Garden designer

You have just moved to a new house. It’s beautiful but the garden’s an eyesore. You tried to do things yourself but you’re not satisfied. Who do you call? A garden designer! You’re now ready to hire a professional to help you create your dream garden.

Garden designers are professionals in their chosen field. They are trained in both technical and aesthetic skills. They are the ‘plant people’. A garden designer can hold a degree in Botany, Garden Design, Horticulture or Landscape Architecture. This professional should have a business license or should work for a licensed company. Gardening knows no gender. It is universal. A man or a woman who specializes in garden design education is a very competent person. They should be in constant coordination with you by offering advices and seeking your opinions. This open communication will result in the completion of the job suited to the requirements specified by the homeowners. You might have been toying with a garden idea in your mind and this should be discussed with your chosen garden designer. Have a free-flowing exchange of ideas by listening to each other. After a plan or design was agreed upon and budgets solved, the next step would be to test the soil and drainage. This is where the final plan will be done for further implementation of the project. Purchases can be done at nursery gardens and exhibitions.

A garden designer’s working time is flexible. It is usually divided between designing work at a desk and supervising a project outdoor. Most of them are self-employed, though some may be working full-time or part-time with garden centers, design practices and landscaping companies.

Those who are employed have chances of climbing up the ladder of success by being promoted to senior designer or a management role. Others turn freelancers and set up their own businesses. They build their reputation by providing excellent services to homeowners like you and through client recommendations. They charge fees on hourly rate or by contract while company designers base their fees per company rate.

How can you be a garden designer? If you know a lot about horticulture, have design and gardening skills, creative and imaginative, then you can be one. Other qualities should be enhanced like excellent communication and supervisory skills. You should also be practical, organized and a good planner. Work within your budgets and deadlines and deliver the best job you can give. Take into consideration health and safety issues and be physically fit for outdoor work. Physical activities like bending, lifting and carrying are all part and parcel of your job. You also have to deal with chemicals like pesticides, fertilizers and weed-killers. You may have to handle machineries at some point like cutters or trimmers. It is wise to wear protective clothing like garden boots, hand gloves and face shields. Alerting yourself of your allergies will also be helpful. Most important of all is your genuine interest in gardening because you’ll enjoy creating gardens for your clients.

↑ Back to Top

Landscape gardeners | Site Map | Resources | Privacy | Contact Us