What is the Difference Between Hardscaping and Softscaping?

Posted By in Landscape Design
In the lush tapestry of outdoor spaces, two artistic strokes bring the landscape to life: hardscaping and softscaping. When balanced thoughtfully, these two elements create gardens and outdoor settings that are beautiful and functional. At Principal Landscapes, we've mastered this art. Our multi-award-winning team, led by Managing Director Cullen Long, has been Designing Nature and Crafting Lifestyle in Perth, Western Australia, since 2007. The Basics of Hardscaping Hardscaping refers to the complex elements in your landscape—think patios, walkways, retaining walls, and even pools. These are usually made of hard materials like stone, concrete, or metal. Hardscaping provides structure and serves as the canvas upon which softscaping is painted. "Principal Landscapes designed and constructed our outdoor kitchen and entertainment area. Our outdoor area has become the central hub of our house, and this is all down to Cullen and his team at Principal Landscapes," says Ron Tait, a satisfied client. Softscaping: The Yin to Hardscaping's Yang Softscaping is the planting of gardens, the arranging of shrubs, the rolling out of lush lawns—anything that grows. It brings life, texture, and colour to your outdoor spaces. Softscaping is flexible and can be changed or updated seasonally, unlike its hardscape counterpart....
Your Simple Guide To What A Landscape Designer Does

Posted By in Landscape Design
As landscapers, we often get asked by our prospects and clients, "What does a landscape designer do? ", and it is a perfectly valid question. Whilst many people will be familiar with terms like 'gardener' and mostly understand what those who work as gardeners do, there is often some confusion when they think about landscape designers. So, we want to eliminate any confusion that those reading might have and give you a simple guide into the work of landscape designers, including what it takes to qualify as one. Hopefully, if anyone reading is contemplating a change of career, this might help to encourage you to pursue one in landscape design. What Is A Landscape Designer? Let us start with the most fundamental question, 'What is a landscape designer?'. A landscape designer is a professional that requires several specialist skills and considerable knowledge in creating outdoor spaces, primarily gardens, for residential and commercial properties. The many skills and abilities landscape designers will have includes horticultural knowledge, garden design, aesthetics, technical knowledge, spatial orientation, and being able to create detailed plans and drawings that will be used to construct the garden or outdoor space they design. How Do You Qualify As A Landscape Designer? Many people not knowledgeable about landscaping are unaware that landscape designers will invariably have had considerable training and will have taken and passed a professional qualification. One of the most recognised of these qualifications is the Diploma Of Landscape Design. An alternative route for those wishing to pursue a career in landscape design is to complete an apprenticeship with a landscaping company....
7 Landscaping Tips for Creating A Peaceful Haven Within Your Garden

Posted By in Landscape Design
There are many reasons why you might wish to install a new landscape design in your garden. It could be you have recently moved to the property and wish to have a completely new garden. Alternatively, you might have lived there for some time and your current garden is badly in need of renovation. As well as the overriding reason for new landscaping, it might also be the case that you have the desire to create areas within your garden that perform specific functions. Examples of these include a cooking area for barbecues with friends and family, a play area for your children, a pool area for family fun, and a quiet area for relaxation and meditation. It is the last example we are going to focus on because homeowners are increasingly requesting that a quiet area is included in their landscape designs. The reason might include that they are reading ever-increasing numbers of reviews and articles about the benefits of having a peaceful haven within a landscaped garden, and wish to realise those same benefits for themselves and their families. As for what your peaceful haven area looks like and consists of, many of the decisions regarding these will come from personal preferences and tastes. You will also have to take into account the practicalities of designing and constructing it too, which your landscapers will gladly assist you with. If you are struggling to think of ways in which you could create your peaceful haven, here are seven tips for creating one that you should consider. Peaceful Haven Tip #1: Add A Fire Pit: A fire pit brings many desirable benefits to your quiet area. First, and as a practical benefit, on those chillier nights after the sun has gone down, it can provide you with warmth. In addition, a fire pit is a great centrepiece for a quiet area where more than one person gathers....
Why Including A Vertical Garden In Your Landscaping Is An Awesome Idea

Posted By in Landscape Design, Landscaping
When a landscaping project is being planned there will often be requests for features to be included in the landscape design that are not as common as others. These range from unusual plants, exotically designed structures, and the one which is the subject of this article, namely vertical gardens. Vertical gardens are becoming more popular in landscaping and are requested for different reasons. A common reason is that the space available in the landscape design is extremely small and thus growing vertically makes the most use of the space that is available. Another reason is simply that a homeowner likes the idea of plants growing upwards and downwards. Vertical gardens are also a great way to make what would otherwise be a drab, uninteresting wall, into something organic, alive, and full of colour. We are going to look further at these reasons, and some others that make including a vertical garden in your landscape design a fantastic idea. What Is A Vertical Garden? Before we go further, we thought we should clarify what a vertical garden is for those who have not come across this gardening feature before. A vertical garden is a means to grow plants of all types without their roots having to be in the soil in the ground. Instead, the roots will be in pots or other plant containers which are attached to the structure. The term often used for this type of planting is hydroponics. The pots and containers we mentioned can come in all shapes and they are fixed to a structure that is either freestanding or will be attached to a wall or a fence. The layout of the plants can be configured as you wish so they could be in rows, columns, or aligned in shapes such as circles, squares, or even triangles. Surprisingly, vertical gardens have only been around for 80+ years after they were first introduced to the horticultural world by a University of Illinois professor called Stanley Hart White in the late 1930s. His concept was further developed by the French botanist Patrick Blanc who introduced the idea of walls being used to grow plants and created the hydroponic irrigation system which could sustain them....

