Landscaping

Landscaping 101: Types, Benefits, and Essential Tips

October 13, 2023

Most of us covet a beautiful outdoor space to create memories with our loved ones and unwind after a long day’s work. Investing in landscaping services can make this dream a reality for you; you will no longer have to go to a resort to enjoy serenity. Regardless of your preference, you can implement many designs, styles, and ideas to create a space that truly reflects your personality. Hiring the help of a professional landscaper will take the pressure off as they have years of experience eliminating the risks associated with the trial-and-error of a DIY project. Read on to know more if you’re considering the idea but wondering, ‘What is landscaping?’

What Is Landscaping?

Here is a simple landscaping definition: it is changing the visible features of a piece of land to make it more functional and appealing. As a whole, it seems complex, but it involves many smaller manageable tasks, including but not limited to planting trees, smoothening the terrain, planting grass and shrubs, hardscaping, and creating outdoor living spaces.

It involves designing and managing gardens to improve appearance, prevent soil erosion, and create more privacy. Before you begin the process, you should know that landscaping includes regular maintenance, which you can do or hire a professional. You must mow the grass, uproot weeds, trim the shrubs, and occasionally clean out leaves that fall from the trees.

Adding hardscaping to property landscaping makes things more manageable. These include stone features like patios, walkways, fountains, and sitting areas. They are easier to maintain and provide the structure needed to tie the entire space together. When landscaping, explore different plants and shrubs to bring more color to the area, aside from the traditional green features of the grass. 

Types of Landscaping

Now that you have a general understanding of what landscaping entails, let’s delve deeper into the different types of landscaping you can explore.

Desert

Desert landscaping uses low-maintenance plants to create a beautiful garden that is easy to maintain. It is ideal if you’re more focused on enjoying your time outdoors without engaging in too much gardening or if you live in dry or semi-arid areas.

Use heat-tolerant plants and succulents like lantana, coneflower, verbena, and salvia. These require watering at most once a week and maintain their original color despite extreme heat. A desert garden doesn’t have to be boring; you can add plants like lavender to bring a pop of color to the space.

As expected, shade is an essential aspect of a desert garden. Find space for gazebos and umbrellas where you can entertain your guests. Also, ensure that the furniture you select is heat-resistant, so avoid materials like metal or black colors that retain heat. Bring out the drama of the desert with some landscaping basics like an outdoor kitchen and colorful decor pieces like throw pillows to maximize your outdoor experience.

Tropical

A tropical landscape is one of the most popular options for residential and commercial properties. Common in remote islands, this landscaping style creates a relaxing coastal environment. You can quickly achieve it by planting lush greenery, palm trees, and plants with bold colors like hibiscus flowers, jasmine, and bougainvillea.

Add accessories like a hammock, artificial spring, fountain, or waterfall. Incorporate a swimming pool or hot tub as part of your livable outdoor space, and use tiki statues or torches to carry the outdoor lighting when it’s dark. You may also add an outdoor bar to mix cocktails for yourself and visitors when hosting. Some colorful outdoor furniture mixed with bamboo accents will make the space pop.

Prairie

A Prairie landscape is most convenient if you have ample space, are on a tight budget, and want a low-maintenance garden. It features tall grasses and herbaceous flowering plants, which are more cost-effective than trees and shrubbery. With this design, you don’t need to plant trees; instead, you can create shade with low-maintenance gazebos or an outdoor sitting area.

You will see a lot of greens, browns, purples, and reds in the outcome because you’ll use plants like switchgrass to achieve this look. Its drought-resistant features make prairie gardens popular among many homeowners. Moreover, you can enjoy this look regardless of whether you live in a cold or warm environment. It is highly versatile, working well in shallow and deep soils.

Benefits of Landscaping

Improves Appearance and Lifestyle

A common question asked is, ‘Why is landscaping important?’ Landscaping will make your outdoor space look more appealing. A well-designed and maintained outdoor helps you express your style and provides a gorgeous space to unwind.

