If you've been looking to revamp your entryway and backyard, making it pop and give off curb appeal is likely your number one goal. If you've been adding a splash of color and contrast with flowering annuals and shrubs, but there is still something missing, you may want to consider adding more hardscaping to your landscaping plan. Hardscaping involves using natural and synthetic materials to create a surface or structure in your yard. Here are a few ways that you can increase your home's appearance and property value with specific landscaping and hardscaping techniques.

Outdoor Patio Kitchen

If you enjoy spending a lot of time outdoors on your grill, maybe it's time to take your BBQ obsession a tad further. Building an outdoor patio kitchen is a hardscaping project that allows you to enjoy a permanent space in your backyard to prepare and cook for family and friends. You can have a landscaping pro design and build a feature that includes:

• A built-in grill
• Countertop and sink
• Pizza oven
• Refrigerator
• Gazebo or overhang

Choose from a natural stone in your choice of colors to personalize the look. Make sure your patio kitchen location is on a concrete or paver brick surface for long lasting durability. Having an outdoor kitchen added to your backyard space creates a permanent and working fixture that will increase the property value of your home as opposed to using a portable grill. Define this space by enriching empty spaces with ornamental trees and robust perennials that come back every year. 

Deluxe Fire Pit

Being outdoors on a chilly night makes you crave sitting next to a warm, cozy fire. Using several natural elements, you can make a nighttime fire pit the highlight of your evening garden. Start with a pit that can be as simple as a layered stone circle. Or go a step further with a design that includes a large built-in pit with a surrounding paver brick patio and chair ensemble. Include a landscape surrounding your fire pit that includes white flowers that generate a natural glow at night, such as:

• Astilbe—a light wispy plant for shade gardens
• Hydrangea—large balls of softness for sunny spaces
• White roses—scented beauty for full sun and partial sun areas

Planting colorful perennials around your fire pit also lends a splash of color for fires during the day or at dusk. Replacing a bare, make-shift fire pit with this design combo adds value to your property and generates a hardscape accent piece that will draw the eye in from all areas of your home. 

Retaining Wall And Stairs

If you have a lot of hilly areas or slopes in your yard, you can turn those spaces into a dramatic hardscaping focal point in your yard. Adding a retaining wall helps control erosion and creates a safe way to travel to a lower slope when you add stairs. Within the retaining wall, you can create leveled garden beds to showcase your favorite annual and perennial plants. Popular materials for walls and stairs include:

• Natural square brick
• Shaped paver bricks
• Fieldstone
• Limestone
• River rock

Mixing and matching materials will create a one-of-a-kind look. With large-scale projects, it's best to leave it up to a landscaping professional. Your hardscaping design pro may use a gabion or caged riprap to assist with building steep walls and to keep materials secure and in place until the project is complete. This look improves property value by eliminating a bare slope and creating a dynamic yard space that will enhance your home's overall landscape design. 

Stone Pathway Garden

Large flagstone pieces are often used outdoors and for creating instant dimension when working in the yard or garden. A stone pathway that meanders through your garden beds adds a lot of curb appeal to your outdoor space. Stone choices, such as flagstone, create durability for the pathway and are easy to care for throughout the year. Replacing a tired looking concrete sidewalk with a stone pathway will add more curb appeal as guests enter your home. 

Choosing a hardscaping and landscaping combo project improves your home's overall value and leaves a lasting first impression for guests.  Contact a company like Land Craft to get started.