If you’re looking for the best way to give your yard a facelift or a revamp this season, odds are you’ve looked into plenty of DIY projects or ways to increase your curb appeal.
However, for those new to the world of landscaping, you might not even know what landscaping is, or the different types of materials and projects there are out there. So what is landscaping, and how can you do your DIY landscaping project this summer? Let’s get into it!
When the question of “what is landscaping?” is posed to one not affiliated with the industry, they probably think of gardening, or maybe putting some nice bushes or a fun brick walk into a yard. Though this would be partially correct, landscaping encapsulated a bunch of different project types, activities, and materials.
The concept of landscaping has been around for centuries and has been practiced by many cultures around the world. After all, who doesn’t want their outdoor spaces to look their best? The term ‘landscaping’ usually refers to the concept of manipulating or supplementing land for practical and aesthetic reasons.
In the modern-day, landscaping generally refers to the process of planning and constructing gardens or outdoor layouts that enhance and supplement the appearance of outdoor areas. Landscaping can also refer to the creation of outdoor space for entertaining or for activities around someone’s home.
Landscaping is more than just putting in some plants and calling it a day, however – this process involves the use of design and horticultural knowledge to make an outdoor space usable, attractive, and sometimes even a work of art. Landscaping can give your property a complete makeover!
If this is your first landscaping project, you might wonder what materials are used in landscaping, and how accessible they might be for the average person. Before you do anything, know that the best landscaping materials are available for the lowest, quarry-direct prices to retail customers.
Pillar Aggregates LLC provides the best possible materials at the best prices so that you can tackle your project with confidence. Plus, if you need help in picking out the type of quantity of material you need to work with for your project, our expert customer service staff have got your back there, too.
Now that you know where to get the best landscaping materials for your upcoming project, let’s go through the different types of materials out there so you know which might be right for your project.
Remember, these materials do more than just make your space look nice – they’re used to create an entirely new set of surroundings for you and the wildlife in your yard! So what are the most common types of landscaping materials?
For small projects, you’ve probably become familiar with fertilizer, mulch, lighting (yes, lighting), and brick and gravel. These materials are used in small and large scale projects alike to achieve a desired look, to section off or build garden beds, and for use in building walkways and more. These are also usually the cheapest landscaping materials since they’re so commonly used in so many different kinds of projects.
However, though usually a common go-to for professional and DIY landscapers, these materials aren’t all the same type of landscaping material, and are all used in different ways. For example, gravel and brick would be an example of hardscape materials, and fertilizer and mulch would be an example of softscape materials.
These types of materials, though different, work in unison to create the best-looking yard for you. Your landscape design is going to need elements of both of these types of materials to make your yard look its best, so let’s better understand what these types are.
Beyond just fertilizer or mulch, softscape materials refer to plants, flowers, mulch, trees, shrubs, grass, and soil – basically anything ‘soft’ or living in your yard. These beautiful aspects of your yard provide it with color, and life, and attract beautiful butterflies or birds that are always lovely to see from your kitchen windows.
When installing softscape materials, you should consider using a combination of permanent of perennials plants or flowers, so that you can plants new flowers and shrubs every year in some areas, but still have things like evergreens or year-round foliage around during the winter to keep your yard looking nice during the colder months.
In contrast to softscape materials, hardscape landscaping materials are, you guessed it, the ‘hard’ parts of your landscaping design. As we mentioned before, think brick or gravel. Hardscape materials are often used to make up walkways, patios, driveways, walls, pools, arbors, benches, sprinkler systems, and more.
These elements are also used to provide dimension or contrast to your softscape. After all, without any brick or stone to line your garden beds, they’ll not only not look as nice, but weeds or other invasive plants can easily start growing or overgrowing your garden. Having an absence of hardscape to balance out your plants can also make your yards look messy or out of control. Hardscape materials keep your softscape balanced and serve functional aspects as well.
With DIY landscaping projects increasing in popularity during and since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, more people than ever are looking to transform their outdoor spaces on their own. However, having good landscaping design is integral to not only the look of your property, but to making sure your backyard remains usable and functional, even outside of entertaining.
When looking to embark on a DIY landscaping project, you’ll first want to make sure you’re ready for this process. Determine what’s involved in the landscaping process, including how to choose the right plants or trees for your property, how to shape or use your terrain, plus how to understand and use your yard’s terrain to your advantage in the first place.
Remember, landscaping often involves building fences, structures, plant beds, and even irrigation systems to make your yard as functional as it is attractive. It can be a lot for one person! Make sure you’re ready for any demolition that needs to be done, and budget accordingly for any landscaping costs you might anticipate.
This will of course depend on the type of project you intend to do, but can quickly build up if you’re not going into your project with a trained eye. If you want to enhance your landscaping even more with things like patios, gazebos, pools, fire pits, outdoor kitchens, and more, you’ll want to account for those costs as well.
Remember, tackling a full-scale landscaping project isn’t right for everyone, and you should make sure you’re ready for the process before taking on more than you might be able to handle. Do thorough research into styles, costs, and procedures before beginning your landscaping process. When you’re ready to get the ball rolling, make sure to contact Pillar Aggregates LLC for all of the most high-quality landscaping materials you’ll need for success.
As we’ve alluded to, having the right balance in your landscape design is what really will make your lawn or backyard look dynamic and inviting for you and your guests. When designing your space, don’t go overboard on hardscape or softscape. After all, no one wants to walk into a backyard that’s made of completely brick or gravel areas, and having too many softscape elements can make your backyard look messy and overgrown.
When looking for landscaping ideas, try to combine individual elements with the big picture. Think of the gardens you’ll want to build and what sort of hardscape will let you build up and shape an attractive garden. Additionally, think about building walkways throughout your lawn to not only add functionality to your space but to also break up all of that grass and greenery. Having a dynamic, clean space that is also inviting and functional for guests isn’t easy to do, but can be pulled off with the right planning and vision!
More people than ever are including the following elements in their yards’ designs:
No matter what kind of trend you’d like to follow when embarking on your next landscaping project, or how you’d like to lay out your yard’s design, make sure you’re using the best quality landscaping materials. This will not only let you work with easy-to-use, high-quality hard and soft scape materials, but will also let you have a backyard design that will last for the long term.
Plus, with Pillar Aggregates LLC’s low prices, you’ll be able to enjoy these high-quality materials at the lowest possible prices! Contact us today to learn more about what we can do for you, and what kind of materials we supply. Already know what you need? Request a free consultation from us!
