The interaction between soft and hard landscapes is not always immediately obvious to the ?user? even to the point they are subconsciously ?directed? from and to an end point.

The use of hard landscape has been part of garden design for hundreds of years, sometimes being of a subtle nature whilst in some landscapes as rather ostentatious; function was a sometime aspect in larger estates.

In today?s landscape we create areas within the garden that are often functional and aesthetic in nature; such areas include parking bays (cars and bikes), driveways, gazebos, patios, play areas, dog runs, swimming pools, water features, retaining walls, fences, trellis, arbours etc. Functional landscapes are cost effective and reduce wear and tear when the needs of the property are considered in their totality.

Footpaths for example join two or more points, but to be functional they must fit the need of the garden; a footpath that is not used is a waste of space and money, however, when combined in a design with soft landscaping it becomes a functional area, with the path being the ?vehicle? to get from A to B whilst the soft landscape ?dictates the way from A to B. This can be created with straight or meandering paths with the emphasis being on moving the user without trespassing from the path; it is also important to rate the paths as to primary, secondary etc especially with larger properties. Primary paths should make the statement simply by their width, whilst other paths should be narrower to identify their lesser use or importance. Paths should take people where they want to go, without the use of right angles, gentle curves or forty five degree angles should be the finishing point to an entrance, invariably a path with a right angle turn shows wear and tear to its sides. Primary paths ? to accept two persons walking side by side ? should be a minimum of five feet, anything less will create trespass ? and compaction ? on the lawn area adjacent to the path. Footpaths should be an integral part of the design when part of a plan that includes swimming pools ?external? patios gazebos etc, the need to get from A to B is a constant, therefore the ?path becomes an important feature if wear and tear are to be avoided.

Driveways, parking bays and reversing areas should also be designed to accommodate the worst case scenario of a driver, by giving enough turning area etc to avoid driving on the grass or plant beds. Parking bays should also be wide enough to accommodate the need for persons getting out of the car on a hard surface, and not having to walk into the flower bed or lawn when opening or closing the car door.

Swimming pools are a regular feature in many homes and used by family and friends alike, with this in mind the initial design should be such that it facilitates such use. I often find attractive pools with a small pool deck which does not allow perambulation ? around the hard surface ? especially if several chaise lounges are located on the deck. When pool furniture is to be used either create larger areas of deck or separate ?patios? joined via a ?hard? path. Leaving furniture on lawns is acceptable for short periods, but makes maintenance more labour intensive and therefore more costly. Pool chemicals can cause problems on grassed areas and this should be recognised, some chemicals can have an adverse effect when spillage onto grassed areas occurs.

It is a common feature to see a path running adjacent to a (house) wall with perhaps no more than two feet of soiled area separating the two. Such a width is really difficult to plant anything substantial, especially if the wall happens to be blank and high.

This becomes an ideal location to use a trellis with vines, which together take up little if any space and can cover a large surface of wall ? even around windows ? and enhance same without too much difficulty.

Hedges are often regarded as the only form of separation, between properties or as a screen. Many hedges take up a great deal of room (width), to reduce this factor consider using a fence which in its many forms can be very attractive, even to the point of being a vehicle for growing vines.

Sloping land can be made more functional by creating a ?cut and fill? exercise or by building a dry stack wall to create a terraced effect, which offers more useful land space and easier maintenance.

The cut and fill will still be required on small terraced areas to give soil depth uniformity and the prospect of better growth.

Gazebos and arbours add interest to landscapes which tend to be on one level and flat, with gazebos being a focal point to view all it surrounds and arbours creating a separation or transition within the garden.

Soft and hard landscapes should complement each other and be in harmony with the house, and should evolve naturally within the design concept, with the end result being a marriage of interesting ?hard elements? melding with a floriferous landscape which is pleasing to the eye and cost effective.

Think out of the box and create interest by using the outdoor areas as an extension of the house.