Totally NFRC: anyone ever hire a landscape designer?

T

tess

Well-known member
I'm thinking of hiring one to design a plan for my house. I have no imagination when it comes to this - so I know I need help. I want to do the work myself (where I can) - so I'm just looking for a plan and thoughts on how to phase it in over time - perhaps a multi-year plan.

Anyone have any idea of the cost to hire someone to do a plan? And what to look for in the good designer? The local gardening stores do this service some, and there are some local businesses that do design thru implementation. I'm looking for more than what plants to put where, I'm looking for an end vision that may include some hardscaping.

I have a very small house and very small land wiuth other items that make it an interesting endevor - and this is why I can't do this myself - it's to effectively use the available space - and make it beautiful and unique - and I'm sure it requires thinking outside of the box.

Anyone ever do this?

Thanks,

Tess

 
I used to be one. I called myself a "designer" to distinguish myself from a "landscape architect,"

which requires a degree. I have no formal training--I had a business planting flower borders and other ornamental plantings. An architect will deal with "hardscape." paths, patios, etc.

I would charge $250-500 for a design, then deduct it from the cost of the job if they went for it. Usually they did, so I didn't worry much about the price. An architect would have charged more.

If you know ahead of time that you will be doing the work yourself, you should be up front about it and expect to pay for the designer's time. Most might offer a free consultation to explain their services. If you hire them, explain your likes and dislikes and then let them incorporate them into a design.

I guess I had a good vision for things because it always seemed obvious to me what should go where, but my clients didn't have that sense and were very appreciative. I still do an occasional design but I'm no longer in the planting business. It almost destroyed my back and feet!

Good luck.

 
We had our yard done professionally by a local nursery when we first moved in here over 30 years ago

then, about 15 years ago we wanted to freshen it up. We hired a landscape architect who worked with a landscape designer. They put a dry creek bed running through a group of azaleas and Japanese Maple trees. I hated the idea but let them run with it. The added ornamental grasses, high and low and lots of river rock of various sizes. It has become the talk of the neighborhood and we always have people asking for some of our grasses when we divide them. They totally redid our backyard, putting in an arbor, walkways, a rock garden and little surprises for us everywhere.
They will ask you how you use your yard, do you want an outdoor "room" for entertaining or relaxing, a space to grow produce, children's area, so have all this in mind. They will come and just sit in your yard, for a day to watch sun spots, shade areas, etc. We also knew we wanted to attract birds and squirrels, butterflies, bees and beneficial bugs for our veggie garden. I can send you pictures if you want to PM me your email addy.

 
Snap oe: I used to have a small landscaping business in my former life.....

I was very busy...I would go to the gardens and spend a day or two 'getting the feeling'. Ask the clients what they wanted out of the space,offer suggestions and then go and draw up the plan.
What I found was that quite a few landscaping business' give much of the above, go in and plant and then leave.
What my clients particularly liked was that I would draw up a watering/feeding program and then return every month for the next year to see if all was growing well. If the plants weren't doing well for some reason I would re-do the area at my cost.
Only had a couple that I redid.

Secret there was digging every tree/shrub hole 3' x 3' x 3' and filling it with compost, manure etc .....I cant do that in this garden I have here, just cant get down 3' deep so often as we have shale below the topsoil and I hate seeing the poor gardener pick-axing away in this heat....

As a qualified land survey draughtsman with a horticultural diploma from 44 years ago things must have changed dramatically...except for the basics.....preparation of the area in the location.
Have ideas in mind of outdoor rooms entertaining areas etc and have fun with your project.....post pics of before and after if you can.

 
Tess, You may have already done this...consider some books from the library. Many have

"before" and "after" shots with a blueprint of how they did it. ie what they put in each place.....I found it really useful....There are also a few sites on line. I found them helpful with garden planning; I am sure they also have landscaping....

 
Well - and I'm married to a landscape architect

Most of the landscape designers are tied to the actual installation so if you are going to install yourself, let them know and they will charge you. We've found that around here, landscape designers often charge almost as much as landscape architects. I've seen good and bad on both sides so it really just depends on who you get as to which is better. Landscape architects are better suited for hardscape items, grading changes and such if you have those types of items and they have to keep up with codes and ordinances. But they are also good at giving you a good true picture because they have no gain from the actual work or sale of the plants and materials. They tend to have very good 'spacial' feel and most take into account how things will grown and develop instead of worrying about giving you 'instant gratification' that some installers give. And prices can REALLY vary. My husband does work about 40% cheaper than other landscape architects because it's his 'side' job and he works out of our house. Landscape architects also have a lot of details about how to dig and prepare the holes, what fertilizers to use, care, and such specifications as it's part of all the plans they have to do for larger projects that are bid out.

As I said, there are good and bad in both - verify who you are working with, go look at some of their work and talk to some of their clients no matter if you are paying $100 or $1,000 - you don't want to throw your money down the drain. Get pricing up front and understand exactly what they are going to give you - scaled drawings or rough sketches, specific plants and cultivars or general plant information, things like that will make a difference.

 
Joanie (oenie?) you're way ahead of me. I mostly just planted flower borders, but you're so right

soil preparation is everything, and so is maintenance. I would occasionally come across a potential client who wanted to skip the soil amendment, "It was already amended three years ago" they would say, and not believe me when I told them it had to be done continually. I didn't have much of a backbone way back then about a lot of things but I never budged on soil.

Maintenance drove me crazy. It was so hard to find anyone who could do it well, and so I ended up doing so much of it myself there was hardly time for new plantings. I never solved that dilemma.

Tess, I volunteer with organic community gardens now and if you'd like some info on building good soil I'd be happy to oblige.

 
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