Is Landscaping Considered Agriculture? (+ 10 Examples for Each)

Landscaping is one of the easiest ways to add appeal to your home or business.

Through the use of landscaping, you can make your property look more attractive by adding plants, flowers, shrubs, or other decorative and ornamental features.

But since landscaping involves digging, altering the terrain, developing watering solutions, and planting, is landscaping considered agriculture?

There are certain aspects of landscaping that are shared with agriculture and some areas where they differ.

When considering those who work in landscaping, there are some instances where they are considered to be agricultural workers.

In this article, we will explore the characteristics of landscaping and agriculture, look at examples of each, and discuss their similarities and differences.

Contents

What is Considered Landscaping?

What Industry is Landscaping Considered?

Are There Different Types of Landscaping?

10 Examples of Landscaping

What is Considered Agriculture?

Are There Different Types of Agriculture?

10 Examples of Agriculture

What Are the Differences Between Landscaping and Agriculture?

Conclusion

What is Considered Landscaping?

Landscaping is considered to be anything that changes or modifies existing areas of land. It doesn’t just refer to adding living things like plants, shrubs, and other foliage.

Landscaping can also mean changing the layout of the land by:

grading
placing statues and fountains
adding rocks
ponds
other water features
and even fences and decks.

It can also involve the removal of living and non-living features, such as trees, rocks, and hills, among other things.

Landscaping isn’t just about digging, planting, and adding ornamentation.

It requires a certain level of artistic and horticultural knowledge, design, and the ability to create a cohesive look.

Landscapers need to know which plants can live in certain areas and how to make those plants thrive, including providing quality soil and good drainage.

They also need to have knowledge and understanding of people’s needs to create a space that meets those needs.

Landscaping combines both art and science to create land that is both beautiful and healthy.

What Industry is Landscaping Considered?

According to the United States Department of Labor, landscaping is part of the Landscape and Horticultural Services industry. This industry is made up of three subcategories:

Landscape Architectural Services
Scientific and Technical Consulting Services
Landscaping Services

Landscape Architectural Services includes designing and developing land areas in both the public and private sectors.

Scientific and Technical Consulting refers to helping organizations with biological, chemical, physical, economic, and security services.

Lawn and Garden and Tree and Shrub Landscaping fall under Landscaping Services and involve providing care, maintenance, and installation of living and non-living landscape features.

Are There Different Types of Landscaping?

Usually there are two types of landscaping companies, commercial and residential, but there are some companies that offer both.

Commercial landscaping is done for outdoor spaces belonging to businesses, cities, or other entities in the public sector with the goal of increasing business by improving the overall appeal of the space.

Residential landscaping is done for homeowners with the goal of improving the appearance, curb appeal, and functionality of their home and lawn.

With each of these types of landscaping comes different services, including lawn and garden services, tree services, and physical and biological services.

Here are the main services provided by each:

Lawn and garden – planting and maintenance of lawns and yards.
Tree services – tree and branch removal, pruning shrubs and bushes.
Physical and biological services – altering the terrain, improving soil and drainage.

10 Examples of Landscaping

Here is a list of 10 ways that you can landscape at your home and a brief description of each.

1. Driveways can be made of different materials, including asphalt, concrete, cobblestone, or pavers.

2. Fences can be made of wood, metal, bricks, or other materials and used as a border around homes, gardens, or pools.

3. Flowering Trees add color and shade to your yard in spring and summer. Popular flowering trees include magnolia, cherry, dogwood, and crape myrtle.

4. Foundation Plants are plants that grow around the foundation of a house and usually consist of bushes or shrubs.

5. Fountains are usually used as focal points and can be installed above-ground or in-ground.

6. Lawns are made of grasses or sod and make up the largest portion of your yard or property. Fertilize and irrigate your lawn to help keep it green.

7. Planting Beds can be raised or flat and used for flowers, vegetables, herbs, or other plants and can be changed seasonally if you prefer. Plant similar flowers and plants together or mix them up.

8. Shrubs can be ornamental or flowering and provide greenery, color, or both to your yard.

9. Walkways can be made of different materials and can be used to separate planting beds or areas of your yard.

10. Water Features can include water gardens, ponds, creeks, or irrigation systems. They can be used simply for visual appeal or serve a practical purpose.

Adding and properly maintaining one or a combination of these features can improve the look of your home or property.

What is Considered Agriculture?

Agriculture is the science of growing crops, raising livestock, and preparing and distributing those crops and livestock to the public.

Crops can be edible, such as fruits and vegetables, or inedible, such as cotton, wool, or other textiles.

Livestock can be raised for human consumption or for the products they produce, such as milk or eggs.

