Hardscaping can give a property a perfectly finished look, but some people just don't appreciate the beauty of solid hardscaping – they like to soften it up a bit by adding some plant life to the area. If you'd like to soften the appearance of your hardscaping with plants, you'll find some information that may help below.
Potted Plants
You can add a variety of plants to the space by using pots to plant them in. Instead of having to dig up some of the hardscaping to reach soil to root the plants, you can place potted plants around the area. If you don't like the appearance of the pots, you can wedge them between stones or build up stones around the pots to hide them.
At the end of the season, you'll just remove the potted plants and store the pots in the shed or garage until next year. This will make it easy for you to clean the area before winter sets in and will provide you with the ability to change things up each year by using different plants and changing the positioning of them.
Grow Moss
Moss can be grown pretty much anywhere as long as it is shaded and damp. The good news is that you can create a shaded, damp area for moss. You can plant ferns or other tall plants to create the shade and use a sprinkler system to introduce water to the area a few times each day.
Moss can be picked up from the wild or grown right there on your hardscaping surface. If you decide to gather some natural moss, you'll just need a shovel and some boxes to store the sheets of moss in as you transport them back home. When you dig the moss off of the rock's surface in the wild, make sure to scrape the surface of the rock to gather all of the soil in which the moss is rooted. When you get it home, wet the hardscaping and position the sheets of moss where you want them. Spray the moss gently with the hose twice a day for the next few weeks until you see it securing itself to the hardscaping.
Homegrown moss is made using equal parts buttermilk and dried moss. Smear the mixture onto the surface of the rock and keep it moist. It will take a few weeks until you see growth occurring, but eventually, it will spread and look as natural as the moss growing in the woods.
Contact a landscape maintenance company like White Oak Land Management to learn more about softening the appearance of your hardscaping by incorporating some plant life in the design.
