What is landscape design and why do people need it
I didn’t realize how many homeowners don’t understand landscape design as a profession until I started to offer such services to private residences. Many homeowners either have never used design services before or have some misconceptions about it. The people who approach me are usually the ones who get it. So how can I help homeowners understand what landscape design is and the value of it?
Here I’ve summarized some of the situations where people don’t value landscape design services:
Landscape design is a luxury product, and is only for wealthy people.
It’s a “nice-to-have” investment that doesn’t seem to get anything tangible done, definitely not as much value as paying for a contractor
Homeowners who are avid gardeners have enough knowledge to garden therefore don’t need design services.
I get all these.
But what actually is landscape design?
Many people perceive:
landscape design is all about plants
it is all about pretty flowers and trees
it is all about aesthetics
it is about adding colors (BTW I heard from some experts that a good technique in design is actually to take a black and white photo of your garden and see if it still looks interesting)
winter is not a garden season
a designer can come to a space and know immediately what to recommend
Here is what the textbook says: landscape design is about creating functional, beautiful, and sustainable outdoor spaces that enhance the quality of life for individuals, communities, and the environment. I think this is a pretty good, comprehensive definition.
A big part of landscape design is education, education, education! So that homeowners can make informed decisions about their landscaping project. A landscape designer is the advocate for the homeowner when communicating with other trades and in some cases hired to coordinate and supervise installation constructions.
I’ve come up with a list of things that landscape design does:
Looking at your landscape as a whole, making sure your outdoor space is an integral part of your whole property. A well-designed landscape looks like everything is supposed to be where they are. Landscape design looks at how you want to use your space, and how design can maximize the potential of your space. Often people think they just need to change a few spots in their outdoor spaces. But actually very few sites don’t need a full landscape plan. A garden plan will only work on the plant materials in your pre-defined structure, while a landscape plan will make sure the design fits your land.
Doing things appropriately so that you have a successful property in the long run, not having to fix expensive mistakes, not having to re-install because it wasn’t done right the first time, not having to spend so much time and money for maintenance.
Creating the emotions and mood you want in your outdoor experience. A well-designed space can elevate your experience and promote physical and mental well-being.
Functionality: functioning spaces enhance quality of life. Not only structures and hardscape can provide functionality, plants provide important functionality too!
Communicating effectively with other trades, form a team according to each project’s needs and budget, and supervise installation.
Providing specialized designs, e.g. healing gardens, rain gardens, outdoor exercise gardens, organic vegetable gardens, native meadows
Contributing to local ecosystems, think beyond just beauty
Ecology is a big topic in landscape architecture/design. It isn’t just for public spaces. There are many things homeowners can do to enhance their homes’ ecological value, from installing native plants, increasing the abundance and diversity of their plantings to wisely choosing pavement materials to reduce stormwater runoff. A good landscape architect/designer can direct clients to the right resources and suppliers who share the same value.
So instead of saying landscape design is a luxury service, think of it as a very important service for homeowners, no matter what economies and home sizes. It costs a fraction of your construction costs, but it avoids afterthoughts, mistakes, save money eventually and will drastically improve your experience in your spaces.