We like the way our friends at a Houston Landscaping company describe it.

Hardscaping adds to landscaping in many ways.

Some of the benefits include:

• Pathways and walkways create transition by providing clear, recognizable transit areas through which traffic moves from one point of interest to another.
• Paths can also create zones of interest and make a yard look bigger by altering the perspective and depth of the scene.
• Architectural walls can create borders around vegetation and activity zones, magnifying the impact of the vegetation in the process.
• Retaining walls can be used to change the grade of the Houston landscape.
• Courtyard walls create enclosed spaces for privacy and conversation.
• Garden pergolas, with their lattice walls, can screen the view with such elements as lattice walls or raftered ceilings partly open to the stars
• Custom patios establish entertainment and seating areas, such as swimming pool patios, luxury spas, and outdoor fireplaces
• Stairways and steps leading to and from outdoor buildings create drama and a sense of grand entrance.
• Arbors create shade and comfort in the hot, Houston summer sun.
• Masonry constructs add vertical impact that lifts the property above the aesthetic norm.
• Front yard walkways and custom driveways add curb appeal to the edifice of the home.

In all of these examples, we can see how equally important the aesthetic element of hardscape is to its functional element. Ideally, there should always be a purposed served by a structure in a way that also pleases the eye. Some forms, however, are for all intents and purpose pure decoration and nothing more.

An excellent example of such would be outdoor water features such as custom fountains. Very small architectural walls around patios and morning gardens also do little to create enclosure or true privacy per se, but lend themselves very well to the sense of special place that is set apart visually and distinctively from the rest of the yard.