If you are planning your garden and want to hire a good landscape architect, you can find some useful tips in our guide. There are some essential questions to answer before hiring a professional for this job.
It's best to write a wish list first before contacting a professional. This means you have a clear idea of how you want to design your outdoor area right from the start. First, determine your priorities and budget. Think carefully about which parts of the process you want to involve a landscape designer in. Once you have everything on paper, you can contact the professional help you will plan your garden with.
The first thing you can do is ask about the services that are offered. First and foremost, determine what exactly a landscape architect can help you with to see if they are the right person for your project. The best question a potential customer can ask is whether the landscaping professional has the right experience for the job and whether they can design and create the desired project for your garden. Depending on the services offered, landscape architects can be divided into three categories.
Simple garden design
Some professionals specialize exclusively in the design process. This typically includes a site analysis and discussion of the client's needs, as well as a preliminary draft and corrections based on your feedback. Finally, a detailed overall concept is drawn up with which you can design your outdoor area. This will then be given to you or a contractor along with the rest of the documentation.
Design and implementation
Other service providers offer the service described above, as well as management of the entire project. Contractors are required for the approval and installation of paved surfaces. Some landscape architects are also registered contractors themselves, and others may simply recommend a subcontractor for the job.
Planning your garden – complete service
For the best service, some landscaping companies offer a full-service maintenance program. This includes the above plus ongoing maintenance of the garden. A landscape architect will select the plants and building materials for you that are optimal for future growth and maintenance, as well as for the visual impression of the green space. Garden design is usually offered at a regional level. Look for a garden professional who is familiar with the local climate and plant species diversity.
Second, you should ask the service provider you want to provide examples of their previous work. When planning your garden, consider the designer's style in relation to the garden you want. For example, if you have a modern orminimalist gardenIf you want to have one, you should ask whether the professional has already designed one.
If a garden designer's portfolio does not contain the style you are looking for, you should look at their references to have your garden's vision realized in the best way. Degrees from accredited landscape architecture institutes and memberships in professional organizations are good indicators of this.
Next, you can request a consultation. Many landscape architects offer this service. A garden designer can usually come to your property during the meeting. He can then listen to your wishes and give you his wishesGarden design ideascommunicate.
This is a good opportunity to determine whether the chemistry between you as a customer and service provider is right. Only then can you decide whether you are interested in working together. During the consultation you can also determine whether you would like to implement your own ideas or rely on a full service. In most cases, an initial consultation is not free because it takes a few hours. However, the costs for this are usually included in the total bill.
After sharing your wish list and budget with the garden designer, ask them what their vision is for your outdoor space. Designers can present their ideas using different means. Starting from a collage mood board with inspiration images for plants and materials for the paved surfaces to a two-dimensional drawing created with a CAD program or by hand.
Now is the time to comment on what you don't like about the garden design or if you would like to change something from your wish list. Following this meeting, the designer can create a revised design drawing based on your feedback.
Get to know the work process when planning your garden. When it comes to garden design, this depends on the services that are offered. Before concluding the contract, find out whether you or the person responsible is responsible for managing the project. This means you will be able to monitor every step when the project is underway. If you haven't chosen a full-service option, you need to make sure you have the time and experience to do so.
As a responsible client, you also need to be honest with a landscape architect about your budget for the project. The costs invested dictate what is realistically designed in the garden. If a look you like is out of your budget, the designer can often offer you creative alternatives. Clear communication about estimated project costs is essential. Ask your hired garden designer about the financial part of the design. Most estimates are made based on the cost per square meter when planning the design of your garden.
Because unexpected changes to the plan often occur mid-project, you should check with the contractor in advance to determine whether they will charge additional design fees if they need to change the paved areas or the construction plan. This means you can save yourself any potential wasteful effort.
When planning your garden, the time for project realization depends on a few factors: size and scope of the project, availability of contractors and other specialists, ordering and delivery times for materials, facilities, etc. Instead of asking a landscape architect to design the garden at a specific time At the right time, you can first find out about the estimated scope of the project. Remember that professional implementation and careful planting take time. While garden design on TV is inspiring entertainment, the actual construction site rarely has a 24-person team working around the clock. Quality gardening work is a mix of art and science that takes a certain amount of time to realize.
The time it takes for a garden to grow depends on the scope of the design. The types of plants proposed and their maturity at the time of planting also have a big impact on this. A small area of ornamental grasses and perennials can grow within a single season, but larger and more complex tree and shrub species can take years to reach maturity. Ask your horticultural professional which plants are useful for propagating similar specimens and which plants can be purchased quickly.
You should also find out what kind of garden maintenance your future green space will need to look good. Different types of gardens and plants require very different levels of care. Seek professional advice as to whether you are able to take care of it yourself or need to hire a gardener to care for it. Your landscape architect may also be able to recommend a specialist. Ultimately, once you've invested time and money into your dream garden, you'll want to keep it vibrant and thriving for years to come.
