While we think of landscaping in terms of plants, trees, flowers, and shrubs, that’s only part of the story. Even if your garden was designed to look like a wildflower meadow, chances are you have a non-living component like rocks or a fence. This is the “hardscape” and the plants are the “softscape”. Here’s what you should know about both categories of landscaping.
Hardscape vs. Softscape
In short, these two types of landscaping mean exactly what you mean. As Lisa Hallett Taylor explains in an article for Die Fichte:
Hardscape is the tough stuff in your garden: concrete, brick and stone. Softscape is the soft, growing stuff, like perennial flowers, shrubs, succulents, and trees. Softscape is alive; It’s not hardscape. Ideally, a well-designed landscape includes a balance between the two elements.
How Hardscape Affects Softscape
The plants in your garden are likely your primary focus as they require regular maintenance, but the hardscape can play an important role in their successful growth. Indeed, Kate explains Reggevv in an article for Dwell, the hardscape comes first:
Typically, hardscape elements must be installed, built or completed before the softscape elements can be installed. This is because hardscape materials are typically incorporated into the ground and often physically alter the landscape – whether it’s removing debris for a pool or cutting and backfilling soil to install a retaining wall or patio.
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In addition, it is also important to consider the materials used in your hardscape as they have different effects on the environment. Pro Taylor:
Hardscape materials have different effects on the environment. Patches, which are hardscape, prevent water from seeping into the ground, increasing the runoff that can carry pollutants into streams. Porous materials allow water to penetrate the soil. Hardscaping is a benefit to a garden as it reduces potential erosion and keeps the soil intact.
Ultimately, the idea is that both your hardscape and softscape blend in with the local environment, mimicking something found in nature. Reggev explains. This means choosing plants that are native to the area and grow well in a given climate.
