05 Jun A garden designer’s tips on choosing hard landscaping materials
Which hard landscaping materials are best for your new garden?
Planning a garden makeover? You have lots of choices to make. The first, and arguably most important decision is to set a budget for the project. Then you need to plan the layout before deciding who will build your garden and which hard landscaping are best suited to your property, lifestyle and budget.
There’s a lot to think about, which is why we recommend working with a garden designer who has a good understanding of hard landscaping materials, installation best practices and costs.
Let’s assume that you have a layout plan in mind and you are ready to discuss products and materials with your garden designer and/or landscaper. By now, you are probably aware that you have a vast array of hard landscaping materials to choose from, and you may even be feeling overwhelmed. But that’s OK, Katie, Paul and the team here at Tapestry Design Studios have some practical tips to help you through the decision making process.
A black granite patio looking resplendent after a shower of rain. The dark hues accentuate the vibrant green of the wildflower bank and mature hedge beyond.
Our Advice On Choosing Hard Landscaping Materials
Hard landscaping materials can be a considerable part of your garden makeover budget and because once installed, they cannot easily be changed, it’s important to choose wisely. Think about colours, textures and long-term maintenance as well as just pricing, because you’ll want to be in love with your garden for a very long time.
Investing in the services of a garden designer will ensure that you not only maximise the ‘wow’ factor in your new garden, but you also get the very advice on which landscaping materials are best suited to your garden, your property and your lifestyle.
Tips For Choosing Hard Landscaping Materials
- Avoid making choices based on budget alone. Your new garden needs to last a very long time. The visible surfaces are actually a small proportion of the overall cost of landscaping and so, when choosing hard landscaping materials, make longevity your number one priority.
- Take time to research and learn about types of product such as natural stone, porcelain paving, timber decking and composite products. That way you can make an informed decision. We’ll discuss some of the properties of hard landscaping materials later in this article.
- Colour matters! For your new garden to look right, your hard landscaping materials should suit the colours in and around your property.
- Gather samples don’t just guess which materials are best for your new garden. Collect samples and keep them in your garden for a few weeks so that you can see how they look and behave under different light levels and weather conditions.
- Consider long term maintenance. What kind of care and attention will different materials need over the course of their lifetime? Will you be able to keep them in tip top condition?
- Never be afraid to mix and match materials. Make your new garden unique to you with different materials combinations.
- Speak to more than one supplier. Don’t restrict your choices to what’s in the local DIY store. Your garden designer or landscaper can introduce you to some really interesting materials from specialist trade suppliers.
- Don’t settle for second best. Your budget may mean that you need to make compromises but by talking to your garden designer and/or landscaper you may find that you can make design tweaks that still allow you to use your first choice of materials.
- Sustainable sourcing. Please talk to your supplier to reassure yourself that materials have been manufactured by a company who nurtures their employees and respects the environment.
The landscaping materials around this beautiful pool have deliberately been chosen to create a visual connection between the garden feature and the property itself.
Types of hard landscaping materials and their properties
When you start looking at different types of hard landscaping materials you may well find yourself confused at the differences between them. For example some man-made materials closely resemble natural products on the surface, but the technical specifications and the long term care will be as different as nylon and silk.
The world of materials is complex and confusing, which is why Katie and Paul here at Tapestry Design Studios always take time to sit down with clients and help them through the decision making process.
Let’s take a quick look at what’s available…
Natural Stone Paving
Timeless beauty! Durable, recyclable and full of character. Choose from a range of natural stones including limestone, sandstone, basalt, granite and slate. Each type of natural stone has its own set of charms.
Natural limestone patio adjoining a gravel path. Notice how the colours of the garden building, the fence posts and the plant pots all tie in with the hues and tones of the paving stones.
Concrete setts are durable and cost effective. Here we see them used side by side with a similar coloured aggregate to create distinctly different zones for walking and parking on this Colchester driveway. This design decision is not just aesthetic – gravel is not particularly pushchair (or wheelchair) friendly but it is less expensive to buy and install than paving. Hence, our garden designer used a mix of materials to maximise usability and manage landscaping costs.
