Hardscaping and landscaping are related, being that hardscaping plays a key role in the landscaping of your backyard as a whole. Hardscape provides definition to a landscaping design, bringing organization to natural areas with decorative or practical structures.

What is Hardscape?

Hardscaping can include driveways, fences, benches, and plenty of things in between. It refers to the items that are not living within a landscaped environment, also including patios, walls, or arbors. Hardscape is the opposite of softscape, which encompasses the elements of a landscape design that are alive and organic – like trees, shrubs, and flowers. 

While hardscape can be used to define the space of a landscaped area, (with elements like a driveway, for example), it can also lead visitors and homeowners alike through the softscaping with paths and arbors. Hardscape can define the journey towards a hidden garden or a grassy knoll in the midst of your property. 

Hardscape In Florida

Florida landscaping is especially unique because of the state’s tropical plant life. To emphasize this beautiful greenery, your Florida home needs the right kind of hardscaping. Many of our customers choose to match their hardscaping with the material of their home – for example, pairing stone with stone and brick with brick, but that’s not a requirement. Your hardscape is an extension of your home, which means that it should be exactly how you imagine. 

Too much hardscaping can make your property seem sterile and unwelcoming, and too much softscaping can turn your yard into an overgrown piece of wilderness. There’s a fine line between framing the landscape with hardscape and overcoming it, and Coconut Grove Landscape Design knows just how to balance landscape and hardscape perfectly. 

To follow are some hardscape ideas for your Florida home:

  • Stone Retaining Walls
      • These are great for planting areas or can be used to transform a sloped yard into a flat space. 
  • Concrete Patios
      • Classic, low-maintenance, and versatile – there’s nothing like sitting on your patio for a Florida sunset. 
  • Brick Patios
      • They offer the same idea as a concrete patio, but with a more upscale feel. 
  • Flagstone Patios
      • An affordable option for a natural stone patio. 
  • Tile Patios
      • Tile is a smart way to dress up a concrete patio to make it feel more luxurious. 
  • Stone Walkways
      • These are ideal for garden paths, either leading to the garden or within the garden itself. 
  • Gravel Paths
      • Gravel paths are an alternative to brick, concrete, or stone paths that give off a softer feel. 
  • Stone Landscape Steps
      • Heavy outdoor stone steps that create a beautiful, natural staircase. 
  • Metal Fences
      • Coated steel is the modern variety of a metal fence, but iron is also available. 
  • Wooden Fences
      • The most versatile hardscape material is wood, for fencing and other hardscaping elements. 
  • Wooden Decks
      • Much like fences, wooden decks are very versatile and get plenty of use in warm weather. 
  • Wooden Arbors/Gazebos
      • These can enhance your Florida landscape while providing shade from the summer sun. 
  • Pergolas
      • Much like arbors, pergolas provide shade but are attached to the home.

Hardscaping With Water Features

Hardscaping in Florida is not limited to dry wood, stone, and iron. Water structures are also available in a variety of forms, including:

  • Stone Fountains
  • Ceramic Fountains
  • Clay Pot Fountains
  • DIY Fountains

Growing plants around your water features, incorporating softscape with hardscape, is a great way to enhance your landscape design. 

Hardscaping at Your Home

Hardscaping has the potential to bring a large amount of personality to your backyard. Instead of a simple space for the dogs to run or the kids to play, it’s an entire atmosphere and environment in itself. 

Hardscaping is important for a few main reasons:

  • Stone steps and retaining walls can improve drainage in your yard and level out uneven slopes. 
  • Fences and gates define your property line and offer you and your family privacy from neighbors. 
  • Many hardscape materials have the ability to absorb heat, which then dries out soil and prevents standing water, which eradicates the growth and spread of mildew and algae. 

Your Hardscape Project

Installing hardscape into your yard, especially in the Florida heat, is extremely hard work. Even when the weather isn’t oppressively hot, the work is grueling and taxing. Although hardscaping jobs are the most convenient in the cooler months of our Sunshine State, Coconut Grove will gladly complete a hardscaping project for our customers at any time of the year. 

Coconut Grove also has the heavy machinery needed to install hardscaping – sometimes, manual labor just isn’t enough to get the job done. Our team of professionals are experts in installing any type of hardscaping that your yard might call for. From stone fountains to wooden fences, we’ve got it all covered. If you’re interested in incorporating hardscaping elements into your Florida landscape, then give us a call at (904) 716-6295.