If you are a home or property owner that is interested in increasing the value of your investment, creating a unique property, or taking your landscaping to new heights, you need to be familiar with certain landscaping terms. Knowing the landscaping lingo will help you communicate your needs to people at landscaping supply stores like Cal Blend Soils so that you are always getting what you need to achieve your goals. Each important landscaping term you learn will serve you well over the years.

Landscapers have a unique way of creating terms and phrases that only people involved in that world would know. The learning curve can be steep for new landscapers or people that are interested in handling their landscaping on their own. These terms can seem funny or strange when you first hear them, but the truth is that if you really want to achieve landscaping success, it pays to learn some of the most important ones. That’s why we’ve put together an article detailing 7 important landscaping terms to know. After reading through this list, you should have a much better idea about what some of the most common and important terms in the landscaping world mean.

Landscaping Term #1 – Raised Bed

When you first hear this term, it probably conjures up images of sleeping. However, raised beds are an important design component for many landscapes. A raised bed, or raised garden bed, refers to garden structures that are bordered by things like wooden planks. The soil in the raised bed is higher than the surrounding area. You can use a raised bed to plant vegetables, flowers, and other plants. They offer a unique design element and can be great if you want to separate certain plants from your normal garden beds. A raised bed can also be helpful if you are trying to deal with soil drainage issues.

Landscaping Term #2 – Soil Test

Many landscapers don’t realize that they can actually have their soil tested to find out what it is composed of. Oftentimes, problems related to plant growth and erosion are directly related to the quality of the soil. That’s why this landscaping term is so important. A soil test allows you to see exactly what nutrients your soil is composed of. That way, you can add landscaping supplies like topsoil and soil additives to get things right. It can really pay off to do a soil test, so reach out to Cal Blend Soils if you are interested in learning more about what you can do to improve your soil.

Landscaping Term #3 – Annuals and Perennials

Another pair of important landscaping terms that you should be aware of is annuals and perennials. This might not mean a lot to you if you’ve never worked on a landscape or tried gardening before. These terms refer to the type of flower you are using. Annuals are flowers that bloom for a single season and will need to be replaced after the year is over. Perennials are flowers that continuously bloom year after year and don’t need to be replaced unless they are suffering from other factors. It’s important to understand the difference, especially when you are adding new flowers to your landscape so that you know the amount of effort required each year to keep things looking fresh.

Landscaping Term #4 – Retaining Wall

Some property owners face a constant battle of dealing with erosion. Every time that it rains, their soil gets washed away. This can cause serious issues on a landscape and make it quite difficult to care for your plants. That’s where a retaining wall comes into play. Retaining walls are structures that are made from concrete, wood, and bricks to prevent erosion from occurring. They can be expensive to have installed, but are very effective and stabilizing sloped areas and preventing soil runoff.

Landscaping Term #5 – Hardscapes

Another important landscaping term to familiarize yourself with is hardscape. A hardscape is an area in a landscape that is non-living. That means areas like patios, walkways, decks, and walls are considered hardscapes. Adding hardscapes to your landscaping can be a nice way to capitalize on unique design elements. They can also be very useful if you enjoy spending time outside or have visitors checking out your property on a regular basis. Without hardscapes, people will be walking all over your garden beds and grass, so keep that in mind.

Landscaping Term #6 – Mulch

If you are new to the landscaping world, the chances are good that you aren’t familiar with some of the most important landscaping supplies. That includes mulch, which is a landscaping term that refers to materials that are spread out over the surface of the soil or a garden bed. Mulch comes in a variety of different forms and can greatly benefit your entire landscape. You can use it for design purposes and also take advantage of how it can improve the quality of your soil over time. It can even help to prevent weeds from taking over and regulates the temperature levels of your soil. If you are interested in purchasing mulch or other great landscaping products, reach out to Cal Blend Soils today.

Landscaping Term #7 – Deciduous

The last important landscaping term we will feature in our list is deciduous. This term refers to a type of tree or shrub that many landscapers choose to incorporate into their property. When a tree is deciduous, it means that they will lose all of their leaves during the winter each year. These types of trees can be great because they can provide some much-needed shade during the summer. Just keep in mind that you will need to deal with fallen leaves each year as well to keep your property looking great.

These landscaping terms are important because they can help you achieve all of your goals. Reach out to Cal Blend Soils if you are interested in purchasing great landscaping supplies or if you have additional questions.