Patios, Walkways and Retaining Walls

Hardscaping Worth Dreaming About 

There's something about a yard that unleashes someone's inner dreamer. At least, this is the way it is for the design team at Oriole Landscaping. And maybe it's the same way for you – every time you gaze at your yard and wonder, What extra something does this yard need? What feature might enhance its appeal?

The answer might well be hardscaping. In landscaping parlance, it refers to the hard-surface features that give a yard definition and embellish the natural beauty of its softer features, such as the grass, shrubs, plants and trees. Hardscaping like a patio, walkway and retaining wall may be attached to a house or grace its perimeter. If you're considering making one a part of your yard, hardscaping may be unleashing your inner dreamer, too. 

Consider a Patio

A patio can increase your living space, giving you more room to relax, entertain and gather family and friends for meals and intimate conversations. And with amenities such as a fire pit, outdoor kitchen and seating walls, a patio can quickly become a home's focal point, too. 

When a patio is built right, the materials should take their cues from a home's architecture and integrate seamlessly with the existing landscaping. If you're dreaming of a patio, you may be envisioning one made with concrete, crushed rock and gravel or pavers. You have many options – and the skilled designers and builders at Oriole Landscaping can turn any one of them into reality.

Consider a Walkway

Like many homes, yours probably includes some unusable space. That is – until you make it functional with a walkway. 

Try not to confuse it with a pathway. Natural materials such as mulch and loose gravel are natural choices for pathways whereas concrete blocks, natural flagstone and earth-tone pavers –traditional hardscape materials – are better choices for walkways. Plus, pathways tend to be narrower, or about 2 or 3 feet wide. Walkways are usually between 4 and 6 feet wide. If you're dreaming of a walkway, Oriole Landscaping will help ensure that it makes the best use of your space.

Consider a Retaining Wall

You may think a retaining wall is good only for creating a raised garden bed or holding back mounds of soil. It is, but a retaining wall can do so much more for a yard, like adding style, character and a textured design element that can turn an ordinary yard into an extraordinary one.

Even smaller retaining walls, or those less than 4 feet tall, don't have to be perfectly straight, either. If you're dreaming of a retaining wall, an artful curved design might be just the thing to add beauty to your yard while resisting the forces of nature at the same time.

Whatever hardscape feature has captured your imagination, turn to the experienced landscape architects at Oriole Landscaping. We can design and build a patio, walkway or retaining wall that will add value and beauty to your home – and prove that it always pays to dream a little when it comes to your yard.