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Landscapers - Glossary of Terms:
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| Aeration, Aerator - The process of changing soil so more oxygen can enter, usually by using an aerator, which is a machine that pulls cores from the ground. In Portland we will normally be discussing aerating a lawn that is having trouble taking in soil and water. When should you aerate a lawn? Answer here. |
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Aggregate - Fractured or rounded stone used as a footing, sub-base, or
decorative surface. The most common aggregates in Portland landscapes are
1/4 inch gravel and pea gravel. Learn more about types of aggregates here. |
| Annual - A plant that flowers and dies in one season (think pansies). You would normally purchase an annual just as it begins to flower and then remove it once it is done, or perhaps as seeds. We very rarely include annuals in our landscape designs, preferring perennials. |
| Arbor - A garden structure generally used to support climbing plants or vines. They can be part of a fence, gate, or free standing. |
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Arborist - Basically a tree doctor that is trained in the care and
maintenance of trees. |
| Accent Plants - Plants that provide interest and generally stand out in the landscape due to their color, texture, and/or blooms. They do not set the structure of the garden and primarily serve aesthetic goals. My favorite accent plants right now are Quicksilver Hebe and Coneflower. |
| Amend - Adding beneficial organic material to your gardens' native soil to improve it for plants. Usually this is done by mixing in some compost as we install plants. |
| Backfill - Gravel or dirt used to fill behind a retaining wall or other landscape feature. |
| Backflow Prevention Device - Valve required by the City of PDX to prevent water in your irrigation system from being siphoned back into the water supply. |
| Balled and Burlapped - Field dug tree with the root ball wrapped in burlap. Often abbreviated to
B & B in the trade. |
| Basalt - The most common type of landscape and masonry stone. Boulders from the Columbia River Gorge and other local quarries are usually basalt. The most common basalt is gray, but black basalt and basalt with brown tones is also available. |
| Boulder - Large stone. In general a stone over 125 lbs would qualify as a boulder. More about the proper way to set boulders is here. |
| Catch Basin - A below grade vessel for collecting surface water and then directing it into a drain line or dry well. Also, an area where water pools before falling over the next cascade. |
| Compost - Decomposed garden or food material, used in planting beds to amend from above and hold moisture where it is needed. |
| Conifer - Tree that bears cones and needle-like or scale-like leaves that are typically evergreen. Pine, cedar, hemlock, redwood, fir, cypress, juniper, spruce, and arborvitae are common conifers in the PNW. |
| Contour - Purposeful change in ground elevations or grade. These may take the form of a mound, swale, or combination of the two. |
| Contrast - Differences in tone, texture, mass, or color between landscape design elements. Plant combinations or pairings often highlight these differences so that each plant can shine. |
| Course - A horizontal row or tier of stone, paver, or wood in a wall , patio, or landscape screen. |
| Curbing - A border or edging using poured concrete or natural stone. |
| Deciduous - A tree or bush (shrub) that loses its leaves in winter. In the PNW there are semi-deciduous or semi-evergreen plants that may lose their leaves depending on how cold the winter is. Abelia and some hebe are good examples. |
| Decorative Rock - Rocks chosen for their color or texture and used as a ground cover, walking surface, or focal point. Black beach pebbles, pea gravel, and granite are the most common choices in landscape designs. |
| Design Elements - Key landscape features being proposed in a landscape design plan. Water features, paths, patios, decks, boulders, plantings, screens, fences, and contouring are just some of the common design elements. |
| Dethatch - Process for removing or thinning the dead lower level of a mature lawn. Thatch is grass that has died and collected below the green blades. Some thatch is normal and healthy. However, over time this layer can get very thick and make it difficult for water, sun, and nutrients to get to portions of the turf. |
| Drainage: The process of collecting and controlling the flow of water on a property. This can be done with grading, French drains, dry wells, permeable surfaces, sump pump, rain gardens, and more. Often multiple methods are required since Portland gets so much rain. Properties at the bottom of hills, with natural springs, or full of heavy clay have the most drainage problems. |
| Drip Irrigation - A slow feeding irrigation system that utilizes flexible tubing and emitters to send a precise amount of water to each plant. This is the most efficient method of irrigating plants. |
| Drought Tolerance - The ability of a plant to survive without much summer water. There are many plants that are “drought tolerant” but most will be happier with at least some summer water, and all will need some water the first couple of summers. |
