This document provides information on hard landscaping elements for a garden design course. It defines hard landscaping and discusses horizontal elements like paths, patios, and decking made of materials like wood, concrete, and pavers. Vertical elements described include walls, fences, and pergolas made from natural materials like wood and stone or man-made materials. Rock gardens and water features are also covered, comparing natural materials like stone and clay to manufactured options like hypertufa and resin for rock gardens and butyl pond liners versus block or natural clay for water features. The learning outcomes focus on describing these various hard landscaping elements and comparing natural versus manufactured material options.

1. RHS Level 2 Certificate
Week 29 – Garden
Design. Hard
landscaping.

2. Learning outcomes
1. Hard landscaping
1.1 Describe a range of horizontal elements: paths,
steps, patios and decking. Compare the benefits and
limitations of a range of materials for each of the
above, including concrete, paving and wood
1.2 Describe a range of vertical elements: walls,
fences, screens, pergolas, furniture, statuary. For
each of the above, compare TWO examples of
natural and man-made materials used in their
manufacture.
1.3 Describe rock gardens and water features. State
TWO examples of manufactured and TWO of natural
materials for EACH element

3. Hard Landscaping
 Refers to everything that is not living in the
garden.
 A wide range of choices of varying cost,
difficulty of construction, maintenance
requirements and appearance.
 The choice will be partly dictated by the style
of the design – so rough stone walls are
more likely to be found in a cottage garden
and polished steel in a formal, modern
garden.

4. Horizontal elements
 Horizontal plane links the other elements of
the design. Vital to creating a feeling of
harmony.
 Simplicity works best – limited palette of
materials, textures and colours.
 Select materials that fit the purpose, style
and budget.

5. Materials
 Man made – brick pavers, concrete slabs.
Variable quality available – buy the best you
can afford as cheap ones can discolour or
degrade. Cheaper than stone.
 Natural – wood and stone. Wood –
hardwood is more long lasting/expensive
than treated softwood. Stone – the luxury
choice although gravel can give the same
colours. Requires careful laying for best
effect.

6. Hard landscaping – horizontal
surfaces
Material Benefits Limitations
Wooden decking Can be painted or stained to
any colour. Good for
entertaining areas near the
house
Not for heavy loads.
Can become slippery in
damp.
Regular maintenance
Paving slabs or
stone
Hard wearing, little
maintenance. Wide variety of
sizes and colours. Can bear
loads.
Requires skill to lay,
particularly if load bearing.
Does not suit irregular
shapes well
Concrete Very hard wearing, can be
coloured or textured.
Relatively cheap.
Can look rather industrial.
Large areas will need
expert installation.
Pavers Can be matched to the house
bricks. Variety of patterns
possible in bonds.
Not easy to lay well.

7. Vertical elements
 Add visual interest – break up sight lines,
create mystery, can control movement,
provide enclosure.
 Boundary structures – provide security,
windbreaks, enclosure.
 Divide the garden into separate areas for
different uses or design areas
 Sculptures etc provide focal points.
 Can include overhead elements – pergolas
etc.

8. Hard landscaping - verticals
Material Benefits Limitations
Wood – fence
panels
Painted or stained to any
colour. Define garden
boundaries; provide security.
windbreaks for productive
areas. DIY installation possible.
Require regular
maintenance. Limited life
span.
Brick - wall Bricks come in a variety of
colours and textures. Very long
lasting. Create microclimates
Require expert
construction. Expensive.
Metal – e.g. pergolas Can be painted, create
interesting detailed shapes not
possible with wood etc.
Expensive, require regular
maintenance.
Stone Natural appearance, can suit
building construction materials.
Most expensive, stone
walls need a mason to
build.

9. Rock Gardens
 Remove weeds on sunny, sloping site
 Excavate area to 30cm and add 15cm hard core and
stones; top with inverted turf.
 Use only ordinary mineral top soil and grit; no nutrients
added.
 Bed stones into ground by 1/3 then build up soil around
and above them, adding stones irregularly. Any strata
should be in the same plane for all stones. Aim for natural
look
 Plant after 1 or 2 weeks; use free draining planting
mixture. Water in and top dress with stones.

10. Materials for rock gardens
 Natural stone – ideal but expensive, need to be
careful of source (sustainability).
 Gravel/shale – used for scree gardens and as a
mulch on rock gardens. Must match the stones.
 Hypertufa (artificial stone) – mix of cement, sand and
peat or sieved compost/leaf mould. Cast in holes in
the ground. Long lasting if made correctly; cheaper
than stone. Hard to make large units.
 Resin ‘stones’ – mimic stone but large ones are hard
to find and they may look ‘fake’

11. Water Features and ponds
 Add reflection, movement, sound to gardens.
 Provide new planting zones for aquatics and
bog plants.
 Ponds provide horizontal interest. Water
features can provide vertical interest.

12. Materials for water features
 Man made pond liners: rendered block or
butyl liner. Block needs professional
installation, butyl is DIY. Block for formal
pools, butyl for ‘natural’ ones.
 Natural pond liner: puddled clay – natural
liner but hard to install and requires large
amounts of clay.
 Fountains – stone fountains are expensive,
cast resin can look similar but must be
drained in winter.

13. Learning Outcomes
1. Hard landscaping
1.1 Describe a range of horizontal elements: paths,
steps, patios and decking. Compare the benefits and
limitations of a range of materials for each of the
above, including concrete, paving and wood
1.2 Describe a range of vertical elements: walls,
fences, screens, pergolas, furniture, statuary. For
each of the above, compare TWO examples of
natural and man-made materials used in their
manufacture.
1.3 Describe rock gardens and water features. State
TWO examples of manufactured and TWO of natural
materials for EACH element