(03/18/26) HAMMOND, La. — There’s a lot more to building a garden walkway or a patio than simply clearing an area and throwing down some gravel and pavers.

Constructing these kinds of outdoor features so they look good and stand up to frequent use is a multistep process that requires an eye for detail and technical know-how. Some do-it-yourselfers are up for the challenge. Other homeowners prefer to hire out the job.

For green industry professionals who can do that job well, hardscaping has the potential to be a lucrative revenue stream.

“With hardscaping, it’s not a living material, so this is an opportunity for landscape contractors to work year-round,” said Damon Abdi, an assistant professor of landscape horticulture at the LSU AgCenter Hammond Research Station.

Abdi has noticed growing interest among his industry contacts in learning more about building hardscapes — a term that refers to manmade, functional elements of landscapes such as paths, patios and walls. So, on March 13, he organized a hands-on workshop that introduced landscapers to the ins and outs of hardscaping.

About 75 people participated in the event, which was cosponsored by Natural Paving USA.

Each hardscape project is different, but the general steps are marking utilities, excavating 4 to 6 inches deep, adding 4 inches of gravel with fines, compacting to create a solid base layer and placing sand and pavers on top. A wide range of materials, from concrete to natural stone, can be used.

Workshop attendees got to try some of those steps themselves. Under the shade of tall pine trees, they were able to practice using equipment that compacts hardscape base layers and install pavers in an under-construction path at the research station. Classroom lessons went over topics like selecting materials and ensuring a proper slope away from the home.

“By choosing the right material and installing it the right way, it’s going to have a long lifespan, and you’re going to be able to enjoy that for decades upon decades,” Abdi said.

Hardscapes have many benefits. Not only are they attractive; they add value to homes and create extra living space.

When a homeowner decides to invest in a professionally built hardscape, the finished product should reflect skilled craftsmanship.

“I’ve seen a lot of it throughout my career where we’ve had to fix some of these things where an inexperienced company had come in, and then the homeowner has to pay twice,” Scott Anderson, operations manager with Natural Paving USA, which is headquartered in Georgia.

A 30-year veteran of the industry, Anderson learned much of what he knows about hardscaping through trial and error. He was eager to partner with the AgCenter to host the workshop.

“I didn’t have a lot of educational resources available to me until later in my career,” he said. “I want to make that available for these companies feeding their families.”

Anderson believes hardscaping can be a worthy addition to landscape contractors’ portfolio of services.

“Standing back, looking at what you and your team have created is very satisfactory,” he said. “You see the look on the homeowners’ face, and you know that they’re going to enjoy that space for many years to come.”

Abdi was happy to see a good turnout at the event, which he said was a natural extension of the research station’s mission to support Louisiana’s green industry.

“By doing these kinds of events, we let them learn everything, get all that experience on our dime and be that resource where they get to practice here,” he said. “By the time that it comes to install this for their clients, they are empowered, they have the knowledge, they have the capability and they’re confident to deliver the results their clients expect.”

Participants in a March 13 hardscape workshop at the LSU AgCenter Hammond Research Station look at equipment that can be used to compact base layers for hardscapes. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

Damon Abdi, left, assistant professor of landscape horticulture at the LSU AgCenter Hammond Research Station, speaks during a hardscape workshop March 13. Looking on at right is Scott Anderson, operations manager with Natural Paving USA, which cosponsored the event. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

Scott Anderson, operations manager with Natural Paving USA, demonstrates how to use a rubber mallet to install stone pavers in a walkway during a March 13 hardscape workshop at the LSU AgCenter Hammond Research Station. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

Damon Abdi, assistant professor of landscape horticulture at the LSU AgCenter Hammond Research Station, presents information on hardscape bedding layers during a workshop March 13. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

Hardscapes such as this patio in the under-development Outdoor Living Lab at the LSU AgCenter Hammond Research Station create space for relaxing and entertaining and can add value to homes. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter