Feb. 24, 2022

This paid piece is sponsored by Concrete Materials.

When Alan Johnson and his business partners started Bluestone Landscape in 2019, they knew right away who would be their primary supplier.

“We started with Hardscapes Outlet, and for us they’re the easiest to work with,” Johnson said.

“They’re conveniently located, so we can easily send a truck no matter where we are in town. And they bring in a variety of products, usually have everything we need, and they bring in what we want, which is the highest quality, up-and-coming pavers with new technology. There’s definitely a difference between what Hardscapes sells and what a big-box store sells.”

The difference starts by being largely locally sourced. Hardscapes Outlet is a division of Concrete Materials, which is probably best known for its quarry in northwest Sioux Falls that supports commercial construction.

The company added Hardscapes years ago to offer products for residential and commercial landscaping projects.

“We wanted to find a way to branch out to the general public more, to create more landscaping options for the residents of Sioux Falls and the surrounding area,” said Ray Landberg, who manages Hardscapes. “We started Hardscapes to add more depth and nuance to the services we can provide for homeowners, business owners and landscapers.”

Business lines such as pavers and retaining walls “have really taken off for us,” he said. “We move a ton of rocks, a ton of mulch, all sorts of materials that are used in landscaping projects. And we source as much locally as we can.”

For Oakridge Nursery, the relationship with Hardscapes dates back decades and continues to grow.

“It’s the service,” said Spencer Larson, partner, manager and landscape designer.

“They get what we need when we need it, try to have as much as they can on hand and always get us a sense for the new products coming out and follow up to see what we think we’ll use.”

He estimates that at least one of the 10 to 12 crews Oakridge has working every day makes a stop at Hardscapes. If not, that’s because Hardscapes has a delivery coming to an Oakridge site.

“We work with multiple suppliers, but Oakridge hitched our wagon to Hardscapes and Concrete Materials a long time ago and just decided it’s all about the relationship,” Larson said. “They’ve always been good on price, and they’ve taken care of us, so we just stick with them. And while they go above and beyond for everybody, I sometimes feel like I’m the only customer.”

Hardscapes serves landscaping companies in eastern South Dakota and southwest Minnesota, and any DIYer can do business here too.

“If you’re taking on a project at home, you can go on our website or stop in, and we can answer your questions or help you get started with materials you’ll need,” Landberg said. “We’ll even deliver for you, and our team will help walk you through your project and the products you might be looking for.”

That has been a growth area in recent years, he added.

“We continue to grow our presence with contractors, but we’ve also found a lot of people were spending more time at home and decided to reinvest in their outdoor spaces and in some cases take those projects on themselves, and we’ve experienced some very busy years.”

What’s trending

Those in the industry say gray tones continue to be popular, and more modern styles of retaining walls and paver design have worked their way into the Sioux Falls market.

“And they’re still incorporated with local stones, from pink quartz boulders to natural boulders, and boulder walls have been very popular tying in with the modern paver patios,” Landberg said.

Oversized pavers and clean, straight lines are leading design decisions, Larson said.

“Outdoor kitchens, fireplaces and fire pits continue to be big,” he said. “We’re doing more cool fountains than waterfalls when it comes to water features.”

Those looking for more minimal maintenance in their landscaping are a growing customer base, Bluestone’s Johnson added.

“So a lot of what we do is focused on hardscapes – patios and walls – and we normally focus more on trees because there’s less maintenance,” he said.

“It took a while for this area to get on board with pavers, but that trend is really coming. People realize you can get more of what you want and a softer feel with pavers. And the technology within the last five years has really changed. They don’t fade, they don’t disintegrate, so it’s been a whole new ballgame in the last five years, and it’s exciting.”

But all agree – if you’re considering outdoor improvements, start soon.

“The earlier the better, especially if you’re looking to do it yourself,” Landberg said. “And if you’re looking for a contractor, I think most are at least three months out at this point. We’ve all lucked out because the last couple years we’ve had people doing projects up until Christmas, which has been fun and kept everyone busy. And I’d take it again this year because I know we’re going to need it.”

Hardscapes Outlet has two locations in Sioux Falls and one in Harrisburg. Click here to learn more.