I am one of those landscapers who loves to design gardens of all kinds, and as the author of several books on the subject of landscape design, I am contacted by people from all over the world, from various economic levels. They come to me because they have seen my work and really want my help with their gardens. I’m not just flattered, I’m touched. But they are often unaware of what is involved in developing a landscape design plan: how much is needed, how much it might cost, and the potential problems involved.

In the traditional approach, I travel to the client’s location, which is typically anywhere in the United States and sometimes abroad, and either stay there, develop the design and then implement it, or spend time getting to know the clients and their properties, take pictures, and return to my studio to work on the drawings. I make a conceptual design plan and bring it to them to discuss or send it to them. Once you’re done, I’ll typically return to your property with a complete landscape design plan and see to its implementation.

But that gets expensive, and here are these other people who think highly enough of my work to reach far beyond their locality (and sometimes beyond their means) to seek my help. Due to their attitude, their respect and appreciation, they are people with whom I really want to work. That’s why I started offering a landscape design service online, so I can give them what they want so much, without breaking their budget or giving me the shop.

I have found over the years that the process works well, but it is not without its pitfalls. Almost all of my clients end up quite happy (the process is designed to ensure that this is how it works), but not all have and with some there have been a few bumps along the way that could have been avoided. Here I would like to explain the pitfalls and potential problem areas for those who might consider (and given the economic climate, more and more are considering) having their landscape design done via this online approach. Because this can and should be an enjoyable process for everyone involved.

The first, and perhaps most important thing for clients to understand and designers to adhere to, is that any worthwhile landscape design involves a creative and often time-consuming process. No actual designer designs hat sweater designs from him or adapts any previous design to the new site. A design is, or should be, a response to the people it is addressed to and the place it is going to occupy. It will always involve practical considerations that need to be addressed with the goal of always creating not only a beautiful space to look at, but also a joy to be in.

A lot of work goes into this and good designers never deliver a garden design they don’t personally love. Born out of devotion and hopefully talent. If the conceptual design plan you receive doesn’t seem right to you, don’t worry. It can and will be redone. If the designer missed his mark on the first try, no problem. New comments will point you in the right direction. This is, or can be, part of the process and is one of the potential values ​​of doing a conceptual plan: exploring concepts.

It has sometimes happened that after going through the design process and submitting a design that I think is wonderful, I get a negative response from the client. Or rather, in the case to which I refer, of the client’s wife. It took me a while to understand the dynamics involved. Partly it was the fact that I had no communication with her until she responded to the full concept plan. She was designing in response to him. The other aspect was understanding what a design plan is.

Some people just don’t understand that the most beautiful garden they’ve ever seen started with a sheet of paper: a blueprint, just like the one you’re holding in your hands. Even though renderings are included, the client cannot make sense of the plan view drawings and because I am not there to fully explain every aspect, they just don’t realize that all those lines on paper have real meaning – taken together they represent a comprehensive design that, if followed, will produce a beautiful garden and that is precisely what I was hired to create.

Another potential difficulty, and I bet you can guess what’s coming, is basic communication. Designers go a long way in understanding their customers beyond what is being said. The best designers read their clients well and give them more than they bargained for, even with inline design. But we’re not exactly mind readers and if you don’t tell me you hate red or your neighbor has a noisy dog ​​next door to where he was planning a seating area, I can’t guess.

That’s why I ask my clients a lot of specific questions: How do you want to use the garden, at what times of the day and of the year? What does your spouse like? Have pets? Children? What about your neighbors? What art do you like? Do you want water in your garden? Do you like barbecue and so on. Then I ask them to rant, ramble, say whatever comes to mind – everything tells me something about them and that goes into the hopper from which a suitable design plan for them will eventually emerge.

Plants and planting is another area of ​​possible confusion. When most people think of a garden, they think of plants, and many clients expect a detailed list of plants. I never make a detailed list of plants, even for local clients, and in my opinion, no landscaper should. This is why.

For starters, it’s a waste of time. The chances of any or even all nurseries having all the plants you specify at any given time, unless you are working with a very limited and typical selection, is nil. And if I planned this particular plant to go with those plants and they don’t have this plant, then the whole arrangement goes out the door. But more importantly, creating a detailed plant list in advance is a disservice to the designer, the garden, and the client. Combining plants is an art form not best practiced on paper.

Planting is the last phase of an often complex build before finalizing watering, if any, and lighting. You have worked with the property, taking care of the installation of all the elements; the patio or walls, perhaps a water garden, gazebos, paths, private areas, etc. You have lived the design, you have come to understand the space, to feel its new nature and character, and much has changed from what it was. Now is the time to choose plants and the nursery is the place to do it.

It is almost, both in the design process and in the construction of the structural landscape, that plant ideas will come to mind: a weeping cherry would be perfect here, a variegated dogwood in that corner, but the main selection should be made in the nursery, choosing what looks good and will enhance the emotional/psychological expression of the garden. If you don’t feel comfortable taking this yourself, this is where you hire a local plant person who can then consult with the designer to achieve the desired effect.

A view of how the plants will be combined should be taken into account when choosing plants and you should always make sure you have some really great combinations, seasonal interest, etc. But solve, or have the person in charge of plants determine, most of your groupings of plants on the site. As I’m not there to help, I’m happy to make site-appropriate plant suggestions and advise on the practical suitability of a specific plant and can provide principles on how to combine plants. If you want a truly alive and vibrant garden, allow plant selection to be part of the creative process and in response to the actual garden as built. If you as a client want to take care of this, the people at the nursery will help you with the cultivation requirements.

And finally we come to money. Some people will never understand why they should pay thousands of dollars for a piece of paper when they could buy many plants with that money. Some people will never have a beautiful garden and will spend thousands of dollars rediscovering it over and over again. I don’t know how many people have come to me after spending big bucks and still aren’t happy with their yard.

Design is everything. Without it, without a well-conceived plan, you’ll never have a beautiful landscape, and because you haven’t spent decades developing and refining the ability to see in your mind what doesn’t yet exist in space, within the realm of space and form, texture and line, and the world of outdoor life, you need someone who does. You need a professional and you need to know in advance how much it will cost and how payment will be scheduled and you must be fully willing, even willing, to comply.

For the same value, if they give you a price for a design, that should be the price. If the process takes twice the estimated time and goes through multiple iterations, then it takes twice as long, but the given price should never be changed unless there are specific new requests, what most industries call “change orders.”

Online landscape design eliminates the cost of site visits and therein lies the savings. It also eliminates face-to-face interaction, and therein lie the potential pitfalls. Since most high-end landscape architects and designers charge significant sums for their services, the savings can be considerable. And as long as both parties understand and respect each other and the process, it can be a rewarding arrangement for everyone involved and lead to a beautiful garden.

If you are considering using an online design service or a professional landscaper in any capacity, here are some considerations to address.

or View your work. Take a look at their portfolios to make sure you can design in a style that suits your aesthetic. If you have designed in response to sites and clients, each design will be different from the others, but some of them should please you.

o Think about how you want to use the space, what you want your landscape to do for you, and be sure to communicate that.

o Think about the things you and everyone else involved like—styles, colors, textures, shapes, moods, or themes—and communicate it. Cut out photos from magazines and send them.

o Budget – Let the designer know how much you are willing to spend on the landscape installation. There’s no point in designing a $100,000 landscape when your budget limits it to $10,000.

o Payment – ​​It is standard to have a deposit before work begins (most of the work is done in creating the concept plan), a payment when the concept plan is accepted, and a final payment when all designer work is done.

o Know what you are getting. For example, construction drawings are generally not included in the design process, mainly because until the design is done, no one knows how involved they will need to be, or even if they will be necessary. But they can be included, so be clear on this.

o Timetable: You have the right to have an idea of ​​how long the process will take, not an exact date, but a time frame.

o Trust: Two people who have never met and probably will never meet are entering into a business agreement that is also quite personal and must trust each other. If you don’t trust a particular designer, find another.

o Attitude – Designing a landscape is not easy and trusting and helping a stranger to do it is not easy either. Both parties must at all times be courteous and treat each other with dignity and respect. A little gratitude, on both sides, also goes a long way in maintaining a positive relationship.

By working together through the online landscape design process, you can come up with a beautiful garden within a set budget and you and the designer can enjoy the ride.