Hardscape Can Help Preserve Your Turf. Here's How

A lawn can serve as a lush area of the yard that's great for either play or relaxation. Although there are a number of eco-friendly, natural ways to keep a real lawn green, preventing wear is always a challenge. Artificial turf is generally more resilient, but it will still suffer from the same wear problem, eventually. Adding hardscape elements can help preserve your turf, particularly in high-traffic areas, since these components take some of the strain of traffic off the turf. 

Before we look at ways to add hardscaping to turf, though, it's worth clarifying what hardscaping is in your yard. In a nutshell, it's any element made from inorganic materials. Pavers and slabs are obvious examples. Stone walls, boulders, and graveled areas are also common. However, according to some experts, wooden decks and pergolas can also be considered "hardscape."

This array of materials gives almost endless possibilities when combining hardscape with turf areas. The enormous variety means designs can be traditional, contemporary, or anything in between, while combining hard and soft surfaces can be both visually attractive and beneficial for the turf's longevity. 

People have a natural inclination to follow a path, whether that's a regular graveled area around the edge of a lawn or random flagstones dotted across it. Many different types of rock are used in landscaping, so the color and texture of a pathway can be whatever aesthetic appeals to you. Okay, kids might sometimes ignore it, and nobody's suggesting the lawn shouldn't be used for games, but a path will take away a lot of the foot traffic and thus reduce wear and tearon the turf.

There are numerous DIY paver projects that combine hardscape with turf to create practical walkways or formal landscaping. If you're working with artificial turf, it's usually recommended to get the hard materials in first, then cut the turf around it. Meanwhile, in the case of an established natural lawn, pathways could be formed simply by laying pavers or flagstones on the grass. However, it's generally better to cut patches of turf away and install a proper base of sand or gravel that will ensure long-term stability.

Either way, there are few limits to what's possible. With a little imagination, you can blend hardscaping and lawned areas to suit any purpose — the result will meet your lifestyle needs and preserve your turf.