Farmington sits at 948 feet on the rolling shoulder of the St. Francois Mountains, and that granite and rhyolite bedrock underneath the Parkland shapes almost every yard here. Topsoil runs to silt loam that holds moisture beautifully in spring but crusts and sheds water by August, so beds need organic mulch more than most Missouri towns do. Lots along the slopes toward Wolf Creek and the old lead belt ridges near Park Hills and Bonne Terre often need retaining stone before anything gets planted. Closer to Courthouse Square Historic District, mature oaks and tight older lots call for finer double ground hardwood rather than chunky bark. Toward Ste. Genevieve the ground turns more limestone influenced, which changes both drainage and the gravel we recommend for driveways and French drains.