| Dry-laid - A stone or flagstone patio, path, or walkway built without a concrete base. The base would be compacted gravel and the joints would be an aggregate or walkable ground cover. Dry laid stone work is more rustic and will become somewhat uneven over time. |
| Ecological: Landscape design that is compatible with a sites’ environment in both appearance and sustainability without negative impacts to the environment. |
| Edging: Edging in the landscape is a line of demarcation that creates visual interest in the garden by separating one segment from another segment. This can be aesthetic or functional, keeping one element (such as pea gravel) from getting mixed into another (like bark dust). |
| Espalier: A tree, shrub or vine, trained to grow on a wall or fence into a specific pattern. Especially useful for fruit trees, making it easy to harvest the fruit and containing mess. |
| Evergreen: A plant whose leaves or needles are green year-round. |
| Exotic: A plant that is not native to the location where it will be planted. Not all “exotics” are invasive or harmful, and many can be well behaved or drought tolerant. |
| Fescue: Thicker bladed turf grass that spread via rhizomes. |
| Final Grade: The level of soil on your property before bark dust or compost is spread. |
| Flagstone: Generic term used to describe natural flat stones of different shapes and colors used to create walkways, patios, and walls. Flagstone is usually larger than stepping stones. |
| Flow control valve : Usually a ball or gate valve that gives you control over the flow of water coming from your pump to your water feature. |
| Focal Point: The element in a landscape design or area in a landscape that is meant to be most prominent. The focal point can be a plant, boulder, statuary, gathering space, or other landscape feature. |
| Foundation Plantings: Bushes or shrubs located in beds near the foundation of a home or other structure. |
| French Drain: A trench filled with 2” round rock containing a perforated pipe that collects and redirects surface water and groundwater away from an area, many times to a dry well. |
| Gazebo: A roofed building used over an outdoor gathering space. |
| Germination: The sprouting of a seed, perhaps referring to a lawn that is being grown from seed. |
| Grading: Changing the level of soil for better drainage or to create interest or function. |
| Gravel: Rock product, either rounded or fractured, that is relatively small- usually 1” or less. |
| Groundcover: Low plants that are allowed or encouraged to spread over an area. |
| Hardscape: Can refer to any “hard” garden elements including statuary or boulders but most commonly is used to refer to paths, patios, and walls. |
| Hedge: Dense shrubs or trees that form a fence, screen, or boundary. Herbaceous: Plants with non-woody stems. |
| Herbicide: A chemical used to control weeds. |
| Imaginary Lines: Lines that define spaces within a landscape concept. These often extend from corners or key features of an existing structure. Proper use of imaginary lines can help the landscape feel connected to the home and other elements. |
| Invasive Plant: A plant that spreads more than desired, or into habitats where it does damage. Portland has a list of invasive plants that should not be installed in landscapes because they can spread to forests or waterways and be difficult to control. |
| Irrigation: Watering plants and lawn, usually with an irrigation or sprinkler system. Smart irrigation controller reviews and recommendations here. |
| Irrigation /Sprinkler Plan: 2-D rendering of the proposed irrigation system. Can include head placements and coverage, pipe sizing, GPM specs, and materials needed to install this system. An irrigation plan is usually unnecessary for residential properties but is common for commercial projects. |
| Landscape Architect: Licensed professional who designs landscapes, schooled in engineering and architecture as well as in horticulture. |
| Landscape Designer: The professional who plans and develops landscape projects, usually at a residential or small commercial level with the major design impetus on plantings. Landscape designers typically have less schooling than Landscape Architects and are not licensed. |
| Landscape Fabric: Textile used to suppress weeds, keep aggregate from sinking into mud, and to protect French drains from silt. |
| Lime: Calcium material used to raise the pH in soil, which will make it less hospitable to moss. |
| Liner: A water tight HDPE material used underneath ponds, streams and waterfalls in water features. |
| Mass Plantings: Using many plantings of the same variety to fill in an area in the landscape. This can lower maintenance and water use in the garden. |
| Minimalism: Using the smallest number of plants, plant varieties, hardscape materials and other elements needed to accomplish the goal for the landscape design. This aesthetic is usually associated with modern and low maintenance landscape design. |
| Mixed Border: A flowerbed with a mix of different plants such as flowering perennials and shrubs. |
| Moongate: This is a circular aperture in a wall or fence, most often seen in Chinese or Japanese gardens. |
| Mulch: A layer of compost or bark dust applied at the base of a plant. |
