Softscape

Softscape is the living, growing part of an outdoor space: trees, shrubs, lawns, ground cover, seasonal flowers, climbers and the soil that supports them. Hardscape organises a site; softscape gives it shade, colour, scent, seasons and life.

Designing softscape

Plant choice starts with climate and soil: sun or shade, drought or damp, wind and salt. Then comes mature size. A tree that is small today may block a window within a few years, and its roots can lift paving. Layered planting, combining trees, shrubs and ground cover, gives visual depth and a richer habitat for wildlife. Maintenance is part of the design too. Large lawns need water and labour, while drought-tolerant planting reduces both. Planted surfaces also soak up rainwater, cool the air in summer and balance the heat stored by paving.

Softscape in visualization

Plants are among the elements that most affect how real a render looks. Identical copied trees look artificial; variety in species, size and colour, placed with some irregularity, gives a natural result. For more on green space and buildings, read the relationship between green spaces and architecture.