Landscaping vs Lawn Care: The Difference Between Lawn Care and Landscaping
Landscaping vs Lawn Care: The Difference Between Lawn Care and Landscaping
If you’re looking outside the window of your home and commercial property and find a dull, lifeless terrain staring back at you, it’s time to make a change.
So you start Googling for help, first from a local lawn care company. But then many of the results come back for landscaping companies, and you’re left wondering–which one will work best in your time of need?
Understanding the difference between lawn care and landscaping is essential to restoring outdoor spaces. Each side of the landscaping vs lawn care comparison bears several similarities to the other, which can muddle things.
The simplest way to describe lawn care vs landscaping is to define lawn care as the upkeep needed to maintain outdoor terrain, while landscaping is the design and setup. We’ll dive into all of the nuances in this guide to help you grasp the differences.
If you want to transform your North Georgia home or commercial property, Michaelangelo’s Alpharetta landscaping and lawn care services are exactly what you need.
We have helped hundreds of homeowners and businesses transform their outdoor spaces with expert landscaping–and keep them in pristine condition with our lawn care maintenance services.
What’s the Difference Between Lawn Care and Landscaping?
To fully understand the difference between lawn care and landscaping, you’ll need to know the definition of each service.
Overview of Lawn Care
The first half of the lawn care vs landscaping comparison is maintenance or upkeep of your property. At a fundamental level, this includes mowing, edging, blowing, fertilization, and weed control.
Just like your car needs an oil change and your light fixtures need new bulbs, lawn care is a vital practice to keep your outdoor spaces healthy and vibrant.
Basic lawn care tasks don’t just spruce up your property in the short term–they are also essential to preventing further problems.
For example, removing weeds one day prevents ten more from popping up the following week. Similarly, adding fertilizer to your property will strengthen your grass for an upcoming dry season.
Without regular lawn care, even the best-designed landscaping will only take you so far.
Overview of Landscaping
Every homeowner with a yard has performed some form of lawn care before. But mowing and edging alone won’t transform your property into one that inspires and captivates you and your visitors.
When we compare landscaping vs lawn care, we’re talking about the aesthetic layout of your property’s outdoor spaces.
Landscaping encompasses everything in your outdoor spaces, from hardscapes like walls, water features, and walkways to softscapes with natural features like trees, flowers, and bushes. It also covers drainage systems and noise control to ensure a serene outdoor space.
There are several types of landscaping, from modern minimalist front yard landscaping to drought-tolerant designs with hardscaping features.
Choosing the right aesthetic for your property depends on your preferences and the available materials and climate you must work with.
Landscaping sets the foundation for all of your lawn care. You can have the best maintenance crew in the world, but if you’ve planted the wrong flowers for your local microclimate, you’ll fight an uphill battle to keep everything alive.
Is Landscaping the Same as Lawn Care?
With both sides of the landscaping vs lawn care comparison established, another question often arises: aren’t the two the same thing?
The answer is no, however. Landscaping covers design, while lawn care handles upkeep.
Many companies offer both services–in fact, it’s recommended to work with a company that handles both to ensure the best results.
Think of it this way: A landscaping company will know strictly which maintenance tasks are required to keep its designs vibrant.
With the inverse, a lawn care company will understand the purpose of each piece of landscaping on your property, enabling them to spot issues or potential replacements in advance.
Knowing the difference between landscaping and lawn care will have a massive impact on the services you receive, and therefore, the overall aesthetic of your property’s outdoor spaces.
Landscaping vs Lawn Care: Which Does Your Property Need?
You now know that the comparison of landscaping vs lawn care isn’t something to brush over. So if you have a lifeless outdoor space on your property, which one should you enlist first?
The answer to this question depends on a few factors, including your existing setup, local climate, and budgetary needs.
We’ll dive into how this all adds up to help you choose between lawn care vs landscaping, or ultimately opt for both services.
Understanding Scope of Services
One of the main reasons many property owners confuse the landscaping vs lawn care debate is the similarities in the services rendered, at least at first glance.
Lawn care covers maintenance tasks for your property. Edging, mowing, blowing, fertilization, weed whacking, seeding, and pest management. This is typically done on a routine basis– daily, weekly, or monthly, depending on the specific tasks.
Some lawn care visits may be shorter than others–for example, dewinterizing your property in the early days of spring may include herbicides and weed removal, while you might only need mowing in the fall.
Landscaping is typically a more involved process. It involves planning, designing, and installation. Landscaping services can be seasonal, such as rotating flowers or shrubs, or a one-time service, like adding a new drain or planting trees.
