The Butchart Gardens Use of Hardscaping

The Butchart Gardens makes good use of hardscaping in its garden design. Hardscaping refers to the landscape elements such as paths, walls, structures, arbors, and fountains. They often comprise the bones or structure of the garden, to which plants, trees, and shrubs are added. I enjoyed viewing some of these structural elements during our visit to the garden.

A small, open-air log cabin provides charming shelter
from the elements and a panoramic view of the sunken garden below.
The stone wall adds to its rustic charm.

This paved stairway beckons you to explore. The
railings are made from cement and shaped like tree limbs.

The archway provides a passage through the high, formal, clipped hedge.

This trellis surrounds a small sitting area. In the summer, the area is
sheltered with leaves. In the fall, the area is still sheltered, but the vines
die back and provide a glimpse of the garden beyond.

A pergola provides shelter for a shady, hanging garden, built on a sloping hill.

Most of us do not have much space in our gardens, so our hardscaping may be relegated to paths, a fence, a deck or patio, and several garden beds. Studying hardscaping in large, public gardens can provide ideas that could be adapted to smaller, personal gardens.