Landscape Design
Pros Share Their Top Resilient Paving and Hardscape Picks
See landscape pros’ favorite materials for creating a durable and beautiful outdoor space
Plants may be the heart of a resilient garden, but hardscape materials play an important role in creating a landscape that can withstand severe weather events and other disruptions. The right picks also can work with nature and support local ecosystems. Keep reading to see the materials and approaches that landscape pros on Houzz recommend for paving, edging and other areas to create a resilient outdoor space.
Natural materials are also a favorite resilient hardscape pick for landscape designer José Roberto Corea of Austin Outdoor Design in Texas. “We look for locally sourced stone and pavers,” he says. As a bonus, materials that are native to your area can be more cost-effective than those shipped from a distance. They also will feel more at home in your landscape.
2. Permeable Surfaces
Materials that allow rain, snow and other types of runoff to seep back into the soil and help replenish the groundwater, rather than drain to streets and storm systems, also suit resilient landscapes. “I like to use decomposed granite and crushed limestone and basalt,” Corea says.
Shop for outdoor products
Materials that allow rain, snow and other types of runoff to seep back into the soil and help replenish the groundwater, rather than drain to streets and storm systems, also suit resilient landscapes. “I like to use decomposed granite and crushed limestone and basalt,” Corea says.
Shop for outdoor products
Isara Ongwiseth of FormLA Landscaping in Los Angeles also recommends decomposed granite or crushed gravel. “We want to inhibit evaporation and runoff from hardscape,” he says. Not only do these materials allow water to sink back into the ground, but they also provide stable, sturdy surfaces for walking or rolling (especially if a stabilizer has been added).
Another permeable surface Ongwiseth uses is dry-laid stone pavers with joints that are wide enough to accommodate low-growing plants. This option offers a solid surface for walking and also allows water to drain back into the ground.
15 Ways to Manage Excess Water in Your Landscape
Another permeable surface Ongwiseth uses is dry-laid stone pavers with joints that are wide enough to accommodate low-growing plants. This option offers a solid surface for walking and also allows water to drain back into the ground.
15 Ways to Manage Excess Water in Your Landscape
3. Metal Details
Stainless steel and weathering steel are materials favored by pros that can last for decades in a variety of weather conditions. “I’m a sucker for Cor-Ten steel edging,” landscape designer Benjamin Vogt of Monarch Gardens in Lincoln, Nebraska, says. Corea is another fan of using weathering steel. “It’s a good choice for edging and planters,” he says.
Popular Materials for Garden Paths and Walkways
Stainless steel and weathering steel are materials favored by pros that can last for decades in a variety of weather conditions. “I’m a sucker for Cor-Ten steel edging,” landscape designer Benjamin Vogt of Monarch Gardens in Lincoln, Nebraska, says. Corea is another fan of using weathering steel. “It’s a good choice for edging and planters,” he says.
Popular Materials for Garden Paths and Walkways
4. Recycled Options
Reusing materials that have proved they can handle difficult conditions — such as stone, concrete and brick —combines resiliency with sustainability. You also can look for composites made from recycled materials. These cut down on waste and reliance on landfills. You’ll often see these materials used for decking and edging as well as other hardscape features. “There are companies that use recycled plastic, such as grocery bags, for fences and benches,” Vogt says. Products made from recycled materials have become much more natural-looking in recent years, and can be lower-maintenance and longer-lasting than natural wood.
Reusing materials that have proved they can handle difficult conditions — such as stone, concrete and brick —combines resiliency with sustainability. You also can look for composites made from recycled materials. These cut down on waste and reliance on landfills. You’ll often see these materials used for decking and edging as well as other hardscape features. “There are companies that use recycled plastic, such as grocery bags, for fences and benches,” Vogt says. Products made from recycled materials have become much more natural-looking in recent years, and can be lower-maintenance and longer-lasting than natural wood.
5. Climate-Specific Approaches
Where you live also will help determine the best hardscape materials for your garden. In Los Angeles, wildfires are always an issue, so “establishing gardens that can survive a fire and also help keep it from spreading is key,” Ongwiseth says, To accomplish that, he uses ember-resistant materials in the areas that are 5 feet closest to a home at minimum.
Find out why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro
Where you live also will help determine the best hardscape materials for your garden. In Los Angeles, wildfires are always an issue, so “establishing gardens that can survive a fire and also help keep it from spreading is key,” Ongwiseth says, To accomplish that, he uses ember-resistant materials in the areas that are 5 feet closest to a home at minimum.
Find out why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro
Think about your region’s typical weather conditions and also some extremes it has experienced that could continue to be a factor in the future. The latter might mean heavier rain and snowstorms, hurricanes with stronger-than-usual winds, more severe droughts or higher temperatures. Work with an experienced landscape professional in your area and ask about the materials he or she has found to be durable.
More on Houzz
Read more landscape design stories
Get landscape design ideas
Find a landscape designer or architect
Shop for outdoor products
More on Houzz
Read more landscape design stories
Get landscape design ideas
Find a landscape designer or architect
Shop for outdoor products
Sponsored
DC Area's High-End Custom Landscape Design Build Firm
Locally sourced natural materials such as stone create a beautiful and resilient hardscape for a variety of landscape styles. “We love natural materials for hardscape, as they typically offer outstanding durability in our climate and lifestyle and they are environmentally responsible,” says Jeff True, vice president of operations at Hursthouse Landscape Architects and Contractors in Bolingbrook, Illinois.
Find a landscape designer near you on Houzz