Hello and welcome to the Beaufort Online's Local Gardening Section. It provides an easy-to-use directory of garden-related information.

This section contains "Gardner Jargon" which can be very helpful, especially if you looking or searching for information to help your understanding of related topics for helping you with ideas for Landscaping and Gardening. We also have a Glossary of Terms that is contained in this section for easy surfing.

The Basics of Landscaping

So you have a yard, and that's great, but do you have landscaping? Landscaping is different from the grass in your yard, no matter how much time you have spent mowing and tending to it. Many young people move into their first home and don't have a good idea about how to manage their landscaping, and with new suburban homes, they don't really know how to go about getting proper landscaping for their particular home. The best thing to do is to get back to the basics and start learning about landscaping from the ground up (no pun intended).

It All Starts with Soil
Depending on where you live in the world, your soil can be heavily acidic or alkaline. The soil can also have large amounts of clay or iron. The point is no matter what landscaping or grass you are planning on growing, your soil has to cooperate. In order for your soil to work as well as possible, you need to have it tested. Your soil might be perfect or it might just need some nitrogen. Soil engineers can test and analyze soil from different points in your yard to help your yard perform at its best.

Utility of Landscaping
What you need to understand about landscaping is that it serves more than just an artistic or aesthetic purpose. Landscaping is functional outdoor art, but it can also serve as a vehicle for privacy; landscaping can exist to attract certain insects or birds to your home; landscaping can be used to cover up your foundation that sticks out from the bottom of your siding, among other things.

Good landscape architects and landscape designers are trained to utilize your landscaping for whatever end you desire (security, privacy, etc) with a design that is pleasing to the eye and to the neighborhood.

So think about what you are trying to accomplish with your landscaping. If you are interested in attracting butterflies or keeping neighbors from peering in, keep this in mind so that your landscaping can serve this dual purpose.

Maintaining Your Landscape
After you have had your landscaping designed and installed, there is an issue of maintenance. You will either need to maintain your yard and landscaping yourself or you can hire a landscaper to do it for you. Either way, early spring through early fall, there will be steady work on your landscaping to keep up with the Jones's. But it is good work. You will be outside, sweating, and getting your hands dirty trying to get that green thumb.