Hardscape Business Rising

The current economic landscape, coupled with altered spending habits of budget-conscious consumers, has changed the way homeowners are landscaping their properties. Homeowners are more often turning to natural yard expanses composed of rocks and native flora, according to surveyed landscaping professionals, as reported in the Visalia-Times Delta news outlet.

As water concerns rise and utility bills trend upward, homeowners are embracing an approach to landscaping that merges traditional front-yard design aesthetics with environmental and economic concerns.
Increasing in demand are hardscaping, stonescaping and xeriscaping.

Art Perez, owner of Work of Art Landscaping in Visalia, California said he has seen an increase in interest for hardscaping and xeriscaping from homeowners.

"People want less lawn to take care of," said Perez, who has worked in the landscaping industry for 31 years. "It's less maintenance."

Along with reduced maintenance, hardscaped yards that make use of native plants reduces water consumption and cuts down on water bills, Perez said.

"In comparison to grass, hardscape is always going to be there, it's always going to look good. There is very little weed control," Perez said. "In the long run, it increases the value of a home and reduces the cost of utilities."

Because of California's dwindling water supply and the state's aging water infrastructure, the price of water is predicted to climb in the coming years, according to officials at the California Landscape Contractors Association.
The state has mandated that water usage for landscaping be cut by 20 percent by the year 2020.

Other states are trending this way, suggesting that hardscaping will continue to rise in popularity relative to water-hungry turf grass projects.