KNOWING WHEN TO ASK FOR HELP
A winter spent
leafing through lush lifestyle magazines and alluring seed catalogues has
driven more than one gardener to the brink of despair: there’s nothing like
page after page of botanical perfection to induce those painful feelings of
yard envy. If you’re plagued by the notion that your Echinaceas are
icky and suspect that several foundation yews are plotting a hostile takeover,
it may be time to seek professional help of the horticultural kind.
The phrase “living too close to the problem” has a
very literal application in the realm of residential landscaping. Frustrations
with real or perceived flaws in one’s personal environment can assume epic
proportions when viewed on a daily basis. Hiring a landscape architect or designer
gives homeowners access to an objective eye, one
trained to evaluate,
analyze, and modify a site to best address the needs of its inhabitants.
There’s a lot to be
said for the specialized knowledge that these skilled professionals provide.
From solutions to troublesome drainage problems to suggestions for
user-friendly sizes and materials for patios and decks, landscape designers and
architects can
prove to be invaluable resources for the homeowner. If these scenarios apply
to you, a call to a landscape architect or designer may be the beginning of a
beautiful relationship.
New construction and the value of making
a decisive start
The purchase of a
new home is a financial stretch for many people, precluding the possibility of
immediate and extensive landscaping, yet investing in a comprehensive landscape
master plan has long range benefits. A lovely exterior environment provides a
natural frame for every home, tying the structure to the land. With a plan at
hand, homeowners can avoid the costly mistakes caused by impulse plant
purchases. A good design will position the right plant in an appropriate
place, ensuring its successful growth and enduring beauty.
Retooling to update and improve
functionality and curb appeal
Older homes in established
neighborhoods are excellent candidates for landscape revitalization. Planting
schemes from another era tend to “date” a home, and poorly maintained trees and
shrubs detract from the property’s value. Landscape professionals can blend
new elements with existing assets to create a more contemporary whole, and
steer you to modern hybrids. These “second generation” plants have been
engineered to provide improvements in form and disease resistance, reducing
pruning time and
eliminating chemical applications.
Hiring horticultural expertise
If you have
questions about the successful cultivation of specific plants in your area,
landscape professionals will share a wealth of information. Their advice is
based on experience with (and observation of) plants in settings very similar
to yours, and they can direct you to the most reliable performers.
Boarding the perennial bandwagon
Perhaps you’ve contented yourself with a few colorful annuals in years
past, but the gardening bug has bitten, and you’re dying to have a lavish
perennial display. Designers can help you plan the bed of your dreams, guiding
you in the positioning and selection of species that will set your yard
ablaze. From soil preparation through end-of-season housekeeping, your
personal horticultural pro will work within your maintenance parameters to
build a garden you can handle.
Like
designing a home or planning a wedding, creating a residential landscape is an
activity most of us engage in once or twice in a lifetime. Before you call in
a pro, it may be reassuring to know what to anticipate, how the design process
proceeds.
The most
comprehensive service a designer or architect can provide is the creation of a
master plan. These precise drawings detail every element of the exterior residential
environment, and offer the best route to the development of beauty, continuity,
and scale in a residential setting. A completed master plan need not be
fully
implemented in a single growing season, and
a designer can help homeowners prioritize installation to fit a schedule that
is both aesthetically satisfying and economically feasible.
The process begins
with a site visit. A good designer will walk through the property with the
homeowner, asking questions which focus on anticipated use of various areas of
the yard. This preliminary discussion of the site’s requirements may address
screening for privacy, the addition of hardscape features, or the creation of
“outdoor rooms”. The designer will determine the social and recreational uses
of the property, and identify those elements of the existing landscape which
are to be retained. The homeowners will be asked about their degree of
commitment to garden maintenance and whether any special plant preferences must
be accommodated.
Most designers
prefer to work from a plat of survey to ensure accuracy when preparing a master
plan, and the homeowner will be asked to supply a copy of this document. The
plat defines the perimeter of the lot and illustrates the correct placement of
structures on the property. Measuring the locations of existing trees, shrubs,
and hardscape elements is done by the designer as an important first step in
creating a drawing of the site.
Designing
the garden begins in the ground plane with the establishment of bedlines and
the placement of key trees and shrubs. This preliminary work is often reviewed
with the homeowner before any additional plants are specified--if revisions are
necessary, it is more cost-effective to implement them at this point. Once
agreement is reached on a general layout, detailed planting plans are drawn.
The plan is carefully drafted with accurate labeling of every plant variety
used in the design, and a plant list may be prepared. The plant list
delineates both the botanical and common names of each species used, and
suggests appropriate plant forms and sizes required for installation. This
horticultural “shopping list” is an easy-to-use guide for do-it-yourselfers,
and provides a valuable degree of standardization when obtaining quotes from installers.
If your design professional is a
member of a “design only” firm, he can refer you to competent installers in
your area. You may choose to hire your designer to supervise the installation
of the plan, acting as your expert liaison with the landscape contractor.
When your project applies to just a
portion of the yard, the design process moves in much the same way. If the
area is very small, you may be able to measure the space yourself, and bring
those measurements (along with a few photos) to the designer’s office for a
quick sketch. Most designers have a minimum charge for a site visit, and if
your project is small, an in-office design may be more cost-effective.
Designers can also perform as
consultants, offering you on-site time to brainstorm or troubleshoot. Whether
you need an appraisal of the condition of existing trees and
shrubs, a demonstration proper pruning techniques, or just
an experienced eye to
differentiate perennials from weeds, a site visit from a
landscape professional is a good investment.
Date: February 22, 2000
Author: Amy Reynolds
Amy Reynolds is a Landscape
Designer at The Planter’s Palette