"Talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius hits a target no one else can see". Arthur Schopenhauer Have you run into the “cape & beret designer” or for that matter,” the chainsaw guy”? You might find it harsh to note, but it seems to me that a disproportionate number of landscape designers fall into these two categories. You know who I’m talking about. Say that you’re the homeowner. You want to inquire about landscape design and so you contact a few companies. Typically, one of two things happens. First “the chainsaw guy” shows up in a beat-up Ford F150. He gives you a really cheap plan on the back of a napkin. He probably spits while he specs rhododendron, azaleas, pyramidalis and everybody’s favorite, the ubiquitous juniper. The plants come from the local big-box store and his friend’s backyard. The tobacco-stained estimate notes that the plants will be “10% over cost” and the rest of the work will be “time and materials”. On the other hand, maybe the “cape & beret designer” comes by. She charges $150 an hour and does a loose, conceptual plan with her pinky sticking out, the plants coming out of the Sunset Western Landscaping Book and the far reaches of Tibet. In the end, the client sends her plan out to bid for installation. It’s 200% over budget, but the travertine patio and Chihuly glass are nice touches. OK, ok.
I know that it’s not fair to lump landscape designers into just two categories. I did after all, leave out “Mr. I just graduated and will dump everything I know into your yard” and “Ms. Unemployed from Allstate but always wanted to try landscape design” from the list. Am I being too harsh? Seriously though, there are a lot of good designers out there and thankfully, most residential landscape designers of notable quality, I will bet are APLD members. (I am purposely not including the other – ahem – design organization). But what’s a client to do when every third designer is a hack? Am I overstating? Or am I right? And why is the quality of work so polarized? Let’s face it. The creative, pragmatic, budget respecting landscape designer is a rarity. Why can’t landscape designers get it together and most importantly, what’s a client to do? To start, homeowners should research designers more carefully. After all, the outdoor investment in some instances may be the largest purchase they make, outside of the home (no pun intended). In the homeowners favor, there are some excellent designers out there, many from ASLA or APLD, the professional landscape design organizations. Clients should make sure to have a good rapport with the designer that is chosen and a budget that is clearly stated, look at a portfolio with a lot of built work, ask a lot of questions. Insist on a contract and communicate in writing. Commission a plan that comes with an accurate estimate and a revision included. Yes, there are many considerations, but the most important is that the designer and homeowner are both focused on the same point out there on the horizon with clear documents describing both the process and the scope of work.
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