Like other industries, we have a lot of words whose meaning may be unclear to people outside the landscape industry. These terms vary from place to place and region to region.

Hardscape: as it implies, anything "hard". This includes structures, concrete, masonry, stonework, walls, etc.

Infrastructure: buried items that aren't visible. These may be either new or existing, and tend to be functional things like electrical conduit, drain lines, gas lines, irrigation lines. etc.

Water Feature: This is any kind of fountain, but also includes swimming pools and spas, ponds and streams. These are typically manmade, with recirculating water.

Plant Material: This is just another word for plants. Sounds more technical this way, apparently.

Lace Out: Trim a tree artistically so that its structure is more visible.

Native Plant: technically, this should mean plant species that are native to the site being developed. Somehow it has come to often mean any plant native to the state where it is being grown, and often means plants from similar climates. The chart at right shows some examples of plants often considered native to the Sacramento region. Invasive plants take over native environments and should not be planted where they can escape cultivation.

Sustainable (or green): A design philosophy minimizing negative effects to the environment, both locally and globally. Some designs can also be regenerative, where they restore or create environments or functions that the site did not previously have. Examples would be using local materials instead of stone shipped from the other side of the planet, using non-invasive site adapted plants. Pervious paving that allows water to infiltrate the soil, roof gardens and cisterns are other features often used in sustainable designs.

Setback: This is an invisible line, defined by an agency, that limits where structures can be placed. Easements also limit what can be built, and where.