Subject: Re: New Homeowner Needs Advice on Selecting Landscape Designer

From: [email-masked] (Dick Gilman)
Date: Mon, 27 Mar 1995 19:52:48 GMT

Well the big thing is to see existing work that they have done.  If
they beg off on this go somewhere else.  Also do it your selfer's
landscape people references are pretty thin becuase they have to
rely on their customer doing the work,  if they do not do the work
then what can they show you?  

Which is why real landscapers want to do the work they do not want
to rely on you never doing the work or doing it improperly and then
blaming them becuase you did it wrong.  

Listen to what they say as far as vision of plot, what they expect
etc.  Once you have narrowed it down they will come out to your
lot and talk to you about what they can do.  Some may charge a fee
some dont.  Its up to you if you want to pay someone for advice,
just dont ask for specific advise like what should i do with this
bed here, then of course you should pay them for that advise.  
Some can discount the work if they can do it off season, like plan
everything but you cant plant becuase its the middle of
summer/winter.   

Get specific dates and times from them for planning and designing. 
We picked someone who was supposed to do a plan for us last summer
did a rough plan and we haven't heard from her since!!!!

We are going to have the front yard landscaped by a pro and do the
back ourselves.  We want the front to be professional looking and
want to do it right the first time and then spend our time on the
back yard.

As far as software is concerned it is okay, but what it lacks is
vision with someone who has done landscaping they should be
talking about how things are going to look and what you like and
how you feel about plants and your house.  This is difficult to get
from software. 

Good luck.