The Season of Landscaping: A Labor of Commitment

Or is it?

June 19th, 2026

Landscaping  is a word that most people shy away from, knowing the amount of work and dedication it takes to complete a project. In our household, I grew up knowing that word meant back-breaking outdoor labor that could last days. We call it the “L” word, since each time it was mentioned, it involved a time commitment and a lot of work, mainly revolving around re-landscaping gardens with block, bricks, sand, and lots of leveling! So that word was avoided at all costs. I now look at landscaping in a different way. To me, landscaping means creating an outdoor oasis that is unique to you and your home, and doesn’t have to include days of labor.

Usually landscaping involves shoveling rock into gardens, digging block into the ground to make stone steps or creating tiered gardens. But there are other easier ways to create a landscaped look for your home without breaking your back or having a huge time commitment this summer. Magazines and TV shows such as This Old House make everything look so easy to create a wonderful backyard oasis with little to no effort, when in fact, it does take time and effort and isn’t as easily done. Yes, the magazine and TV people are pros, and do this for a living, but we can take inspiration from them and find simple ways to create the same idea with little effort.

Landscaping, according to the dictionary, is “the art and science of modifying, designing, and enhancing outdoor areas to improve their appearance and functionality”. There are two parts to landscaping: softscaping and hardscaping. Softscaping is when you add plants, flowers, and gardens to create a soft and bright element to your outdoor area. Hardscaping includes the non-living structural pieces of the area, including patios, walkways, privacy or retaining walls, fire pits, brick, blocks, and seating. For making things simpler, start with which type of landscaping you would like to focus on. Maybe starting with adding flowers, potted or raised gardens, or creating a garden in the yard or by the house would be a simple way to improve the look of your home. Or, just adding a fun rock to your garden or outdoor seating would create a mini area to enjoy nature.

Many people landscape to improve curb appeal, and some add to their outdoor area for their own peaceful garden oasis. For me personally, I love creating happy and peaceful outdoor spaces for my family and I to go and enjoy a cup of coffee, or sit and listen to the birds while relaxing and letting my mind finally rest. Surrounding ourselves with nature and the gardens or outdoor area that was designed and created by you gives a sense of pride of ownership; that you built something that made life better, easier, more functional, and more enjoyable.

Use this idea to think of and design your landscaping projects this summer. Don’t just feel like landscaping involves digging up the yard, adding a ton of rocks all around your house, or creating complicated tiered gardens. These are all great, and if you want to do that, go for it! But, in actuality, these take time, and starting with simple things will really make a big difference. Each year, add something new, creating a different type of space to enjoy. Adding little things over time will create the ultimate overall landscaped look you’re going for without falling into the trap of the original meaning of landscaping: a labor of commitment.

Each year, my husband and I have added new things to our front patio area. The first year, he built a raised garden bed for me to use to plant flowers without having to dig up the rock garden that was already there. Planter boxes are an inexpensive way to create an instant garden, and you can either buy or build them. The next year, I added a fire pit and outdoor seating with more potted plants. This year, we added a privacy lattice with vines and flowers along with more planter boxes and flowers for a personalized peaceful garden oasis that feels like it’s straight out of a magazine. And we did this over time, with little things added each year, including garden decor, bird feeders, bird baths, etc. Just little things added made a huge difference, and now I love being able to sit outside in the mornings with my coffee and admiring the work we put into our landscaping, both big projects and small, to create our own unique outdoor area to be proud of and enjoy. So this summer, add something small to your landscaping, and enjoy the big difference it will make.

~Alyson Winn-Lagergren~