What is 'landscaping'?

Answer 1

Landscaping is the utilization of the property to maximize it's visual effect and appeal. Often times a "good" landscape has what you would call "Whoa" appeal. More often than not it is the "Ho-Hum" appeal.
The Ho-Hum is the redunance in appearence and plantings in a neighborhood. For example, most old and new housing developments contract for the same plants, same locations, for each unit. As you walk or drive past such units your attention is not diverted because each unit is the same. Put something completely different in the plantings and you have the Whoa.
As with Real Estate, Landscape, is a function of location location. Can it, will it, grow here? Right place? Too much or too little. It looks great today, however, what will it look like five years from now? What maintenance will be required to achieve the look I want and need?
Landscaping is an art. To borrow from Gigco, even a caveman can plant a bush! Is it the right bush? Is it in the right place? Does it have room to grow properly? Can I maintain it as a healthy plant?
Earlier suggestions had you using books. I would suggest that you contact a working Landscape Designer. A Landscape Arch. is both expensive and not in the field enough to know your situation. If you were to purchase or research a book I strongly recommend the Wyman's Encly. of Landscape (most bookstores). This book is essential for all landscape designs.

Answer 2

Good landscapes are as important as good homes and you need to ensure that you have the ideas to model a good landscape. Of course you don't have to spend a bomb to get these landscapes ideas; you don't even have to seek the help of professional designers or landscapers. The landscapes ideas are available for free and all you need is patience, a little creativity and time browsing through the myriad of choices available to you.

Visit http://www1.webng.com/LandscapingPlans
for more information.

Answer 3

Big question dude...Textbook version: Landscaping is improving the natural beauty of a piece of land by planting or altering the contours of the ground.

Answer 4

Landscaping refers to any activity that modifies the visible features of an area of land, including but not limited to:

living elements, such as flora or fauna; or what is commonly referred to as Gardening efforts in the gestalt, the art and craft of growing plants with a goal of creating a beautiful environment within the landscape.
natural elements such as landforms, terrain shape and elevation, or bodies of water;
human elements such as structures, buildings, fences or other material objects created and/or installed by humans; and
abstract elements such as the weather and lighting conditions.
Landscaping is a science, as it is an art and requires good observation and design skills. A good landscaper understands the elements of nature, and construction and blends it accordingly.

An early Greek philosopher known for his view that "all is water," spent a considerable time thinking about the nature and scope of landscaping. Some of his students believed that in order for human activity to be considered landscaping, it must be directed toward modifying the physical features of the land itself, including the cultivation and/or manipulation of plants or other flora. Thales rejected this notion, arguing that any aspect of the material world affecting our visual perception of the land was a proper subject for landscaping. Both Plato and Aristotle praised Thales' analysis as a model for philosophy. In the early 20th Century, British philosopher G.E. Moore cited Thales' reasoning as one of the few historical examples of how philosophical inquiry has led to genuine human understanding and progress.

Philosophers in the 17th century debated whether visual beauty was a necessary goal of landscaping. With the advent of the positivists by the early 20th century, however, most western philosophers had rejected the notion of an objective esthetic standard for any form of art, including landscaping. Practitioners since the mid-20th century have experimented with jarring visual panoramas that are now generally accepted, at least in western societies, as falling within the scope of landscaping.

Answer 5

improving the natural beauty of a piece of land by planting or altering the contours of the ground.