construction is a combination of features that represent your aesthetics and preferences when it comes to shaping the outdoor area you choose to use. Whether it’s your desire to sit on your patio and relax, cook at your outdoor kitchen, or walk happily across pavers to take a dip in your pool, rest assured that the softscape you pass along the way will make every moment of outdoor time that much richer and rewarding.
Customized Landscape Construction in Michigan
Not sure how to put together the best combination of hardscape vs. softscape elements for your home? At Visionary Landscaping in Shelby Township, MI, we are ready to take your ideas and combine them with our knowledge of the Michigan terrain, climate, and vegetation and deliver a design that satisfies. Whether your goals are to increase property value, extend living space, or have a low-maintenance creation, we can help. Contact us schedule a consultation.