It lets you enjoy nature with your loved ones on weekends or holidays, minus the hefty travel expenses. Research has shown that gardening and nature reduce anxiety, stress, and depressive symptoms.

Prevents Soil Erosion and Improves Property Value

Trees, shrubs, and plants help retain soil texture and quality in the long run. They reduce the likelihood of soil erosion in extreme weather, such as a heavy downpour of rain.

Well-maintained landscaping works will appeal to potential home buyers when you’re finally ready to sell your property. They will shorten your home’s time on the market and increase its value because of the functional, well-kempt outdoor living space.

Improved Health and Wellbeing

Trees and plants improve air quality and provide shade, positively affecting physical health. Spending time in nature with elevated oxygen levels causes the brain to produce more serotonin, a neurotransmitter that boosts relaxation by altering mood.

Whether conscious of it or not, your trees are part of a more extensive habitat that supports other creatures like insects and birds, giving them food and shelter.

landscaping

Types of Landscaping Services

Landscape Design

Landscape design is the planning phase of your outdoor project. You can sign your garden or have a professional landscaper do it. The type of gardening and hardscaping you choose should align with a specific theme or style for uniformity. Some popular styles include those mentioned above, as well as woodland, English and Japanese gardens, Tuscan, French, and Spanish.

Hardscaping

It involves the incorporation of ‘hard’ materials into your garden, such as those made of brick or stone. These features improve the structure, expand living space, make the area easy to maintain, and prevent soil erosion. A common yet handy feature is retaining walls, which prevent soil erosion. Other hardscapes include patios, walkways, stone benches, and permanent water features.

Landscape Maintenance

These are a series of tasks that will keep your landscape looking clean, neat, and safe.

You can maintain your landscape by constantly pruning the trees and shrubs, except fruit trees, mowing the grass, and shaping the hedges. Achieve well-manicured landscaping yards by keeping everything trimmed and maintaining good soil quality. Mulching is a fantastic way to prevent weeds and improve aesthetics and soil fertility.

Landscaping Mistakes

When new to landscaping, you may unconsciously fall victim to some common mistakes. Here’s a breakdown of what to avoid:

  • Disregarding a landscape design – When you see an appealing picture, try to find out which landscape style they used and replicate it. Go beyond a copy-paste of the idea to immerse yourself in the style to achieve uniformity fully.
  • Little understanding of your site conditions – Get a professional to test your soil and inform you which plants would do best in your location. Also, regard the typical weather in your area to make a definite choice. These measures will help you keep the plants alive and avoid project repetition.
  • Underestimating landscaping cost and time – You could have a high initial price when hardscaping is involved, and also remember the continual maintenance costs. Have patience, as most plants take weeks or months to show notable growth, and elaborate landscapes involving trees could take a few years to realize.

Where To Find Landscaping Ideas 

The simplest way to develop a good design is to contact a professional landscaper like Tracer Pool and Landscaping. They offer different landscaping services and have an existing portfolio of designs, including past projects, which you can scan for inspiration. Their teams also comprise certified and experienced professionals who can offer insights to add to your vision for a stunning outcome. 

Scan through free online platforms where home and business owners have posted images of their landscapes, for example, Pinterest. Once you identify which style best suits you, read related blogs and articles to learn how to execute it seamlessly. 

You may also check your phone’s Play Store to access free apps to help you design your dream landscape. Some examples include iScape, Houzz, and Home Design 3D Outdoor and Garden. 

Conclusion

Above is a simple breakdown of all the critical information you need to know what landscaping consists of. One of the most important things to remember is to enjoy the journey and be patient as you see your garden blooming to what you envisioned it to be. Remember to pick a style that befits your interests and is manageable because landscaping requires constant care. Leverage the expertise of a professional landscaping company to help you navigate the complexities in the initial stages.