What is a Landscape Designer?

A well designed and well executed landscape not only provides you and your family with untold hours of pleasure and enjoyment but also greatly increases the value of your home. That’s why you want to get your landscaping right the first time! Landscaping can be a complicated and costly exercise but the process is made much easier by a landscape designer. What exactly is a landscape designer and what do they do?

About Landscape Designers

A landscape designer is a professional that works to create a beautiful garden that makes the best possible use of the land that you have. They create and draw plans that show the layout of the garden, including where entertaining areas will be, where retaining walls and garden beds are located, where the grassed areas are, where water features are and so on. The plans will detail all of the plants and trees to be used in the creation of the landscape and also detail all the materials that are needed to make the design a reality (stones, decking, pavers, soil, timber, and so on). Landscape designers will ensure that your garden has the correct drainage and implement new drainage strategies as required. As well, they will also try and implement sustainable design principles where possible such as using drought tolerant plants, adding rain gardens or collecting rain water, and so on. Landscape designers can also help you navigate the council red tape and project manage the construction phase of your landscaping.

What to Look for in a Landscape Designer

When you are looking for a landscape designer, there are several things that you need to look for. The first is experience. Good landscape designers have been working for several years and will thus have the knowledge needed to know what plants will thrive in your climate, as well as in putting together designs that suit the client. Basically, using an experienced landscape designer will mean that your brand new garden is more likely to succeed. The second thing that you need to look for is a designer that listens to you and works to create something beautiful that is within your needs. When they are designing your landscape, you want a designer that is going to show you what the finished product will look like, where various elements in your garden are going to be placed, and most importantly, what it all costs. You want to feel comfortable with your landscape designer so you can communicate what you like and, more importantly, what you don’t like! Landscape designers can also help to take all of the hassle out of your landscaping project, hiring and managing the trade’s people needed to do the job and helping to get any permits that your council requires.

Check the Landscape Designer’s Credentials

Even though this could have been included in the paragraph about what to look for in a landscape designer, it is important enough to state on its own – always check your landscape designer’s credentials before you go ahead with hiring them! Make sure that your landscape designer is appropriately qualified and licensed. Ideally, they will also be a member of a professional organisation such as the Australian Institute of Landscape Designers and Managers (AILDM). Don’t forget to make sure that your landscape designer carries the correct insurances as well, such as public liability insurance and professional indemnity insurance. Of course, good landscape designers will have portfolios of their previous work that they can show you, as well as references from happy clients.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-16