How To Anchor Hardscaping with Plants | This Old House: Live

Hardscaping elements like patios, walkways, and retaining walls can add structure and functionality to your outdoor space. However, without the softening touch of plants, these features can appear stark and uninviting. In the video, landscape designer Jenn Nawada demonstrates these techniques in her friend Mark McCullough’s side yard, transforming a bare brick walkway into a lush, inviting garden path. In this article, we’ll give more tips about effectively using plants to complement and anchor your hardscaping features. 

*Unless otherwise noted, costs in this article reflect an average of prices that our team found from hardware stores like Lowes and Home Depot, and on Amazon.com.

Selecting the Right Plants for Hardscaping

Creating the perfect visual complement to your yard’s hardscaping starts with selecting the right plants for both appearance and longevity.

Consider the Growing Conditions

Before selecting plants, assess the environmental conditions of your hardscaping area. Consider factors like sunlight exposure, soil type and quality, drainage patterns, and climate and Hardiness Zone. Choose plants that thrive in the specific conditions of your site to ensure their long-term success and minimize maintenance requirements.

Choose Plants for Year-Round Interest

To create a dynamic landscape that looks appealing throughout the seasons, select a variety of plants with different blooming periods and foliage characteristics. This might include:

• Bulbs to flower in the spring
• Perennials to bloom in the summer
• Shrubs to provide color in the fall
• Evergreens to give structure in the winter

This approach ensures there’s always something attractive alongside your hardscaping, regardless of the time of year.

Coordinate Colors with Hardscaping

Select plants that complement or contrast with the colors of your hardscaping materials. For example, Nawada chose a Japanese maple to echo the red tones of the brick walkway in McCullough’s yard and incorporated evergreens, which provide a complementary color to the red brick. 

Consider using plants with foliage or flowers that match accent colors in your hardscaping, choosing plants with silver or gray foliage to complement cool-toned stonework. Alternatively, pick plants with warm-colored foliage or flowers to contrast with cool-toned hardscaping.

Planning Your Plant Layout for Hardscaping

Once you’ve chosen your plants, put some thought into how you’ll place them. Anchoring hardscaping with carefully chosen plants creates a harmonious blend of natural and man-made elements, enhancing the overall aesthetic of your landscape. 

Create Layers and Depth

Arrange plants in layers to create depth and interest. Place taller plants and shrubs towards the back of beds, use medium-height plants in the middle, and edge with low-growing plants or groundcovers. Layering allows for an intricate tapestry of textures and colors, simulating a natural ecosystem and providing a habitat for various pollinators.

Use Repetition for Cohesion

Repeat plant varieties throughout your landscape to create a sense of unity and flow. In the project above, Nawada demonstrated this technique by using the same plants in multiple areas along the walkway, guiding the eye through the landscape while creating a cohesive look. Repetition can also enhance the impact of seasonal changes, as the same plants blooming at different times can create a rhythm that brings continuity and balance to the garden plan.

Incorporate Focal Points

Use standout plants as focal points to draw attention to specific areas or features of your hardscaping. In McCullough’s yard, Nawada used a Japanese threadleaf maple as a beautiful focal point. Consider options like ornamental trees with interesting bark or form, large architectural plants like yuccas or ornamental grasses, and plants with striking foliage colors or textures. Focal points can also include sculptures, birdbaths, or benches, providing functional beauty that draws attention even when plants are dormant.

Planting Techniques When Hardscaping

Proper planting techniques give your plants the best chance to thrive in their new location and establish strong root systems.

Prepare the Planting Hole

Dig a hole twice as wide as the plant’s root ball and just as deep, loosening the soil at the bottom and sides of the hole to encourage root growth. If your soil is poor, mix in some compost or high-quality topsoil, improving the nutrient profile and soil structure for healthier plant development.

