Landscape designers
doo...@my-deja.com
rec.landscape.design group. Please feel free to redirect.
I wonder if you folks offer any suggestions or opionions to help with
this decision before I start calling around? I've bought a repossesed
house that has been very neglected inside and out. The house, yard and
neighborhood aren't fancy but right now the "landscape" is composed
mostly of native vegetation - weeds - and I'd like it to look a little
better than it does. It's not a large scale job but I think I need the
help of a landscape designer, trouble is I'm not sure about the best
way to find one. I've heard from some people that local nurseries will
provide free design services if you buy the plant material from them. I
wonder if this is a good way to go? Does "you gets what you pays for"
apply here? It may take a while for the budget to stand the hit but my
reasoning is that paying a professional to do only the design would be
the best way to get a plan to follow and then do the work in phases.
Would it be "improper" to use a free design service then take what may
be months to buy all my plants?
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Before you buy.
Chris Owens
IME, design services associated with garden centers vary from
not-very-good-at-all [frequent] to basically competent
[commonest] to quite good indeed [rare]. I've never known a
really good one that was free. The reason for this being, that,
to design a landscape plan that is right for your house and right
for you takes quite a bit of time and interaction between the
designer and the owner. Good designers aren't cheap; so, a
garden center would have to sell a LOT of plants to make one's
services being offered for free ultimately profitable. Another
problem with such services is that they, quite naturally, under
the circumstances, tend to push those plants that the center has
in overstock, or with which the center deals regularly. Now, if
you just happen to love whatever that happens to be, it's not a
problem. However, if you don't, it can be. If you're really
certain that you don't want to approach this without the
assistance of a designer -- and I would strongly reccommend that
you do consider a DIY first; it's not that hard with a little
reading and research, and the result will be much more YOU --
find an independent one whose designs you like, and find out what
a plan would cost.
In addition to the obvious issues of climate, soil type, and sun
/ shade distribution, you also need to think about things like
the amount of care you are willing to devote to maintaining the
landscaping, whether you would prefer a more formal or more
natural look, whether you prefer flowers or greenery, what
features of the house you would like to play up or minimize, and
how you want to use the yard, or portions thereof.
Chris Owens
Scott R.
certainly some ho-hum ones out there, but also some very good ones I
hear. Has anyone here used a good one that you could recommend?
Scott R.