Our homes are the place we spend the most time, so a lot of us think about ways to make the places we live more comfortable—both indoors and outdoors. Some of the most aesthetically pleasing and functional outdoor projects are hardscape projects with either natural stone or pavers. Hardscape projects include patios, walking paths, retaining walls, fire pits, fireplaces, stairs, and more. Natural stone is organic, natural material that finds itself right at home in the natural environment of any outdoor space. Examples of natural stones that are commonly used for projects are finger boulders, river rock, creek stone, flagstone, cobblestones, rubble strips, and other commonly found gravel or stones. Pavers are manufactured bricks and blocks that can be found in various colors and finishes. Pavers are manufactured in many different sizes and shapes for various uses, they typically provide a more uniform look than natural stone. Pavers can be used for patios, walkways, retaining walls, and they are also sold in kits for fireplaces, fire pits, and other common hardscape projects.

Interested in a hardscape project for your home? Here are six projects to get you started. 

1. Natural Stone Walkways and Stepping Stones

One of the ways to transform the look and functionality of a yard is to simply add natural stone walkways or stepping stones. This is a way to instantly beautify an outdoor space and provide a way to get around that wasn’t previously present. Pictured below is a project where the homeowner used Tennessee field stone and flagstone to create stairs and a walking path to traverse down a small slope in their yard. Many times you can find a stepping stone walkway with large flagstone or outdoor travertine tiles surrounded by smaller-sized river rock and potentially edged with creek stone or some other natural stone.

2. Outdoor Fireplaces & Fire PIts

When it comes to spending time outside during the evening, it’s hard to beat a fire pit or outdoor fireplace! There are so many ways to incorporate a fire pit into your outdoor design, and it is sure to be a spot where your family and friends will gather to make memories for years to come. Carolina Fresh Farms offers both paver fire pit kits, fireplace kits and natural stone which can be used to construct your own fire pit or fireplaces. Pictured below is a firepit in which the homeowner used natural stone to face the fire pit for a more natural look. The paver patio accentuates the fire pit with a nice edge of brick in a circle around the base of the fire pit. Click here to view some of our paver fire pit kits at some of our outlets. To see what a fireplace kit looks like – click here. You will line the inside with fire brick and then typically the outside is lined with natural stone to give it a natural look.

3. Patios

Sunny afternoons on a shady patio with a cold drink in hand are always nice. Making this dream a reality is more attainable than you think, and a paver patio is as beautiful as it is useful and easy to maintain. Similar to walkways, a beautiful patio can be constructed using pavers or individual natural stones that will provide the perfect spot for dining al fresco, enjoying morning coffee or taking an outdoor Zoom meeting or two. Click here to learn more.

4. Stairs

One way to incorporate natural stone into your outdoor design is to create beautiful, sturdy stairs to connect the inside from the outside or to enhance the natural hills or slopes that already exist in the landscape. Carolina Fresh Farms offers crab orchard stair treads or sawn steps. Tennessee field stone also can be used to create steps as well. Be sure to call one of our seven locations in advance to ensure the type of steps you prefer are available.  

5. Retaining Walls

Retaining walls are as functional as they are beautiful and can create level areas where you can utilize what used to be nonusable land. They can also be used to provide decorative additions to any landscape. Retaining walls may be used for a variety of reasons and require some planning and careful thought. Carolina Fresh Farms offers paver wall stones, finger boulders, cobble and rubble strips, crab orchard wall stones, field stone and flagstone to choose from for your preferred retaining wall project. For more about retaining walls, read our blog on the subject. 

6. Finger Boulders and Creek Stones

Lastly, creek stone may be a great way to add a little enrichment to your outdoor landscape. Creek stone is a large, rounded, earth-toned gravel that can be used in gardens, planters, ponds and other landscape applications. This provides a natural look for your landscaping projects and it will help with drainage in low sitting areas and can help control erosion. Call one of our seven locations ahead of time to make sure the outlet closest to you has this option available.

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There are endless options of hardscape materials at Carolina Fresh Farms. We’d be happy to talk and help come up with ideas for upcoming projects or connect you with one of our many trusted landscape contractors who purchase from us. At some of our outlets we have samples of different projects homeowners can take on, on their own or help spark some creative ideas. Other projects not mentioned here that these materials can be utilized for are pools, pool decks, mantels, hearth, outdoor showers, fountains, waterfalls, garden beds and more.

Here at Carolina Fresh Farms, we carry the highest quality pavers from manufacturers like Keystone and Tremron to ensure that homeowners find the exact pavers they are looking for to create a hardscape project. The quarries we work with for natural stone are well known and provide quality natural stones of all shapes and sizes. Call us to discuss your upcoming project needs or visit any one of our outlets to take a look at some of the options that are available to you.