Softscape: What It Means, Examples, and How to Use It

Softscape: What It Means, Examples, and How to Use It

Are you currently undergoing landscape design? Do you keep hearing the term ‘softscape‘ and don’t understand what it means?

Since the lockdown of 2020, There have been 3 million new gardening projects. People everywhere have started to create their perfect gardens. That’s a large number of gardens throughout the world. 

Are you one of these gardeners making your garden look the best it can be? Are you stuck with the softscape vs. hardscape debate? 

Ensuring your landscaping project succeeds requires taking care of all parts of your property. This guide aims to explain everything to know about softscape.

What Does Softscape Mean?

The obvious answer is that softscape is the opposite of hardscape. Let’s take the obvious answer and break it down. Look into it with a bit more detail. 
 

Softscape is any horticultural element’s taken into account when designing your landscape. Horticulture is the study directed at gardening. Which includes plants and biological systems which are involved with the garden. 

Are you thinking about hiring a landscaper to do your softscape for you? Landscapers will find ways to use softscape alongside hardscape to create your garden. Hardscape is such things as stone slabs, wooden fences, or brick patios. 

Examples of Softscape

As mentioned above, softscape is anything plant-related. Plants can come in various shapes and sizes. Many of which can be added to your garden. Here’s a few examples of what would class as softscape. 

Softscape would include any common lawn weeds. These tend to pop up in and around your garden without your knowledge. For example, Dandelions, Creeping Charlie, and Purslane.

It also covers bulb plants. These are the plants that you pick and choose to add to your garden. Such as seasonal spring plants like Lily’s, Dahlia’s, and Begonia’s 

It even includes everyday horticultural items. These are such plants as the ones that may already be in your garden. Such as your lawn grass, trees, and shrubs. 

How to Use Softscape in Your Garden

When it comes to instigating your softscaping project, there are many ways to do this. For example, you could go simple and stick to the borders of your garden for your softscape.

If you are more adventurous, you could add hardscape when accenting softscape items. For example, use your bulb plants along the side of a tile pathway through the garden. 

Using this technique will dull the rough corner image, which you may not want in your garden. Sometimes softscape can achieve what hardscape cannot.

Enjoy Working Your Softscape

Now you have more of an understanding of softscape. Use it wisely, and your garden will look great. 
 

Remember that this is your garden; use your softscape in a way to make you proud. Blend it with the hardscape. Think of the different types of flowers you can use. Consider adding trees and shrubs.

Contact us for more information regarding your next project.