Softscape Guide: 5 Softscaping Tips for Your Yard or Garden

Softscaping is a component of landscape design that refers to the living, horticultural elements involved in landscaping. Softscape elements include flowers, plants, grass, soil, flower beds, and groundcover. Despite the name, softscape elements are not always soft to the touch—hard trees and mulch are also considered part of the softscape design.

Hardscape elements refer to the inanimate objects used in landscaping design. Common examples of hardscape include pavers, retaining walls, stone walls, swimming pools, water features, pergolas, arbors, fire pits, and gazebos. Living spaces with a practical purpose, like an outdoor kitchen, can also be considered hardscape features. Hardscape materials, such as concrete and asphalt, are designed to provide structure, assist with runoff, and prevent erosion. Designing an outdoor space with the right balance of hardscape and softscape features can add to your home's curb appeal.

Landscape designers rely on several softscaping techniques to make outdoor spaces feel natural and inviting.

1. 1. Plan the hardscape first. When designing your front yard, backyard, or garden, start with the hardscape. This will provide boundaries and structure to build your softscape around.
2. 2. Strike a balance. Finding the right balance is key because too many hardscape elements will be hard on the eye and unappealing, while too much softscaping can appear cluttered and unfocused. Add plants slowly to get a sense of how much softscaping is appropriate for your space.
3. 3. Round out hard edges. Planting flowers and tall grasses close to the edge of a patio or walkway can make your outdoor space feel cozy and welcoming.
4. 4. Consider the maintenance involved. Depending on your gardening abilities, time, and local climate, you might choose to plant vibrant annuals or low-maintenance perennial plants. Unlike annual plants, which die after the first year, perennial plants come back year after year and require less tending. If you live in an arid region, outdoor succulents are also drought-tolerant, low-maintenance choices.
5. 5. Leave room for growth. Unlike the permanent, structural elements of hardscape, plants are ever-evolving and need room to grow. When planning your landscape, consider how shrubs, flowers, vines, and other softscape elements will grow and change over time.

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