Understanding the effective and appropriate use of hard landscaping materials

Question 1

Describe a range of horizontal elements: paths, steps, patios and decking.

Compare the benefits and limitations of a range of materials for each of the materials above including concrete, paving and wood

Answer 1

Comparison to include suitability of each material in practical and in design terms: in situ concrete, paving (flags, block pavers, brick), wood (railway sleepers, log sections, bark) gravel, man-made decking materials

Question 2

What is hard landscaping?

Answer 2

Construction of non-living features using man-made materials which improve a designed landscape

Connects different areas / practical and functional / ‘Skeleton’ to based design from / can be attractive / permanent / low maintenance / link different elements of soft landscaping and act as a foil for them / decorative in own right / enhance informal or formal designs / access requirements, support and screening

Question 3

What is a patio

Paving material for patio

Answer 3

Outdoor area with solid level floor used for entertaining, sitting and viewing the garden / often next to the house / geometric shape usually / with maintenance should not present slip or trip hazard

need to consider the aspect of garden when deciding where to put the patio and the time of day it is likely to be used

E.g natural sandstone paving slab, concrete paving slab or porcelain tile (give material and unit)

Question 4

What is a path?

Path material

Answer 4

Paths link areas of the garden and allows access / it should follow desire lines ie. the shortest route to stop people straying from paths (could result in gaps in hedges and dying plant otherwise) / needs to withstan a lo of traffic

Surface needs to be non-slip / have a decent width for at least two people / drainage - stop slipping / paths can bordered with hedges or planting, these need to be maintained also to prevent tripping or cutting (from thorny hedge)

E.g. Limestone paving slabs, concrete paving slabs, fine gravel , railway sleepers / tarmac / concrete

Question 5

What are steps? Also ramp

Materials for steps

Answer 5

Vertical and horizontal element / an extension of the path - so considered horizontal for exam

Link ares of garden together allowing access to travel from different levels of garden according to its contours

Ramp - extension of path - suitable for those with restricted mobility / accepted maximum gradient is 1 in 12 / surface needs good grip and handrails

Made from tread and risers - risers need to be same measurement, if not could tripping hazard because brain perceives as same

Lighting, handrails, surfaces wth grip and considering surface water will make steps safer.

Good design may include handrails, landings where the pedestrian can pause, and a textured surface which is non slip

E.g. timber steps covered in chicken wire to prevent slipping, poured concrete, clay bricks / natural stone - irregular shapes / concrete bricks will be identical in size and shape

Question 6

What is decking?

Decking materials

Answer 6

Usually elevated areas used for sitting and viewing platform to look out across the garden and surrounding landscape

Can provide a level space if the garden has steep gradients / or as a pathway across a boggy area of the garden

Made of boards or planks which are laid across a solid framework beneath

E.g. pine softwood planks, timber hardword planks

Question 7

What to consider when selecting materials for horizontal elements

Answer 7

Durability - will it rot? (Hardwood more durable than soft)

Maintenance - does it need regular cleaning?

Ease of construction

Sustainability - local natural stone will have a smaller carbon footpring transport cost / concrete takes a lot of energy to make / Timber needs to be FSC approced / recycled materials

Garden style - needs to match to achieve a cohesive and unified design

Colour

Porosity of the material - materials with SuDS credential (sustainable drainage system) lower risk of surface flooding

Question 8

Benefits and limitations to concrete

Answer 8

Question 9

Benefits and limitations to natural stone

Answer 9

Question 10

Benefits and limitations to wood or timber

Answer 10

Question 11

Benefits and limitations to clay

Answer 11

Question 12

Benefits and limitations of gravel

Answer 12

Benefits: Cheap and easy to install / decorative / blends with other materials / drainage and planting pockets are easy to create / deals wth difficult shapes well

Limitations: doesn’t necessarily stay where it is supposed to! Can therefore become a nuisance / noisy / weeds can establish / only moderately sustainable

Question 13

Describe a range of vertical elements: walls, fences, screens, pergolas. furniture, statuary.

For each of the above, compare, TWO examples of natural and man-made materials used in their manufacture

Answer 13

Natural materials to include where appropriate: rock (marble, limestone, flint, slate) / wood (timber, wicker) / bamboo/ reeds

Man-made (made from raw materials) to include: brick / concrete / plastic / glass fibre / metal

Comparison to include suitability of each material in practical and in design terms

Question 14

List examples of vertical elements with 2 examples for natural and man-made materials

Answer 14

Walls: Limestone or slate / brick or concrete blocks

Fences: Timber or hazel hurdles / plastic or metal

Screens: Bamboo or willow / plastic or metal

Pergolas: Timber or pine / brick or metal

Furniture: Timber or marble / plastic or metal

Statuary: Wicker or marble / plastic or glass fibre

Question 15

What is the suitability of the materials used for vertical elements in terms of design and practicality?

Answer 15

Wood - looks good, natural, cohesion/unity.
Rotting, treating. Is it sustainable? Imported, species…

Marble - looks good, hard-wearing.
Heavy, expensive, imported

Limestone - long lasting, unity/cohesion
Where is it from? Sustainability?

Wicker - light, moveable, grow your own, natural.
Rotting, untidy?

Willow - natural, sustainable, compostable
Rotting, needs maintenance.

Plastic - cheap, light, easy to install
Oil based, unsustainable, short lived, fades…

Metal - interesting design, can be recycled, strong
Needs maintenance, rusting, can be heavy.

Brick - easy to build with, recycled, clay origins
Can look ugly, needs some expertise.

Question 16

Describe rock garden and water features.

