Landscaping vs Gardening: What Defines the Difference Between the Two?

More than ever before we are enjoying time in our outdoor spaces this year and for many of us it is quickly becoming the summer of the backyard and front yard improvements with many Calgarians limiting our travel this summer. At the center of outdoor home improvement is gardening and landscaping, and while the two terms are used interchangeably from time to time, they are different and today’s article is going to explain why.

What is landscaping?

Relatively speaking there are two forms of landscaping and these are referred to as softscape and hardscape landscaping. The easiest way to determine between these two forms of landscaping is to remember that hardscape refers to the “hard” stuffie: patios, decks, concrete, bricks and stone fixtures and softscape referrers to the “soft” stuff: trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals etc. Another easy way to determine between the two is that softscape landscaping almost always refers to the living stuff.

The next thing to know is that landscaping is defined by its design, imagine architecture outdoors. Landscaping design is intended to enhance and enrich your outdoor space typically with both softscape and hardscape elements. Landscaping design is a nice balance between aesthetic appeal practical components that complement each other to create a living space outdoors.

Lastly, landscaping is typically a large scale and performed by professionals. Many landscape projects require large equipment including excavators, bobcats and other large machinery.

What is gardening?

Gardening is typically an outdoor hobby pertaining to the practice of growing plants. Like landscaping there is artistry involved in gardening; how the plants are arranged and maintained is important and integral to the success of a garden. There are many varieties of gardens ranging from flower gardens to vegetable gardens; however, the one thing that all gardens have in common is that there is a formula of sun, water, and maintenance that every garden requires in order to succeed.

Gardening, unlike landscaping, is a task that is often performed by the homeowner. Gardening is not a do it and leave it to project, it requires tending to in order to grow a flourish. After planting there is often required weeding, cultivating and harvesting, in addition to the occasional replacement of plants. Gardening is a wonderful hobby that is a nice balance between experimentation and education.

There are tons of resources out there that can educate purveyors on the art of gardening ranging from books to videos, to online articles. Gardening is a truly rewarding, fun, and challenging hobby that can be pursued by anyone.