The Differences Between Hard vs Soft Landscaping

When it comes to designing the perfect outdoor living space, it’s important to consider the individual elements that must come together to form a landscape. The easiest way to do this is to categorise each design element into one of two groups - hard landscaping and soft landscaping.

As the names suggest, these two components of outdoor landscaping are the polar opposite of each other, yet are both equally important in making a landscape balanced and fully functional. But what do both of these key elements actually consist of? In this blog, we take a deep dive into the world of landscaping, focusing specifically on hardscape and softscape techniques, as well as the components needed to implement them.

To put it simply, hard landscaping refers to the aspects of designing outdoor spaces that involve physically hard materials. From wooden planters and concrete pathways to brick walls and stone-based rockeries, hard landscaping items will typically remain the same all year round while soft landscaping items change as the seasons' progress. This provides a contrast all good landscapes should exhibit.

Basic hardscaping should, in theory, provide the very foundations of your outdoor space. While plants and other softscape items are often the main focus of a landscape, it is the hardscape features - whether that be timber perimeter fencing, essential retaining walls, or concrete walkways - that tend to form the very bones of your garden or outdoor space. In this vein, hard landscaping features may not only be installed for aesthetic purposes but also to solve an important issue. For example, they could be used to divert water and aid drainage, prevent permanent structures (such as your home or an outbuilding) from being damaged by extreme weather and provide sturdy walkways that ensure you have easy and safe access to all areas of your outdoor landscape during all times of the year. For this reason, the hard landscaping side of a job should not be neglected.

Aside from structural hardscaping features and those that serve a specific practical purpose, hard landscaping can also include incorporating other man-made components into your outdoor space that serve aesthetic or leisure purposes. As we explore in more detail below, this can include anything from water features and patios to decking, firepits and barbeque areas.

The components that make up hard landscaping can be either artificial or natural. This is to say, features such as retaining walls, pavements, planters, fencing and trellises can be made up of natural materials such as stone and wood. However, other, typically more extravagant features, such as water fountains, gazebos, permanent outdoor furniture, decking and even outdoor kitchens, will obviously require more artificial elements. It’s important to note that hardscaping items may also include safety and security features such as lighting, CCTV and electric gates.

Common hard landscaping components include:

• Pathways
• Fencing/perimeter walls
• Gates
• Retaining walls
• Decking/patios
• Outdoor kitchen/barbecue area
• Firepits
• Draining systems/structures
• Irrigation systems
• Greenhouses/sheds/gazebos
• Lighting
• Sculptures
• Water features
• Trellises

Just as hard landscaping relates to the physically hard elements included in an outdoor space, soft landscaping, or softscaping, refers to the soft ones. This is usually implemented in the way of more natural components such as the lawns, flowers, hedges, shrubs and trees used to define an outdoor space. This type of landscaping typically requires more maintenance and specialist tools to keep on top of.

Unlike hardscaping features, which tend to be permanent and static, the soft landscaping elements of a garden are far more changeable. This is primarily because many of these components are alive and react to different variables such as temperature, weather conditions and how well they are maintained after installation. This also means that while aspects of hard landscaping will be in place for years to come, soft features will be more fluid and may need to be replaced multiple times a year to keep your outdoor space looking its best.

The components that make up soft landscaping are almost exclusively natural. Although the actual style preferences of the designer or client will drive whether contemporary or traditional soft landscaping features are used - this may be the difference between spaces with traditional evergreen hedges with well manicured lawns and those with modern palm trees with long ornamental grasses - the basic components of soft landscaping remain constant.
Soft landscaping tasks include:

• Planting shrubs and trees
• Designing flower bed layouts
• Laying natural lawn and turfs
• Selecting the correct soils
• Planting garden borders
• Using tree bark and gravel
• Developing the natural elements of ponds