| Native Plant: A plant that was present in a geographic location before people started changing the landscape. |
| Orientation: How the garden or a garden element is arranged in relationship to an existing or new feature or to a direction. |
| Organic Lawn Care: Maintaining a lawn without the use of chemical herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers. |
| Ornamental grasses: Grasses that are not mowed but grown in landscapes as perennials. |
| Patio: This is a partially open sided relaxation or recreation area that adjoins a dwelling, used for entertaining, outdoor dining and simply enjoying the outdoor environment. |
| Pavers: Precast concrete pieces that are used to create patios and walkways. |
| Pea Gravel: Small round gravel. |
| Perennial: Plants that provide seasonal interest and then die back in the winter. Annuals do not come back the following season, but perennials do. Perennial Rye: Cold season grass that is the most common turf grass in Portland, OR and the rest of the PNW. |
| Pergola: An open roofed structure over a patio or other landscape feature. |
| Pesticide: A chemical used to control insects. |
| Planter: An ornamental container for growing plants. |
| Privacy Screen: Fences, trellises, or shrubs used to block the view of a certain area or view. |
| Pruning: Cutting parts of a plant off to control size, health and appearance. |
| PVC Pipe: Kind of pipe used in most irrigation systems. |
| Rain Garden: Area of the landscape designed to handle rain water until it can soak into the ground. Rain Chain: A chain that controls water as it travels from a roof gutter to the ground. |
| Raised Bed (aka Raised Garden Bed): Garden structure that creates a planting area that is contained and higher than the surrounding grade. |
| Retaining Wall: Structure made of wood, concrete, paving stones, bricks or other materials for stabilizing slopes and preventing excessive erosion. |
| Rock Garden: Creating a garden feature consisting primarily of stones with plantings that complement and can thrive in the rocky environment. |
| Rotor: Sprinkler head style that rotates a stream of water across an area. Rotary Nozzle: A nozzle that goes on a head and creates streams of water that rotate across an area. |
| Screening Plantings: Trees or shrubs used to provide privacy, block a view, or as a natural boundary or barrier. |
| Setback: Space around your home or along property lines where there are restrictions on what can be installed or built. |
| Shock, Shocking: Damage sometimes manifest after a plant is transplanted. |
| Shrubs: Low woody plants, usually with multiple shoots or stems emanating from their bases. |
| Site Analysis: The act of ascertaining features inherent to a site that must be accounted for in the landscape design. |
| Sod: Strips of grass that have been cut out of field and rolled up. They can then be unrolled and installed as a lawn. |
| Sprinkler System: Underground network of controllers, valves, pipes, and heads that combine to water the landscape. |
| Stepping Stones: Flat stones or concrete pavers set with large gaps to accommodate a natural stride, creating a rustic path. |
| Transformer (Low Voltage Lighting): Converts 120V to 12V for powering a landscape lighting system. |
| Transplant: Moving a plant from one location to another. |
| Tree: A woody perennial plant having a single usually elongate main stem generally with few or no branches on its lower part. |
| Wall Rock: Quarried basalt stones that are 5-75 lbs each. |
| Water Feature: Landscape element that features circulating water. |
| Weed: Any plant that is unwanted or considered to be a nuisance. |
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Landscape and Hardscape 
Landscape, Hardscape
Social media has become a powerful tool for small to medium-sized construction companies to generate leads for both residential and commercial projects.
There is a huge opportunity for construction companies to reach potential customers and promote their services.
Following are some tips for contractors to use social media to generate leads and improve their revenue.
It's important to choose the right social media platforms. Different social media platforms have different user demographics and can be more effective for certain types of projects. For example, Facebook and Instagram are popular platforms for residential projects, while LinkedIn is more effective for commercial projects. By understanding the target audience and selecting the right social media platforms, small construction companies can improve the effectiveness of their social media marketing efforts.
Construction companies should use high-quality visuals to showcase their work. Social media is a highly visual medium, and construction companies can use this to their advantage by posting high-quality photos and videos of their past projects. This can help potential customers to visualize the quality of their work and gain trust in the company’s abilities.
Landscaping contractors should engage with their audience on social media. Responding to comments and messages in a timely manner can help to build trust and establish a strong relationship with potential customers. Construction companies can also use social media to answer frequently asked questions and provide valuable information about their services and the construction process.
