Landscape Design is a professional design and art field, and it is commonly defined as a practice of “bringing together nature and urban areas.” There are other ways to describe it but, in the end, what’s in it for you? I see it as planning the absolute best solution for outdoor living to fit you and your family’s lifestyle.
We typically use professionals to assist other areas in our lives such as retirement planning, parenting children and buying our dream home. So it begs the question: why not use a professional landscape designer to create a great plan for your landscape?
If you ever find yourself not knowing what to do with the front or back yard, then go interview and hire a solid designer. A great designer will plan to meet all your needs for today and in the future. They will not be partial (at least they shouldn’t be) to any specific product or material.
In fact, there is a process you will go through with your designer. First, they will want to get to know you and your family’s interests, likes and dislikes, and how you want to use your outdoor space. Second, they will conduct a preliminary planning meeting to be sure you are all on the same page so far in the design process. Lastly, there will be a final meeting to go over the master plan. Once you have the completed master landscape plan from your designer, then you are able to negotiate labor costs and price your list of materials for installation. Obviously, some people do things differently than others, but this is the general process.
You can find various businesses, such as local nurseries and landscape contractors, for both labor and materials. Just ask around among your friends, family, local networking groups, chambers of commerce and even online about specific businesses with which to contract. And definitely do your research to find out the kind of quality you are hiring and be sure to have everything in writing to hold everyone accountable. It’s your hard earned money and your landscape for presentation — you want to make sure it’s done right the first time.
You’ll have lots of options to consider, so take your time to have it all planned correctly. And please keep in mind that your landscape is in a constant state of change and it will never be exactly the same year to year as things grow and mature or get old and worn. This is why you should not overlook your landscape; instead, treat it as a valuable investment for you and your family.