Best Landscape Designer

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Permalink Reply by Phil Doncaster on May 27, 2010 at 7:45pm

Never an easy one to answer but here goes. Any good Designer will give you a free initial consultation. They should ask questions like your time available to garden and your budget. Also your time frame? Some people like to have a 3-5 year plan, others have resources to have the garden done now. Also, you mention pasture land, I presume that's larger then a couple of acres?
Hope this helps a little.

Phil

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Permalink Reply by GardenThymeGirl on June 17, 2010 at 7:38pm

I respectfully disagree about a good designer giving a free initial consultation. First of all, if you are hiring a professional landscape designer you are paying him/her for their skills in landscaping. Most landscapers have been through a lot of school, training or have extensive experience. Keeping up with certifications is also a factor. There is a lot of work involved too--questions have to be asked and the professional landscaper is sizing up the landscape, along with using their time and gas to get to the potential clients property. Most landscape designers go to the client's property, not the other way around. Many potential clients want to ask you a lot of questions and show you nearly every plant they have on their property. The fact is that some clients want free estimates and don't mind wasting a designers time. Well this may fine with designers putting in for bids for city or government projects, but it can be costly to the designer should they not pick up the client.

I have told clients that I will charge them a certain amount for the initial consultation and I will credit it back to them if they hire me as a landscape designer. After spending years in school and training, they deserve to be paid for their professional skills.

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Permalink Reply by Sally on June 17, 2010 at 9:56pm

how about some names of people you would recommend?

I have had two people come out and let me know what they would quote for a plan of what I want to do, but there is no way I would ever give a penny to someone without an extensive referral list.

Gardenthyme will not be getting my call.

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Permalink Reply by GardenThymeGirl on June 17, 2010 at 10:27pm

Sally,

I don't want your business and when did I solicit for business?--I merely stated an opinion. Should you not like my opinion, that's fine with me. This is a family-type Blog and many people provide professional opinions for free. That's what makes this site a wonderful resource. I refuse to make nasty comments like you just did.

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Permalink Reply by Mark Wilson, RLA, ASLA on February 3, 2011 at 5:31pm

Sally,

Am a landscape architect, and new to the site.  But in looking at the string below, seems you've had a difficult time getting an answer.  I'll give it a shot.

 

Based upon what you inquired, your post could be construed to be seeking planning and design services.  For instance, you need to know how your self sustaining garden will relate to, and work with, other components either planned, and/or existing, on your property.  This could mean a master plan to arrange elements within which the self sustaining garden is a part.  A landscape architect would be most qualified in this instance.  If you already have a location in mind, know the approximate size, and simply need help with how all garden functions work together, then a landscape architect may be able to help, but you might also be describing a landscape designer, with a specialty in "permaculture" (many resources available on-line to help).   If you're just looking for someone to design and install the garden in the location you point out, you may need a landscape contractor that also is an experienced landscape designer, which may also be a landscape architect who is the landscape contractor.  Confused...so am I.

 

I all comes down to licensing, and the level of KSA's (see below) you're willing to pay for.  Landscape architects have legally required formal education, apprentisship, licensing exam, and continuing education to call oneself a landscape architect and perform services typically associated with a landscape architect (title and practice act, www.ncbola.org).  Landscape contractors have experiential and licensing requirements to be able to call themselves a "landscape contractor", but no practice act governing what each may or may not perform (www.nclcrb.org).  Landscape designers are not regulated by the state (anyone can call themselves a landscape designer, not a legally regulated title or practice act), but do have a professional organization that sets ethical standards for each professional (www.apld.com), and when hiring one, it's always good to ask for one that's a member of APLD.

 

If you are paying for a design, what you're really paying for is the professional's knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's), typically, this works out to some variant of an hourly rate, but can be a fixed fee, if negotiated that way.  Many times landscape contractors can sub-contract either a landscape architect, or designer, if they are not one already.  Using that method, you'd be paying for everything (design, plants, installation labor, mulch and plant guarantee, etc.) through your contractor. This is called "design-build".  Obviously, the bigger the space, the larger the design fee, because more time will be spent.

 

So, when Phil replied "any good designer will give you a free initial consultation", that may or may not be true.  In this economy, we're all available all the time.  But under normal economic conditions, the good designers will have to call you back, because they're booked.  I typically will meet with a new client at no charge, but won't give specific advise that would enable a client to hire someone else to build what I gave them for free.  Good design is a process, not a product.  Many times, after the initial consultation, what seems to work on site, doesn't work on paper, whether functionally, spatially, or aesthetically.  Why is this important...because you'll be paying a professional to work out the problems on paper, before they become a problem during construction (once heard of a building contractor that had a boat named "Change Order").  Good advise is worth what you pay for it.

 

Personal referrals will find the right professional.  Check with friends and family for anyone they've worked with and had positive experiences with.  If you're speaking to a professional for the first time, ask for references you can call after the initial consultation.  Then ask the reference about specifics...were they on time?  did they deliver what and when as promised?  project on budget?  what were they like to work with?  professional knowledge? 

 

Good Luck, Mark

www.broadbooksapa.com

 

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Permalink Reply by Sally on July 23, 2011 at 9:22am

I hired someone a year ago who would come up with a design for a flat fee. It was tiered so a third was payed up front after we initially met. She went in a direction that I didn't like, and for that matter, I felt more knowledgeable than the professional!  I need help in bringing order to the garden, foundation plantings etc. I am not looking to win any awards, I want and need a basic framework. Looking at your web page, it seems you might be able to help. Le me know if you are interested, Sally

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