It may be impossible to answer the question, “What is a landscaper?” in one article. But we’re going to give it our best shot. Answering this question in detail helps you decide if a landscaping career is right for you, and it gives you guidance on building a career at a company that cares about you.
A landscaper is someone who enhances, beautifies, and cares for commercial and residential spaces. Their talents and skills increase property values, relieve anxiety, and improve quality of life, all through their work.
We’ll cover the remarkable history of landscaping, which has produced some of the greatest ever works of art, using nature as a palette. Over time, landscaping has also made life more enjoyable for billions of people.
Learn how a landscaper’s role has evolved through the centuries, from design and installation to maintenance and enhancements. Today’s landscapers are seeing technology change the industry—changes that our company sees as positive for the environment and those in landscaping professions.
Let’s explore the role of a landscaper and the steps to landing the perfect job in this often misunderstood industry (*Download the free interview guide at the end of the article for help).
History of Landscaping
Most people don’t realize how far back the origins of landscaping stretch. To answer the question of what is a landscaper, though, an overview of this proud profession’s history helps.
Tomb paintings reveal ancient Egyptians created ornamental gardens that showed off water features and palm trees. Later, the Persians promoted the notion of “paradise gardens”—on perfect display in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
Of course, the Greeks and Romans get a lot of credit for the many works of art they brought to the world. Their landscapers (before the term was coined) were some of the best artists, expanding gardens into elaborate villas and incorporating functionality, like shade, with aesthetics.
Landscaping design and practices evolved over the years after hitting roadblocks in the Middle Ages. The Italians and French used architectural principles to improve upon ancient landscape designs. Then, the 18th century shifted to more natural approaches to property designs, highlighting large spaces and creating ideal views.
Milestones
Although some ancient texts contain landscape design principles, the word “landscaping” didn’t formally appear until it was used in an 1841 book by Andrew Downing. Not long after, public park landscaping would become popular in North America as landscapers broke ground for New York’s Central Park.
Other important dates in professional landscaper history include:
- 1830: The first mechanical lawn mower is patented in England
- 1902: Ransomes produces the first commercially available gas-powered mower
- 1955: The zero-turn mower is developed
- 1990: Sustainable landscaping principles emerge
- 2000: The first natural gas-powered mowers are released
- 2010: Green infrastructure gains momentum for commercial properties
Landscaper's Specializations
Depending on the company, a landscaper’s duties may focus on specific areas of the industry. Some companies only service residential properties, others work on commercial properties only, and some providers serve both property types.
Additionally, there are providers that only offer weed control and fertilization, mowing services only, or focus solely on installations.
Yellowstone Landscape, for example, offers comprehensive landscaping services. Our team even includes full-time arborists, and our clients are strictly commercial property owners, community associations, and the public sector, rather than individual homeowners.
Necessary Landscaper Skills and Qualifications
Loving the outdoors is a huge key to being a successful landscaper. After all, working outside is often physically demanding, so having a passion for being in nature offers balance to the challenging work. That passion should also include enhancing nature by creating visually appealing and functional landscapes.
“Landscapers may be the most comprehensive of all artists.”
- Unknown
What is a landscaper certification example?
Yellowstone recommends the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) for industry certifications or certificates.
Popular NALP training opportunities are below:
- Landscape Technician Certification
- Principles of Turfgrass Management Certificate
- Landscape Technician Certificate
Certifications help you advance your career in the landscaping field. Good mentors assist you as well because you can learn a ton from their professional experience. When interviewing with prospective employers, ask them about their career path.
Finding a company that offers comprehensive training from day one is critical. You need to know if you’ll be given the resources to help you rise up the ranks. Many Yellowstone branch managers started in entry-level positions using the tools discussed below.
Landscaper Tools & Equipment
The landscaping industry uses perhaps the widest variety of tools and equipment of any industry. Mowers, blowers, edgers, and trimmers are the first to come to mind. Then, there are heavy equipment that includes skid steers, backhoes, and graders.
Manual tools like rakes, shovels, and hand saws still play a crucial role in modern times. Intricate tasks couldn’t be performed without hand tools and some clients might request a provider use them to avoid the noise of power tools.
Regardless of the type of landscaping equipment you’re using, safety protocols and training should come first. No company should stick a new employee on a lawn mower after a few minutes of showing them the controls. Detailed training systems should be documented and followed for every piece of equipment.
