For a Yard You'll Love: How to Work with a Landscape Architect

Step 0 Why you need a user guide (Step 0 – a little bonus for you!)

Landscape architects are people-pleasers. Your design partner is going to be happiest when you as a homeowner are absolutely delighted about the design.

Here are four tips for coming to agreement on expectations for collaborating together. Use these tips for an open discussion and agreement about how communication will happen during the design project. Help your designer be clear on how to best work for you.

 Set a hierarchy for communication format preferences. Do you want to exchange phone calls for urgent situations, followed by text, then email? Will you discuss critical issues only face-to-face, or are other methods OK or preferred?

 Advise your preferred contact if more than one person is the “client.” Does each person need to be called? Should the text or email be distributed to multiple people?

 Let the landscape architect know your typical response time. Parts of the design process require reaction and comment from the client to move forward. Are you likely to respond to communication quickly or slowly? You may have other demands on your time or want to think through what’s proposed before responding.

 Commit to providing feedback. Let the designer know if your expectations are being met. And, if not, how to change so those expectations are met.

Step 1 The first meeting The initial consultation is where you and your landscape architect meet to shape your landscape design project. At this first meeting, you get to know each other and decide whether you can collaborate together. Four things to bring to the discussion: 1. Your goal for the project – how you would describe a garden that is successful right after installation and a few years out, how you need the landscape to function.

2. Your commitment – who will install the garden, who will maintain it, how much time you have available, and what level of skill you have with gardening.

3. Your budget – plants, soil, mulch, garden features and ornaments have a price range to be managed as part of the design process. A good rule of thumb is to consider at least 5% of the cost of the house.

4. Your performance bias – what your expectations are for the work, what you think top quality performance by the landscape architect looks like.

You and the landscape architect will want to make sure everyone is in agreement before you start the project!

Step 2 The design phase The design phase starts with the proposal from the landscape architect. This document spells out the scope of the work, what will be included in the design, and the final deliverables.

The proposal should describe the tasks involved in producing the final result. Commonly included items:  Site analysis and photography  Research on municipal and POA requirements  Conceptual plans and perspectives  Final plans and construction drawings  Detailed design for structures-arbors, gazebos, walls, etc.  Installation processes such as construction observation of a landscape contractor’s work  Coordination with municipality or property owners’ association  Maintenance guides

The proposal spells out what you are buying, along with notes about the impact of changes on scope of work, budget, project schedule and payment schedule. The design phase also includes time spent with you to review the initial concept plans and perspectives for the landscape. Ask plenty of questions during the design phase. Design plans can be confusing to decipher if you’re not used to seeing them every day. Don’t be shy about asking for help. Allow enough time to visualize the final result, even walking around the yard with plan in hand if that works for you. Confirm that you love the design while it’s easier to change.

Step 3 The documentation phase After approval of the concept plan, the landscape architect will get to work and produce the final construction plans. The plans are created as digital files that can be shared with you in PDF form and as paper blueprints. The plans include specifications for plants and materials used for structural work such as patios or fences. Plant sizes and botanical (Latin) name are listed, together with a key to the layout plan. Details of the correct procedure for installing plants or building structures like trellises are included. Whether you intend to install the landscape yourself or hire a contractor to perform the work, the construction documents show what needs to be done for the landscape design to become reality. It’s helpful to spend some time reviewing these documents yourself to get familiar with what and how the design will come together.

If the agreed proposal included other documents, these are produced during the documentation phase too. One document homeowners find very useful is a maintenance guide. This can include a month-by-month schedule listing all of the landscape tasks to be done through the year, from weeding to tree pruning to winterizing the fountain. Plant-specific information is also a part of the guide, noting the care needed – fertilizing, trimming, dividing, deadheading, etc.

At this point, your landscape architect may also provide other reference materials for you, such as brochures on Firewise or Waterwise landscapes, recommended retail plant nurseries or landscape construction specialists, or reliable garden websites where you can learn more.

Step 4 Permits, reviews, bids Once construction documents are completed in the documentation phase, there’s one more step before putting that shovel in the ground. First, think permits and reviews. Your municipality and/or property owners’ association may require a permit for building a garden structure or a review of the landscape plan for compliance with regulations prior to installation. Your landscape architect can answer questions about the plans and make any necessary changes to receive approvals quickly. If you plan to have your garden design installed by a landscape contractor and you don’t have a contractor in mind, you may need to request bids from qualified companies. Your landscape architect can assist here with suggested contractor companies and coaching you on review of the bids before you make your final hiring decision. DIY? Find out how the retail plant nurseries work in your area. Most purchase the bulk of their stock from several wholesale nurseries in the same state or nearby states. The landscape layout plan in the construction documents will include a detailed plant list which you can send to the retail nursery. They can order from the wholesalers and let you know when the plants arrive for pick up. An alternative may be for your landscape architect to pre-pick locally available plants for you.

Step

5 Construction observation While you may be able to handle activities in Step 4 on your own, Step 5 is never optional for the landscape architect and should be included as part of the tasks listed in the proposal.

Even with perfect plans, a licensed landscape architect is responsible for the health, safety and welfare of the users of the design.

As a licensed professional, the landscape architect must confirm that all applicable building and environmental codes are being followed and the project is built.

The landscape architect does not supervise or control a contractor or the contractor’s workers but: the landscape architect should confirm that the contractor is executing the project according to the design and specifications which you paid all that money to have prepared; the landscape architect should be available to quickly resolve unexpected issues and unforeseen conditions, so construction progress is not delayed; and the landscape architect should also review the contractor’s requests for payment, to protect your interests and confirm you are only paying for what is appropriate at each stage of the project. If this is a DIY project, you’ll have scheduled meetings with the landscape architect, if needed, to ask questions while you work. This ensures that you are a happy client!

Step

6 Final acceptance This is the spot where you’ll begin to enjoy your landscape! You’ll do one final walk-through with the landscape architect, and the contractor if you used one for installation. This walk-through confirms that all of the work has been completed, any minor errors or omissions have been corrected, and the project is ready to be used. If you performed the installation work yourself, you can use this step for a final review of the work with the landscape architect, to reassure yourself that the goal of the project is being met.

Step 7 Post-project support Although Step 6 concludes the project, the landscape architect will want to check in with you occasionally, to confirm that the landscape design is still working well for you. An annual call or email is typical. Some plants have very long lives, while others need special care or replacement after a certain length of time. The trees may grow and shade the yard. The ways you want to use the yard may change. Remember that your landscape architect can help, from answering quick questions to discussing a renovation plan.

Wrapping it up I hope you enjoyed this guide to working with a landscape architect on your home’s garden design. My goal for you: a successful collaboration and a landscape you love.

If anything is confusing or doesn’t make sense, no worries!

I’ll be back soon with more information to help you make sense of it all!

…Ann