When comparing lawn care vs landscaping, the latter may have a much larger scope–one that could take months or even years to complete.
The Cost Conversation
Another crucial area that separates lawn care vs landscaping is how they affect your budget. When you look at how much landscape maintenance costs compared to design and installation, it’s clear that upkeep is more affordable.
Essential lawn care services may cost $50-200 per visit, weekly or monthly. Lawn care is often bundled into packages, helping you save on overall costs. On the other hand, landscaping installation and design usually costs thousands of dollars, sometimes reaching the six-figure range for transformations of large commercial properties.
That isn’t to say you can just perform lawn care upkeep and ignore the more considerable landscaping costs. If you’re dealing with a barren property where nothing grows, you won’t be able to achieve a vibrant property just by mowing it more frequently.
Landscaping is akin to an investment in property value itself–by doing so, you’re paying an upfront cost for dividends. For example, installing a drainage system can lower the needed frequency for irrigation or fertilization lawn care services.
DIY vs Professional Approaches
One often overlooked dynamic that distinguishes landscaping vs lawn care is how you choose to perform them.
Some lawn care tasks are DIYable if you have the time and energy. Mowing, edging, and blowing can be done with the right equipment, while placing fertilizer or pulling weeds doesn’t need fancy tools.
On the other hand, all of these methods are time-consuming. Following a landscape maintenance schedule template can take hours out of your busy schedule.
Given the low costs to outsource them, many homeowners and business owners still choose professional companies for lawn care.
Landscaping is far more difficult to DIY. You must understand your local microclimate, the biology behind plants and shrubs, drainage systems, tools to install elements like walkways and trees, and more.
While you may be able to tackle small-scale projects like planting new flowers or adding stepping stones, more extensive projects are squarely out of reach without a professional’s help.
There are even niches within the field of landscaping to consider, like the difference between landscape designers vs landscape architects. Professionals' specialized knowledge is the difference between an aesthetically pleasing property and one that falls flat due to DIY.
Do You Need Both?
If you aren’t happy with your outdoor spaces, you may need lawn care and landscaping services.
A landscaping company can help diagnose the issues plaguing your property, whether that be grass that doesn’t grow or a lack of shaded areas. They can then create a design plan that better fits your dream aesthetic for your home or business.
From there, lawn care services will enable you to maintain the new installations and designs from the landscaping company. With both services, you’ll be set up for short- and long-term success.
Michaelangelo’s is Your Trusted Choice for Landscaping and Lawn Care in the Atlanta Area!
Across the Atlanta metro, one trusted residential and commercial landscape company goes above and beyond for you: Michaelangelo’s.
Property managers and homeowners from Duluth to Marietta put their faith in us. We pride ourselves on our commitment to customized design plans that bring out every inch of your property’s potential.
Our services start with a complete consultation and assessment of your property. We'll provide expert recommendations if you want help installing new walkways on your front yard or an eye-catching fountain to welcome customers. We’ve worked with townhomes, office parks, industrial complexes, and single-family homes.
With our design teams, we always consider the local North Georgia climate. We use plants and hardscaping elements that withstand Atlanta’s winters, rainstorms, and everything in between.
That ensures your property is easier to maintain and upkeep with lawn care over time.
Speaking of lawn care, we’re also proud to be the #1 business for Landscape maintenance in Atlanta Georgia. Whether you need basic mowing or want full-suite service including fertilization, weeding, and blowing, our efficient teams will help your property put its best face forward.
Our ground crews are unlike any other lawn care company you’ve worked with. We emphasize speedy and effective service, ensuring your day isn’t disturbed while we work.
Michelangelo’s operates across the Atlanta metro area. Some of our service areas include:
Bringing Our Lawn Care vs Landscaping Comparison to a Close
Lawn care and landscaping are closely linked. Landscaping involves planning, designing, and installing plants and structures in your outdoor spaces. Lawn care encompasses the maintenance of these features through tasks like mowing, edging, and blowing.
Both are crucial to ensuring vibrant outdoor spaces.
If you’re a homeowner or business owner in the Atlanta metro, you don’t have to choose between a company that only offers one or the other. Michaelangelo’s is the #1 commercial and residential landscape company, including lawn care maintenance.
Hundreds of North Georgia property owners trust us to create and maintain luxury outdoor spaces, with an attention to detail that makes a beautiful foundation. Talk to our team today to learn how we can help you take the stress out of maintaining your outdoor spaces!