Green or gray in the landscape!
Published on Monday, January 13, 2025, 9:33 p.m
- Beautify your outdoor space: Adding fire pits and stone work can be a great way to add financial and aesthetic value to your home. (Submitted photo)
“If January is the month of change, February is the month of lasting change. January is for dreamers…February is for doers.” – Marc Parent.
“February is the border between winter and spring.” – Terri Guillemets.
“In February there is everything to hope for and nothing to regret.” – Patience strong.
“Your competition is not with others, but with yourself. Strive to make every today better than your yesterday.” – Mahatria.
“Family is not an important thing. It’s everything.” – Michael J. Fox.
“Whether winter, spring, summer or fall, may your February bring you love, happiness, beautiful blessings, big hugs and an abundance of everything your heart desires.” – Rebecca Fox.
It's the best time of year to plan the development of your landscape. By making your landscape attractive and functional, you can create outdoor living spaces that invite personal and social enjoyment. This can be achieved through the proper use of enrichment items and selected hardscapes.
There are many hardscape products on the market for creating stylish and graceful walkways, geometric or curved lawn and garden paths, stunning and functional patios, and impressive outdoor spaces that can include benches and seating, fire pits and fireplaces, and steps and stones .
Additionally, investing in hardscapes to enhance and enrich the exterior of your home increases the economic and aesthetic value of your home and property. In the practice of landscaping and grounds maintenance, hardscapes refer to paved areas such as driveways, walkways, patios and patios where the actual upper soil profile no longer represents the surface exposed to the elements.
A balance should be struck between the use of hardscapes and the availability of grass and beds to allow for infiltration and minimize the amount of water that must be removed via actual drainage systems. Any imbalance or lack of adequate capacity can result in severe flooding following heavy rainfall or severe storms.
Hardscaping projects, like anything else, need to be carefully planned to minimize common mistakes and create an area that can be enjoyed for many seasons and years to come. In the design process, first consider the entire area as a whole, even if the project is developed in parts or segments. Think about it through the vision of your house structure – you're planning the entire house, not just one room at a time each year. For example, you want to avoid misplacing the patio this season as it will get in the way of next season's expansion and will need to be removed or broken up. Make every effort to plan the proper placement of your usage areas.
Second, a very serious potential problem is ignoring drainage. Never ignore drainage. If you do this, the end result can be very ugly and costly. You need to know that the area will drain properly and what impacts your deck or wall project might have on drainage (surface and subsurface) and what issues need to be addressed before construction. From an environmental perspective, you should design your project so that wastewater generated can be collected or diverted so that it can be used on site. Otherwise it will be wasted as it leaves the site via the drainage pipes.
Additionally, any material used as hardscape should blend into the landscape. For example, boulders placed on the ground as part of a property development do not blend into the landscape as well as those that are partially buried in the ground. The partially buried boulders blend in harmoniously and look like a natural component.
Additionally, think appropriately about the natural spatial lines in the landscape and not just rigid geometric shapes and forms. Incorporate curves and irregular shapes to help the hardscape components blend and flow more gracefully with the rest of the landscape. Rectangular or square patios may not be the best “shape” for your situation.
Also, develop a strong balance and complement between the use of green vegetation and hard surfaces. Know when to “green” it with grasses and ground covers and when to “gray” it with concrete, stepping stones or bricks – the choice is yours! Turf is a much safer play surface for children and also helps cool the landscape on sunny days, while paving better accommodates traffic flow and heavily used flats or landings.
Whether your focus is on a relaxed or more formal hardscape, make sure it has a clearly defined style that fits your agenda. Within your style and with professional assistance, select a few materials that complement rather than contrast the interior and exterior of your home and are visually creative. Don't oversimplify with a single color or material.
Always purchase a little more brick or stone than you calculated, as the extra amounts can be used to highlight beds, add stepping stones, or landscaping. These additional features complement the prevailing hardscape and provide more effective continuity.
When selecting hardscapes, consider price, quality, availability, durability, longevity, weather resistance, color, and complementary features. Price doesn't always determine quality, but be aware that you usually can't get anything for free. Be cost-conscious and do your homework by researching the materials available for the best investment (shop around).
Also ensure that the site has been properly prepared through appropriate shaping, leveling, consolidation, sloping, drainage, subgrade preparation and construction, and compliance with sound regulations. Track each development step through observation and inspection to ensure effective quality control and fine workmanship. If you are unfamiliar with the project, find appropriate resources for assistance. Do not wait until the project is completed, as many errors may have already been covered up by this time.
Effective hardscaping can achieve higher property values, lower maintenance costs, and instant curb appeal. When planning your hardscapes into the landscape, always consider sustainability and environmental friendliness. Always be selective and limit the amount of items included in your hardscapes so clutter doesn't become a problem.
“My soul longs for you in the night; In the morning my spirit longs for You.” Isaiah 26:9. “I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praises to my God as long as I live. May my meditation please Him as I rejoice in the Lord.” Psalm 104:33-34. “Because of the Lord’s great love we will not be destroyed, for his compassion never fails. They are new every morning; Your loyalty is great. The Lord is good to those who hope in him, to those who seek him; It is good to wait quietly for the Lord's salvation.” Lamentations 3:22-2, 25. “Stop trusting in the man who has only a breath in his nostrils. What has he to do with it?” Isaiah 2:22. “In their hearts men plan their course, but the Lord determines his steps.” Proverbs 16:9.