Hardscaping

Stone can also be used to mask concrete block foundations as shown below.

WHAT IS MEANT BY “HARDSCAPING?”

Hardscaping is a term used in the landscaping industry to refer to any stone or wood structure built or installed in the landscape. Stone elements may include walls (retaining, free-standing, segmented, mortared, etc.), stone steps, terraces, paver or flagstone walkways, patios, boulders, fountains and statuary. Wood elements can include decks, arbors, pergolas, trellises and fencing.

Ground Up can install or custom build a wide variety of hardscaping features to suit your landscape needs. For example, a low, free-standing wall adds interest to planted areas as well as extra outdoor seating near a patio or play area; stone steps allow ease of access on steep slopes; curbing or edging adds a more finished look around planting beds, turf areas or patios. We also repair existing masonry.

BUSINESS OWNERS: Contact us for help in selecting the hardscaping project that will set your landscape apart from the competition and get your business noticed.

HOMEOWNERS: Let us help you choose the design and materials for your hardscaping project that you, your family and your guests will enjoy for years to come. Call or contact us today.

DRY STACKED STONE WALLS - Constructed of natural or manufactured stone, dry stacked stone walls can function as retaining walls or as free-standing walls. Other benefits of stone walls include:

• Adding structure as a vertical element and as a boundary for outdoor areas or “rooms”
• Lending variety to the landscape by contrasting with the green of plant materials and
• Enhancing the beauty of a landscape throughout the year.

See our DRY STACKED STONE Web page for more information and links to view available materials.

RETAINING WALLS – Have drainage/erosion issues near your house or in your yard? Would you like more usable space for the outdoor activities you’d like to be doing but can’t because of steep slopes? A retaining wall might be the solution. Click here to visit our RETAINING WALLS Web page.

DECKS/PATIOS – We can install or add on to existing patios to expand your outdoor living and entertaining space. Click here for more information and links to view project ideas for decks and patios.

OUTDOOR KITCHENS, FIREPLACES – Add an outdoor kitchen or fireplace to your yard and you'll be able to expand the space and time you now have to enjoy outdoor dining and entertaining with family or guests. See more information on OUTDOOR KITCHENS and OUTDOOR FIREPLACES on our OUTDOOR LIVING Web page.

The stone steps pictured below were installed by removing part of an existing retaining wall to provide access from one level of the yard to another.

STEPS AND TERRACES – Depending on the slope of your landscape, steps or terraces might be the answer you've been looking for. We can add stone steps or terraces to your existing walls and walks or design them as part of your new hardscape to provide:

• Easier and safer access in and around your yard. Steps make steep slopes navigable and can make areas of the yard that were difficult to reach before more inviting, safer and easier to maintain. Terraces can be added between sets of steps to give garden visitors a convenient resting place as well as space and time to admire the garden.
• Some protection for your turf, planting beds and prized plants. Steps can be installed to direct foot traffic around turf or planting beds rather than through them.
• More useable outdoor living areas, such as added seating areas on a terrace from which you can enjoy the rest of the garden or, if a large terrace, space to play lawn games.
• Variety by adding stone or wood elements in an otherwise green landscape.

PAVER DRIVEWAYS/SIDEWALKS – Whether you are replacing existing hardscape or adding a new walk, Ground Up can help you choose the materials and design to suit your needs and your budget. Click here for more information and links to our industry partners to see available materials and project ideas for your drive or walkways.

RAISED PLANTING BEDS – Raised beds can be used for ornamental plants or vegetable gardens. We can custom build raised beds to the sizes that you need. Raised beds also offer other advantages, such as:

• You can add plants to areas that would not otherwise accommodate plantings due to poor soil, slopes, large patio spaces, etc.
• Raised beds are also a good way to limit a garden space for the busy person who likes to enjoy a little gardening but can't maintain a larger garden or an entire landscape.
• Because they are elevated, plants in raised beds are easier to reach when cutting flowers, harvesting berries or other small fruits, weeding, pruning, mulching, etc. This is especially helpful to older gardeners or disabled persons who might not otherwise be able to enjoy gardening outdoors and all the benefits it provides.
• Plants that are invasive or otherwise unruly are best suited to raised planting beds where they can be contained and maintained more easily.
• Depending on their size, raised beds can provide some privacy and structure to your outdoor living space.

For these reasons and more, consider whether a raised planting bed would suit your garden or landscape.

ROCK GARDENS – Another way to treat a sloped area in your yard is to add a rock garden. Planting pockets in your rock garden can allow you to add a collection of plants for added interest and enjoyment. For more information on rock gardens, click here to visit the North American Rock Garden Society’s Web site.

CURBING OR EDGING – Added to patios, walkways, around turf areas or planting beds, curbing or edging can give a more finished look to your landscape and make lawn maintenance easier.

To see available curbing/edging, visit our industry partner links below:

• Belgard
• Marshall Stone
• Techno-Bloc

PERGOLAS/GAZEBOS/ARBORS – Adding vertical elements, such as pergolas, gazebos, arbors trellises or fencing, lends variety, structure and function to an otherwise purely green and growing landscape. The materials of these structures can support and showcase prized climbing plants or, in the case of a gazebo, a vantage point from which to sit and enjoy one’s garden. Depending on the size of arbors, trellises or fencing, these elements can help screen unsightly areas of your own landscape (such as the area for trash cans, heat pumps or other utilities) OR provide privacy from neighbors or traffic from nearby roadways.

PONDS AND FOUNTAINS – If you enjoy the soothing sound of running water or want to attract more birds and butterflies to your yard, then you'll want to check out our PONDS/FOUNTAINS Web page.

BOULDERS – We can install boulders of various sizes as accent features in your landscape. Boulders are well suited to many different garden styles, such as:

• Meditation or Japanese
• Woodland or native
• Traditional or modern

In addition to their natural beauty, low boulders can also provide added seating to areas of your landscape where you enjoy outdoor recreation or just relaxing and admiring your garden.

To see available boulders and river rock from Marshall Stone, visit our industry partner’s Web site.

Whether you're a business owner or a homeowner,
we'd be happy to meet with you to discuss
how we can add hardscaping elements to your landscape
that are both attractive and functional.
Call or click here to contact Ground Up today
for a free consultation and estimate.

• Blue Ridge, VA
• Boones Mill, VA
• Botetourt County, VA
• Cave Spring, VA
• Cloverdale, VA
• Daleville, VA

• Fincastle, VA
• Franklin County, VA
• Garden City, VA
• Hardy, VA
• Hollins, VA
• Moneta, VA

• Roanoke, VA
• Rocky Mount, VA
• Salem, VA
• Smith Mountain Lake, VA
• Troutville, VA
• Vinton, VA