Hardscaping; A Variety of Materials

Hardscaping is a commonly used term in the landscape industry. It refers to the none living aspects of a landscape usually stone and wood structures. In this article I will be focusing on different materials to use when creating a hardscape plan.

There are many applications that stone products are used for. Retaining walls, walk ways and water features are commonly built from stone. This is because it is a long lasting product and provides defined areas and structures. The two most common types of stone products are referred to as precast or natural. Precast products are man made from a variety of materials including brick, natural stone and concrete and come in a large variety of shapes, styles and colors. Natural stone is stone that comes from a quarry and is used in the landscape. Depending on the type of stone and application it can either be saw cut or left the way it is from the quarry. Using different colors, textures and productes you can create a very beautiful and diverse landscape.

Precast products are commonly used for walk ways and retaining walls. There are many different shapes, styles, textures and colors that precast products can come in. Its a great product to work with since each stone is to a proper measurement making installing these products very simple. Some of the biggest precast stone distributors are: Permacon, Unilock, Hanson,and Oaks. They all provide a wide variety of stones that will surely meet the needs of your job. Depending on the stone yard in your area they will carry different companies. Below we will look at a variety of different pavers.


These are commonly used laying patterns for pavers. When purchasing a paver ask the manufacturer for a technical guide. This will allow you to see the different laying patterns that are possible for that paver.

These are a very basic rectangular paver. Its a very easy to lay since its consistent shape and creates very nice clean lines. There are many available laying patterns for this paver.

There are commonly three different shapes of pavers in this selection. It creates a very clean, random pattern. A very textured paver with visible joints provides a very elegant look.

These pavers mimics a natural flagstone look. A textured paver with changing lines that provide a mosaic effect. The benefit to using this paver over natural flagstone is that it will be more stable installation and will have less shifting and expanding of joints.





Natural stone can be used for walkways, retaining walls and fountains. There are many different types stone, each with its own characteristics, colors and textures. Natural stone is commonly more expensive then precast for both the materials and labour. Since the product is natural there is usually variations in the size of the material making it more time consuming to install. Below I will show examples of different natural stone products.


Armour stone makes great retaining walls, especially in larger applications. The stones are very heavy so they wont shift when retaining a large amount of area.
Natural stone steps are a nice addition to any landscape adding a lot of character.

Square cut flagstone add a very elegant and formal look to a landscape. Square cut flagstone is usually "wet laid" meaning its installed on top of mortar. This is to ensure it doesn't shift and the lines stay straight.


Random flagstone is a great way to define different spaces in the landscape. Its random lines breaks up the straight lines from pavers. Coming in a variety of colors makes it a great addition to any landscape. It can either be dry laid (installed on and aggregate base) or wet laid (installed on a mortar base).




Check with your local stone supplier for the company and products they carry. Look at using a combination of precast and natural stone products to create a unique and diverse hardscape!

Sinking of pavers is a common problem throught the landscape industry and can be very dangerous. Heres a video showing a basic lift and relay of interlocking pavers: