HOW TO CREATE THE PERFECT BLEND OF HARDSCAPES AND PLANTS

Hardscapes, such as paths and walls made with hard materials, are low-maintenance, which makes them terrific for reducing garden maintenance and water usage. However, hardscapes can look quite harsh, and this is where plants come in to take off the rough edges of hardscaping.

Here are some tips on how to create the perfect integration of hardscapes and plants, thanks to David Beaulieu, a landscaping guide at About.com:

• Patios and window boxes – The hard edges of a patio can be softened by installing window boxes.
• Decks and container gardens – For a deck, use container gardens or trees grown in containers.
• Driveways and grass strips – Have a strip of grass run up the middle of the driveway.
• Stepping stones and groundcovers – Use a groundcover plant as filler between stepping stones.

The most perfect integration of hardscaping and plants, however, is having a patio in a landscape that doesn’t look obviously different from its surroundings.