Story by: Steve R. Black
In 1986, when I started in the business of landscaping, there were very few requests for pavers or really any hardscaping. In those early years I would have the occasional request for a flagstone path or even a crosstie retaining wall, though now, hardscaping is a factor in every project. By definition, hardscaping is when a project utilizes materials like stone, brick pavers, concrete pavers, gravel, and even wood. Patios, decks, stepping-stone, and driveways are all functional elements of the hardscape. Retaining walls and planting bed borders are structural additions. Fire-pits, outdoor kitchens, pergolas and water features are all considered outdoor living elements of the hardscape. As the median price of homes have increased over the years, hardscaping has become increasingly popular among homeowners. I believe this fact is driven by the knowledge of homeowners and their desire not only for a better life experience but also the expectation that a great landscape and hardscape will increase the value of their real estate investment. This belief is consistent with marketplace results.
In the ‘80s and ‘90s it seemed that the perceived value of real estate was almost directly tied to size. If you as a homeowner were gaining financial success, you would simply go larger. The bigger the better! These properties often would have extensive hardscaping projects as the owners set out to project wealth. Then as time passed and we came into the new millennium, the landscape industry would start to mature. The urban marketplace would experience many more qualified landscape contractors which led to professional landscaping/hardscaping being available to a much larger segment of the market. With the advent of the internet and social media, information soared. Large luxury properties soon were not the only ones with paver driveways, patios, and pool decks. Add in the fact that more of us travel than ever before. We see and experience environments that bring us peace and at the same time excite us. Why not work to re-create that feeling at home. That private courtyard that calls for you to occupy it while sipping coffee in the coolness of the morning or entertaining your guests for the evening with alfresco dining. If you have the means, why not pursue the journey to make your everyday something you believe to be special?
Hardscaping in Todays World
There are few projects in current times that don’t incorporate some type of hardscaping into the design of their landscape. Let’s face it, there is only so much you can do working only with plants and grass. Courtyards with outdoor kitchens, alfresco dining spaces, pools, artificial turf, game lawns, fire pits, and fireplaces are commonplace. Clients not only want their outdoor environment to be beautiful; they want it to be functional.