State TWO examples of manufactured and TWO of natural materials for each element

Answer 16

Rock garden examples to include different types of garden feature for the display of alpines, rock garden, scree garden, troughs; and the materials to include suitable types of stone, hypertufa, artificial rocks, pulhamite; artificals stone troughs

Water features to include: open water (raised and wildlife ponds, rills) and self-contained features (fountains, pebble ponds) and materials to include puddled clay, butyl liner, drilled natural stones, metal , glass and plstic, wood and brick for raised ponds

Question 17

What is a rock garden?

Answer 17

Natural or artificial rock formations artificially arranged to replicate natural (often mountainous) conditons / with space for planting around them

Usually used on a slope

Good for alpines / smaller shrubs and perennials would also look good

Needs good drainage / usually cold dry winters / high light levels

Alpine and rock plants adapted to growing in crevices of rocks / slow-growing

Question 18

What features to display alpine and rock plants?

Answer 18

Well-drained crevices of dry stone walls

Alpine sinks or troughs - allow for year-round interest / raised off ground level / can also be made from hypertufa as an alternative to more expensive and hard to source stone / creating miniature landscapes

Question 19

What ways can you display rock/alpine plants?

Answer 19

Rock garden/alpine garden - arrangement of plants around carefully positioned rocks. Rocks are shipped in at considerable cost. Sandstone is most suitable, limestone if second hand and tufa for lightness.

Scree beds - similar to rock garden but surface is covered by stone chipping, gravel or grit. Usually 2.5-15cm deep.

Walls - dry stone walls with infill of gritty soil or as a retaining wall. Not North facing. The stones should slope backwards for stability and for carrying rainwater to the roots.

Raised beds - a very large container, crossed with a rock garden possibly crossed with wall planting.
Fits with rest of the garden, any shape and size, made of brick, stone, sleepers etc..

Containers - troughs, sinks and other large container large enough to house 10-15 true alpines.

Question 20

What is pulhamite and when would you use it?

Answer 20

Artificial material used to mimic natural stone

Made from a mixture of cement, rubble and sand

Invented in Victorian era

Used in large scale rock gardens, outcrops, hermit’s caves and grottos.

Question 21

What is hypertufa and when would you use it?

Answer 21

Artificial substitute for natural porous rock

Made by mixing cement, sharp sand and peat- substitute (or sub)

Use to cover ceramic sinks to make look like rock, for alpine displays

Can be used to create your own boulders.

Question 22

Name TWO examples of manufactured and TWO examples of natural material for rock gardens

Answer 22

Sandstone rocks / natural rocks according to local area / gravel for scree beds

Artifical plastic rocks / Pulhamite / Hypertufa

Question 23

Water features

Answer 23

Add sound, movement and reflection and wildlife

Defined as a landscape feature designed to house, display, or propogate aquatic plnts, house wildlife/fish or to make use of moving or still water as a design feature

Can be open water (formal and informal ponds, rills / or self-contained features (fountains and pebble ponds

Horizontal interest but create vertical interest in the form of falls and fountaints

Question 24

Formal ponds

Answer 24

Open expanse of water

Often raised with smooth clean-cut edging of dressed stone or brick

Geometric in shape

Central feature fountain with a classical theme e.g. statue spurting water

Minimal planting to aid reflection of the surface

Can have ornamental fish but usually minimal wildlife value

Question 25

Informal ponds

Answer 25

Open expanse of water

classified usually as wildlife ponds

Usually built at ground level rather than raised for easy access for wildlife

Irregular/serpentine/kidney shaped

Softened margins from planting e.g. turf, reeds, marginal plants or large natural stones or log edging - natural feel

Wide range of levels from deep, marginal to floating and bog plants

Gentle slope on one side to allow easy access for wildlife to drink and enter

Sometimes a pump to circulate water

Question 26

What is a puddled clay pond?

Answer 26

Most naturalistic ponds / ideal for wildlife

Traditional way of creating a natural pond

Forms an impermeable lining to the base and sides by treading a mixture of clay and water so as to compact it and produce a water tight layer

Question 27

What is a rill?

Answer 27

Could be used as example for formal garden

Open expanse of water

Rills are small scale ornamental canals where water flows by gravity at an almost imperceptible gradient. Can be linear or curved.

Can also be described as a formal stream.

They have parallel sides and are often a feature in a contemporary garden.

The edges are crisp and are often constructed from dressed stone or concrete and are clear of planting.

Rills may feed into a larger geometric shaped pool.

Question 28

Fountains

Answer 28

These can take a huge variety of forms where water may trickle, cascade or spout.

They may be made from natural stone such as sandstone which is drilled down the centre or from cast concrete, metal or glass.

It may be set in a pond drawing water from that or from a reservoir that may be hidden below ground.

·They create a lot of movement in the design and are a strong focal point as they may be noisy and so attract our attention.

Fountains may be a feature in a formal garden and could be a self-contained classical feature which spouts water.

Fountains may be a feature in an informal garden such as a small millstone feature in a cottage garden style.

Question 29

What is a pebble pond?

Answer 29

These are often self-contained water features which have a sump filled with water and covered by mesh. The mesh is covered with pebbles and the fountain of water protrudes above ground level and splashes over the pebbles and back down into the water reservoir.

These are small water features with no open water. The water splashes over pebbles so there is a gentle sound and glistening pebbles which reflect the light.

Pebbles are the main feature and the permanent wet surface may give them a very different visual appearance to when the pebbles are dry.

Although no planting or open water these can benefit wildlife such as bees who can drink while perched on a pebble without threat of drowning.

Question 30

Materials for construction pond

Answer 30

Question 31

Examples of man-made and natural materials for a pond

Answer 31