Agriculture can be done on a small-scale or large-scale basis. An example of small-scale agriculture would be a local farmer selling crops to the community at a farmer’s market.

Large-scale agriculture involves farmers selling their product to businesses, factories or manufacturers for mass production and public consumption of goods in the form of fibers, food, or fuel.

While agriculture has been around since the beginning of civilization, new technology and innovation has helped agriculture evolve and expand to fit different wants and needs.

Are There Different Types of Agriculture?

Agriculture can be broken down into four different types depending on use. They are:

Fibers
Food
Fuel
Raw Materials

Fibers refer to crops used for making textiles. The crops are sold to factories, where they are woven into textiles that are used in clothing, household fabrics, and more.

Some examples of these kinds of crops are cotton, flax, hemp, silk, and wool.

Food refers to crops and livestock that are grown or raised for humans to consume. Fruits, vegetables, and grains are some of the most common food crops.

Grain crops are also used to feed livestock. Livestock produce milk, eggs, and meat. Fish, honey bee, and flower farms also fall under this category.

The crops and livestock are then bought by grocery stores and meat distributors, who process them to sell to people.

Fuel crops are used in the production of fuel. People think of corn and sugarcane as being mostly food crops, but they can also be used for fuel as well.

Corn and sugarcane produce ethanol, one of the main components in gasoline.

Raw materials are things that aren’t necessarily grown, but they are still considered to be agricultural products.

These are usually things that are used in industrial settings, such as coal, lumber, minerals, and natural gas. Harvesting these raw materials typically involves drilling or mining.

10 Examples of Agriculture

Each of the following are different types of agriculture that are used to produce crops or livestock and a brief description of each.

1. Commercial Grain Farming – used in areas with low rainfall, such as prairies and grasslands. Wheat, flax, and barley are examples of crops that are produced.

2. Commercial Plantations – used in areas with humid and tropical climates. Examples of crops include coffee, tea, and tobacco.

3. Dairy Farming – prominent in temperate climates. Cows are grown and raised to produce milk, cheese, yogurt, and other dairy products.

4. Intensive Subsistence Farming – common in areas with large populations. Subsistence farming is used to feed large numbers of people. Rice and wheat are dominant crops.

5. Livestock and Grain Farming – also known as mixed farming, these types of farms produce both grains and livestock.

6. Mediterranean – found in the Mediterranean region of Europe. The main crops produced are grapes, olives, and citrus fruits.

7. Nomadic Herding – used in dry areas that receive little rainfall. Farmers move their herds to graze in natural pastures.

Livestock differs by region, but sheep are an example of livestock that you might see farmed this way.

8. Ranching – this is a commercial type of farming where livestock is reared on settled land. Cattle and sheep are common livestock found in ranching.

9. Rudimentary Sedentary Tillage – the same land is used year after year in an effort to keep soil fertile. Grain and tree crops are grown using this method.

10. Specialized Horticulture – used for large-scale production of fruits, vegetables, and other plants in areas with large groups of people.

What Are Similarities Between Landscaping and Agriculture?

Landscaping and agriculture are similar in that they both require a lot of specialized knowledge in order to grow and nurture plants.

Both of them take into account the needs of the people that use their services.

Another similarity is that workers in both landscaping and agriculture need to know how to provide adequate soil, irrigation, and drainage.

There are some instances involving nurseries where landscaping and agriculture overlap.

Some landscaping companies have nurseries on site. They use plants from these nurseries for their business.

Horticulture farmers produce plants, shrubs, flowers, and other common landscaping foliage on a large-scale basis and sell them to these nurseries.

The nurseries and the people that work in them could be considered to be part of the agriculture industry because they use and care for plants produced by farming.

Landscaping companies growing their own plants could also be considered agriculture.

What Are the Differences Between Landscaping and Agriculture?

The first major difference between landscaping and agriculture is that agriculture focuses mostly on living things.

There are non-living aspects like soil and water, but the industry revolves around the living aspects. The end result needs to be that all the plants and animals are healthy enough to sell.

Landscaping relies on both living and non-living things to create a finished product.

It isn’t just about plants, but about how those plants work together with the surroundings to create a cohesive look.

While there is a certain level of science involved, landscaping is mostly about art and design. Agriculture focuses mostly on science in order to be successful.

Conclusion

There are some similarities and some differences between landscaping and agriculture.

While landscaping isn’t part of the agriculture industry, there are some instances where landscaping companies could be considered agriculture, especially where soil and water health and nurseries are involved.

Even though they aren’t one and the same, both provide useful services that people want and it takes a lot of specialized knowledge in order for both of them to be successful.