Landscaping Improvements That Work For You
Lawns need mowing, gardens love edging, and weeds deserve whacking. Yard chores aren’t fun, but they add up to a beautiful home landscape. What if you could improve the scenery with features that don’t demand special attention? Here are four great hardscaping ideas for homeowners who like to relax on the weekend.
1. Retaining Walls Have Purpose
Whether they’re built with concrete block or native field stone, well-placed retaining walls minimize erosion from pouring rains and help control storm flooding. They shade delicate gardens from sizzling Texas summers and provide welcome wind breaks when winter storms blow through. If your lawn mower bounces over uneven terrain, consider the shorter cousins of these functional walls. Terracing tames the wildest slopes in San Antonio yards.
2. Pathways Work Around Problems
Towering shade trees thin the lawn under their branches, and family foot traffic wears ruts along favorite home trails. Win this turf war by giving up on repeated re-seeding. Inviting pathways of natural stone or concrete pavers eliminate the need to constantly coax grass into growing over bald spots. Brick, cobblestone or travertine walkways weave lovely accents through your landscape, and they permanently stamp out muddy spots.
3. Ponds Add Property Value
Landscape improvements pay off by increasing your property value, but a beautiful rock pond ups the ante with very little maintenance. From waterfalls cascading into small pools by the front porch to koi ponds complementing the back patio, these installations are built to take care of themselves. Pumps and filter systems require minimum attention, and that’s good because these small water worlds are as relaxing as they are inviting.
4. Fire Pits Warm Up Entertainment
You’ll never give up the barbecue grill, but that cast iron buddy can’t hold a candle to the hardscaped good looks of rugged fire pits. Most options for remodeling patios and pools are limited to laying down new surfaces, but these open hearths create exciting new centers for outdoor home entertaining. The addition of winter-hearty container plants like Mexican verbena or colorful violas turn fire pit areas into warm escapes on frosty Texas evenings.
Hardscape installations always add low-maintenance beauty to your home landscape. If you’d like more ideas, just call us at ABC Home & Commercial Services of San Antonio. We believe you deserve a little more free time on the weekends.