Designing an outdoor space for a personal project can be a little bit daunting, especially if you have very limited experience. There are so many things to understand, like the positioning of sprinklers, or if you even need sprinklers at all. One of the aspects of outdoor design is understanding the difference between two of the most commonly used terms for such projects; hardscaping and landscaping. The first step to getting your outdoor project to the perfection you want, is understanding these concepts and how to balance them for beauty. Let’s break them down with some key points to help you understand the difference between landscaping and hardscaping.
- Components
The first thing to note is the difference between the features of hardscaping and landscaping. When you see designs for driveways, patios, and decks, basically things that can’t be easily moved or redesigned, and are used all-year round, those are the components of Residential Hardscaping Accent Installation columbus oh. Landscaping, on the other hand, has to do with elements that are softer and things that change according to the environment and weather, like shrubs, trees, and grass designs.
- Duration and sustainability
Based off the components of either landscaping or hardscaping, another key difference between them is the duration of use and how sustainable the components are. Since hardscaping includes things like patios and sidewalks that are made with materials like steel and concrete, they last longer. The shrubs and plants that make up landscaping, however, are less permanent because they are seasonal additions.
- Altering and Re-design
Hardscaping components are fixtures that can’t be easily modified after installation or construction and they can’t be altered without professional services, which involve significant cost, time, and labour. Landscaping, in contrast, can be altered as frequently as you would like because you can change the trimming schedule for your grass, create a new design for your shrubs arrangement, or add new plants.
- Maintenance
Landscaping involves living things, aka plants, which need to be cared for appropriately because they can easily wither and become disastrous for the exterior layout. Therefore, maintenance for the landscaping is more essential than the hardscaping, as the latter typically involves redefining the paths on your driveway or repainting your patio.
- Purpose
Although landscaping and hardscaping serve the general purpose of designing your outdoor space and improving your curb appeal, they bring different features to the general layout. Landscaping adds a certain softness to the atmosphere with the right plant colors and fragrance, and it also helps to regulate the temperature to an extent. Hardscaping can be used to monitor water flow and soil movement, with some specific components that serve as additional security.
Landscaping and hardscaping both function to improve the overall aesthetic appeal of your home or building. When you implement them with the right balance, now that you know the features of each, you can create the perfect layout!
