Like hardware that makes up the durable, lasting, never changing physical machine, the hard components of the landscape, the large pieces of hard material make up the building blocks of your garden.
These are typically referred to as hard landscaping materials. Essential in creating a sense of space and tying in the garden and landscape to the rest of the outside world and to the look and feel of the home.
Hard landscaping should be your first consideration in your first design element, when planning your garden. The hard landscaping not only gives you something to build on in your garden, but it will also solve the bulk of many basic purposes- drainage, the basis of your outdoor living spaces, preventing erosion and the very foundation you need to create a long-lasting outside space.