Companies should require and hopefully provide proper safety equipment, too, including:
- Protective glasses
- Earplugs
- Fluorescent vest for visibility
- Hard hat
- Gloves
- Work boots
It’s scary how many landscapers can be seen working without eye protection with debris flying around their face. Safety equipment can save your eyes, ears, and limbs! Innovations play a part also.
Landscaping Equipment is Advancing
At Yellowstone Landscape, we’re excited about the numerous equipment innovations—as you can see in this video highlighting a robotic commercial mower. We believe these innovations will create more opportunities for landscaping professionals, not reduce them.
It doesn’t end with mowing, as you can see below:
- Smart irrigation systems monitor the weather and soil moisture to save water resources
- Battery-powered equipment can now handle nearly any landscaping task
- Landscape design software produces incredibly realistic renderings
- Drones make surveying large properties easy, and aerial photos aid in providing estimates
- Mobile apps are available for plant identification, measurements, and project management
Landscaping Trends & Innovations
Building your career as a professional landscaper means keeping up with what’s trending in the green industry. Knowledge of native plant use, water conservation, and organic practices make you an excellent candidate for any landscaping provider. Those three trends are not going away, either.
Solid understanding of the equipment and related safety aspects noted above gives you an advantage in the interviews that you land, too. And with countless technological advances, it pays to become as tech-savvy as possible. This prepares you to manage a robotic mower, fly a drone, and keep clean records in the company’s customer-relationship-management (CRM) app.
How can landscapers keep up with changes like these?
- Industry magazines
- Trade shows
- Free online courses
- Industry mentors
- Company training
The Future of Landscaping
The outlook for landscapers has never been brighter for many reasons. Tool innovations are easing some of the job’s physical demands. The profession itself is gaining the respect it deserves as the public comes to understand the benefits of beautifying green spaces. Nature’s positive impact on mental health shows how important landscapers are.
As for the job market, there are typically more openings than applicants to fill those positions. And as we mentioned, starting at entry-level, learning the business, and rising to a management position in a short peiord of time is a real possibility at Yellowstone Landscape.
Frequently Asked Questions About Landscapers
As you can imagine, we’ve heard every possible question about landscapers. We’ll answer a few below to give you more insights into the profession.
What services do commercial landscapers typically offer?
They range from design projects to weekly maintenance tasks to seasonal installations to consultations.
What is a landscaper’s role in pest control?
Landscapers aim to protect the entire landscape from infestations that kill plants. Modern landscapers use integrated pest management strategies that are eco-friendly.
Do commercial landscapers work year-round or only during certain seasons?
It depends on the location (i.e., Florida landscapes usually need year-round care) and which services the company provides (i.e., Snow removal services mean more work after the growing season ends).
What is a landscaper’s role in improving a property's value?
Vibrant, healthy landscapes boost curb appeal and attract more interest from property buyers, which increases commercial and residential property values.
Are gardeners and landscapers the same thing?
Landscapers focus on entire outdoor spaces (including non-plant materials), while gardening is focused on plants.
What’s it like to be a new landscaper at Yellowstone Landscape?
We believe every employee has the potential to find greatness within themselves, and their success is our success. You won’t be just another face at Yellowstone—you’ll be one of us and helped along by your teammates and given feedback that benefits your career. Our company offers competitive pay, benefits, and career advancement opportunities. We work hard but believe the workplace should involve fun, too.
False myths about commercial landscapers:
- Landscapers mainly mow lawns
- Landscaping is only needed during spring and summer
- Residential landscaping is exactly like commercial landscaping
- Commercial landscapers only focus on aesthetics, not functionality
- Professional landscapers use the same approach for all commercial properties
Conclusion—What is a Landscaper?
Did we fully answer the question, “What is a landscaper?” We did a comprehensive job—however, it would take several volumes of books to showcase what this profession has meant to the world.
Remember, the role of a landscaper is changing year by year, too. So, additional pages in the story of landscaping professionals will keep coming.
At least you now know how far back landscaping goes and some historical milestones. We also broke down the critical tasks professional landscapers are responsible for and the equipment they use. Please take note of the skills and certifications we listed that make you an ideal candidate for a great company.
Don’t forget to ask the right questions of a potential employer so you are treated well, kept safe at work, and given the career opportunities you deserve.
Apply at Yellowstone Landscape, where you can build an admirable career alongside supportive people.
*Free download: Top 10 Questions to Ask an Employer During the Interview
