There you are at work, sitting at your desk, answering the phone, shuffling papers, keeping your boss happy, answering the phone again (will it ever stop ringing?). But while your body is at your work, your heart is in your yard planting and shoveling fertilizer, trying to figure out the best place for that new patio. But you still know that this isn't quite the look that you want. It needs that... that...
The phone rings and it's your better half saying, "I was watching H&G TV, and there was this segment on hardscaping and..." "What in the world are you talking about?" you say, a little too loudly. Your boss looks at you. You shrug and smile. "It's using stone, brick and other things like that to decorate the yard, you know, like the stuff they sell at Cascade Block (hint, hint), and they use it to make patios, walkways, and retaining walls. And it's all stuff that you can do yourself dear." You hang up the phone, promising that you'll think about it, and get back to your work, wondering what in the world that was about.
Well, why don't you let me answer your unspoken question. Hardscaping is using the items we sell at Cascade Block to give your yard that extra special something that you've been looking for. In fact, there are so many items to choose from, that this will probably take a few articles to cover them all. So let's start off with some design basics on how to better use hardscaping.
First is unity. Your overall design should complement your yard and your house. You need to keep everything as uniform as possible, preventing one area from becoming lost in the overall scheme of things. Use hardscaping materials like segmented retaining walls or stone along with plants to tie your house, lawn and patios together.
Second is variety. Variety keeps unity from becoming monotonous, and should offer an element of surprise. Maybe a path that wanders through a hidden pond to your patio, or trees that give variety of light and shade. Why not put in a small wall or a series of planters made of different materials sitting at different heights. This will add interest to your design and your eyes off a strict horizontal level.
Third is proportion. For example, your patio is in a sense an outdoor room and not an indoor one, so it will follow a different scale than the rooms in your house. Also keep in mind the type of activity that you want your patio to accommodate. Too large a patio and it might look a bit funny (okay,maybe ugly is a better word). If you need a large patio, break it up into smaller sections by using planters or a waterfall. Create different focal points. If it's going to be a small patio, then use brick paving. Its repetitiveness in patterns will keep it uncluttered-looking and make it larger in appearance. Also consider using tall vertical screens or different levels of planters as this will help draw your eyes upward and, again, increase the appearance of size.
Finally, there is balance. If you use a lot of trees on one end, increase the "weight" on the opposite side by using concrete benches. If it's too shady on one end, put up a screen to balance the amount of light on the opposite end.
Allrighty then. Now what is the feeling you want to encounter in your yard. As you walk through your yard, do you want to experience the rustic West or is there a need for formality or quiet elegance. Do you want people to come to a specific area or feel free to wander about. At our house, we want people to feel comfortable but not stay in one area. To do this, we created four distinct areas using brick patios and wood decking where guests can stay and relax. I'll tell you more how we did it later on because it's time to close this article.
Originally published in the Daily Courier September 9, 1999