Posted By in Landscape Design
One of the most often asked-for features when a landscape design is being created is a patio and it is easy to understand why. By adding a patio to your landscaped garden you benefit in the following ways. You have added space for entertaining guests It extends outdoor living space It requires very little maintenance They can be used in all seasons They add value to your property We are sure you will agree all of these would be most welcome to any homeowner who is planning to have new landscaping and is looking to maximise the benefits that the completed project will bring them and their family. That final point about adding value to a property has an associated benefit which is a home is more likely to be purchased by a prospective buyer if it has a patio within its garden versus another property that does not. Another point to consider when adding a patio is whether you wish to have it covered, and if so, how are you going to do so? Given that many of you reading this will live in an area where most days are dry and sunny rather than rainy, a cover might not seem a priority. However, given that they can provide excellent shade from the sun’s rays, we suggest you consider a patio covering for that reason. As for what types of covers are most suited to being added to a landscape design that includes a patio, we have outlined the most popular patio coverings below. Note that even if you already have an existing patio rather than about to have a new patio created as part of a landscape design, all of these covers will still be suitable for adding to it. Patio Cover #1 - Gazebo If you wish to retain the 360° view from your patio then a gazebo is one way this can be achieved. With support on each corner and a roof above, a gazebo within a landscape design can either be freestanding and thus portable and collapsible, or it can be a solid structure. Either way, they protect from the sun, and the rain should the weather turn foul. Gazeboes also provide scope for decor and lighting within them....
HOW TO CREATE A PEACEFUL PARADISE

Posted By in Landscape Design, Landscaping
According to the Black Dog Institute, 20 percent of Australians between 16-85 have experienced mental illness. With that in mind, incorporating a peaceful paradise into your landscaping design may be able to offer much-needed calm and clarity after a stressful day. But how do you know where to begin? Read on to learn how you can create a peaceful paradise in your back yard. Welcome Water Having a waterfall, pond, stream, or fountain is a beautiful addition to any landscape design. Still, while it’s lovely, it can also have a surprising effect on your mental health. Plenty of studies show that being next to water allows for calmness, creativity, improved sleep, and focus. It can also be a focal point in your yard, which means you can develop a beautiful garden around it and improve your home’s appeal. Make Privacy a Priority When you are trying to relax after a busy day of work, having a sanctuary in your yard can be the right answer. However, seeing your neighbours hanging out their washing or listening to them chatter in their own properties can have the opposite effect. Talk to your local landscaper about how you can make garden privacy a priority. Invest in divider walls, trellis, and partitions to welcome a sense of privacy. Tall plants can also dampen sounds if noisy neighbours are a problem....
6 WAYS TO LANDSCAPE PRIVACY

Posted By in Landscape Design
Privacy plays a massive part in how much time you spend in your own backyard. Still, without the best landscaping, it’s not always that easy to get. How are you supposed to feel relaxed and free to be yourself when neighbouring properties are staring in? It’s easier to achieve than you think. Tall Fencing The most obvious solution to achieve privacy is tall fencing. If your current perimeter fencing is looking a little worse for wear, then consider your options surrounding an upgrade. Changing your fences may rely on your neighbours to agree to it, but it can benefit both properties once it’s complete. Privacy Screens Sometimes, it’s not the entire yard you want to keep private, but your entertaining area instead. There’s something quite invasive about spending time with friends and family, only to be able to see your neighbour hanging their washing on the line. Fortunately, privacy screens are something that are effortless to incorporate into your landscape design. You can buy all manner of permanent and temporary ones and screen off the area you intend to keep private....

Posted By in Landscape Design
Whether you’re in WA, QLD, NT, or another hot state in Australia, you’ll likely struggle to achieve the landscaping you desire. After all, many plants need water to thrive, and the hot summer sun combined with temperatures over 30 degrees-Celsius gives you limited options. But while options for what plants you can have are limited, they aren’t lacking. Read on to learn what are some of the best landscape plants for dry climates in Australia. Amber Velvet Amber velvet is a mid-sized kangaroo paw plant that grows up to 40cm high and 50cm wide. You can plant it in the ground, in pots, and low maintenance gardens and landscapes. It’s clear to see that amber velvet is as versatile as they come. This plant thrives in well-drained soil in full sun and has a beautifully vibrant flower that can add a much-needed attitude to any garden. The best part is, it thrives in some of the hotter states in Australia like WA, QLD, VIC, and NSW....