Porcelain Paving
These are man-made pavers that look great in contemporary style gardens. They’re slip resistant, stain resistant and reasonably easy to care for. Installation is best left to experienced professionals as the tiles are brittle and crack easily if they need to be cut to size.
Porcelain pavers are available in a huge variety of colours and sizes, including geometric designs.
The cream coloured porcelain pavers in this courtyard garden create a sophisticated yet relaxed feel to the area. This is a small garden where lighter colours give the illusion of more space. Notice how the drainage channel is both stylish and practical. It’s important to choose accessories to compliment your hard landscaping materials, this is somewhere that a ‘designer’s eye’ can add the wow factor to garden makeover.
Clay Pavers
Typically used for driveways but also great for rustic patios, paths and decorative features. Very hard wearing and available in several colours from soft greys, to rich russets, terracotta and even lovely honey tones.
Clay pavers are man made using natural materials. Generally creating by moulding river clay into precise geometrical shapes and then baking them at extremely high temperatures. These beauties may have a slight resemblance to house bricks but in terms of durability, structure the two products are completely different and definitely not interchangeable.
Never be afraid to mix and match hard landscaping materials. In this garden a circular lawn, edged with clay pavers sits adjacent to a natural sandstone patio. Note the relationship between the colours of the pavers, the grout and the patio slabs.
Reclaimed Stone
The ultimate way to make use of materials that are anywhere near the end of their useful life. Reclaimed landscaping stone has bags of character and often comes with it’s own story. It can be more difficult to install as older stone masonry techniques sometimes lead to irregularly sized slabs but an experienced landscaper will be able to do a fantastic job of giving these old materials a new lease of life.
Timber Decking
A great surface for grounding your garden in nature, natural timber decking can be styled to look sophisticated or it can be used to give a skandi feel to your outdoor spaces. Decking became immensely popular in the 1990’s thanks to a certain garden renovation TV program. And whilst the styling and available finishes have moved on since then, timber decking remains as popular as ever.
The joy of natural timber decking is it’s versatility. A good landscaper can build a deck to suit any size or shape of garden and easily incorporate a timber pergola, space for a hot tub or even built-in planters.
A natural timber deck creating a level seating area in a slightly inclined garden. The deck construction overcomes the challenges of making full use of a sloping space. Note too how the planting adds an extra layer of interest to the space.
Composite Decking
Ideal for damp gardens, coastal gardens or gardens where low maintenance is important. Composite decking looks somewhat realistic. One of the plus points of this material is that the only care it needs is an occasional wash down with soapy water.
Composite decking is easy to maintain and a great material for creating a relaxed vibe.
Gravel/Aggregates
It’s a classic! Who doesn’t love an elegant gravel driveway? The joy of gravel, particularly when used in conjunction with stabilisation grids is that it is cost effective and permeable. Non-permeable surfaces in front gardens may need planning permission, so gravel is a good compromise. Gravel gardens are awesome too. Think coastal feel with a relaxed planting plan that’s designed to look natural. Just like this Beth Chatto inspired back garden.
Gravel is great for driveways – it’s also a superb design choice for front gardens and back gardens. Just be sure to have the proper build-up beneath it. This garden was inspired by Beth Chatto, designed by Katie at Tapestry Design Studios and professionally built by Holland Landscapes.
Resin Bound Gravel
Great for driveways, paths or small seating areas where you want the look of gravel without the loose surface or the risk of weeds growing in it. Resin bound surfaces are super comfortable to walk on barefoot and extremely durable.
This resin bound pathway creates an easy passage across a gravel garden.
Need more inspiration?
Visit our portfolio pages to see how other people have used hard landscaping in their gardens, or book a consultation with Katie and discover which products are most likely to bring you joy.
.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.