Plant Carefully

Carefully remove the plant from its container and gently loosen the roots to promote outward growth. Place the plant in the hole, ensuring it’s at the same depth it was in the container, and backfill the hole with soil, firming gently to eliminate air pockets. Water thoroughly to help settle the soil around the roots, which minimizes transplant shock and helps establish the plant quickly.

Add Starter Fertilizer

As Nawada recommends, incorporate a starter fertilizer when planting to help establish strong root systems. Choose a balanced, slow-release fertilizer formulated for the type of plant you’ve chosen, not grass fertilizer. Follow the package instructions for application rates and mix it into the backfill soil or apply it to the soil surface after planting.

Maintaining Your Anchored Hardscape

Your job doesn’t stop at planting. As Nawada warns McCullough, “Don’t kill my stuff!”

Watering

Consistent watering is crucial, especially during the first growing season. The specifics will depend on the plant you chose and your climate zone, but here are some general tips:

• Water deeply but irregularly to encourage deep root growth, which fosters drought resistance and stability. 
• Use a soaker hose or drip irrigation for efficient watering, reducing water waste while ensuring thorough penetration to the root zone. 
• Adjust watering frequency based on rainfall and soil moisture levels.

Mulching

Mulching helps create a low-maintenance garden by reducing the need for frequent watering and weeding. Apply 2–3 inches of mulch around your plants to retain soil moisture, suppress weed growth, and regulate soil temperature. Be sure to keep mulch a few inches away from plant stems to prevent rot. 

We recommend organic mulch like shredded bark or pine straw. These materials break down over time, so you’ll have to replace them, but they enrich the soil and encourage beneficial microbial activity as they decompose. 

Pruning and Maintenance

Regular pruning and maintenance will keep your plants healthy and your landscape looking tidy. Again, specific advice about how and when will vary based on your chosen plants, but here’s where to start:

• Remove dead or diseased branches promptly to maintain plant vigor and prevent the spread of issues. 
• Shape plants as needed to maintain the desired form. 
• Deadhead flowers to encourage continued blooming, increasing the number of flowering cycles throughout the growing season. 
• Divide perennials every few years to maintain vigor, ensuring that they don’t outgrow their space.

Additional Design Tips for Expert Landscaping

Beyond the basics of planting around hardscaping, here are some options for improving both the usability and the environmental impact of your outdoor spaces.

Integrate Paving and Plants

When designing around hardscaping, consider the placement of pavers and how they interact with plants. Allow spaces between pavers for groundcovers or creeping plants, creating a seamless transition between the hard surface and soft foliage. This approach softens the appearance of large paved areas and allows for better rainwater absorption into the soil, reducing runoff and promoting a healthier ecosystem.

Attract Wildlife

Enhance your garden’s biodiversity by choosing plants that attract beneficial insects, birds, and other wildlife. Select native plants and flowers that provide nectar, pollen, and seeds for local fauna, boosting the ecological health of your garden. Just be sure to use non-synthetic pesticides to avoid harming pollinators. Additionally, incorporating water features or birdhouses can create habitats that support diverse wildlife, adding life and movement to your landscape.

Balance Proportions

Achieve balance in your landscape by carefully considering the proportions between plants and hardscaping elements. Ensure that your plant choices complement rather than overwhelm the built environment, providing a seamless connection between the two. Use the architectural lines of your hardscaping to guide plant placement, establishing harmony and flow throughout the space. Consider sightlines and viewpoints from different areas in the garden to maximize visual connections between features.

Our Conclusion

Anchoring hardscaping with plants is a powerful way to soften hard edges and create a more inviting outdoor space. By carefully selecting plants, planning your layout, and using proper planting and maintenance techniques, you can transform your hardscaped areas into lush, vibrant gardens that enhance the beauty of your home’s exterior.

Resources

Nawada selected a variety of plants for McCullough’s sideyard, including a Japanese maple tree, boxwoods, hostas, and a mascon. These can all be found at nurseries.

Shopping List

• Desired plants
• Mulch
• Starter fertilizer

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