Do you want to create a stunning outdoor space? If so, you’ll need some professional help bringing your vision to life. However, knowing what services you might need can be challenging.
Many people mistakenly believe that all landscaping roles are the same when in reality they’re not. They might share some responsibilities, but each role requires different skills and experience. In this guide, we’ll look at who’s who in the world of gardening to give you a rough idea of what you need.
Landscaping roles
There are two major roles in landscaping – designing and gardening. What’s the difference between the two?
1. Landscape gardener
A landscape gardener works to transforms an ordinary patch of land into a masterpiece of a garden. They operate the heavy-duty end of the gardening aspect, from planning the structure to the plants that will make up your garden.
Generally, a landscape gardener’s role involves hard landscaping, gardening, defining specific areas of your space, and creating structures such as stunning driveways, patios, decks, and ponds. The job requires a creative and practical mindset and the ability to deliver the expected result. That’s why a landscape gardener can see a design, understand the plan, and execute it correctly the first time.
However, the role of a landscape gardener goes beyond creating a beautiful yet functional garden from scratch. They spend most of their time maintaining or even improving your garden, ensuring it looks its best throughout all four seasons.
When you consult a landscape gardener, they schedule an appointment to talk to you about your vision. This is the time to ask questions and address your gardening concerns. If you’re having a hard time deciding, they can offer their expert opinion on landscaping designs, materials, and plants.
Once you agree on a design, the landscape gardener gives you an estimate before starting the landscaping process. Remember, your quote largely depends on the landscaping products, materials, and features.
For example, expect to pay more for a patio and pond installation and less for a simple garden with plants and shrubs.
2. Landscape designer
Also known as a landscape architect, a landscape designer solely focuses on designs and plans for an outdoor space. They combine their horticultural knowledge and design expertise with technical proficiency to create a well-designed, attractive, and functional garden.
Landscape designers work closely with clients, and they require a thorough brief to plan and design a layout for an outdoor space. For instance, if you cannot keep up with your yard’s maintenance, a designer won’t include features such as ponds in your plan as they’re high maintenance. So, you have to be clear about your goals, needs, and requirements for them to design your dream garden.
Generally, landscape designers have excellent knowledge of ecosystems, plants, climate, and outdoor spaces. Therefore, they can specify planting requirements and the location of walkways, paths, and swimming pools.
Once you contact a landscape designer, they meet you on-site or speak to you remotely to discuss the requirements of your project. After the consultation, the landscape designer draws plans using CAD software to give you an idea of how the end product will look. Normally, this plan specifies the location of different structures and features and can be edited to your liking.
But, don’t be surprised when you take the design to your landscape gardener, and they make some adjustments. Since a landscape designer only draws plans, they tend to focus too much on grabbing your attention using beautiful concepts which may not be entirely practical. Fortunately, some landscape designers liaise with landscape gardeners to ensure the design is functional.
A landscape designer can provide you with a project estimate, but you’ll still have to get one from your landscape gardener.
Which services do you need?
Experts recommend hiring both a landscape designer and gardener to achieve your perfect outdoor space. Their responsibilities are unique, and it’s impossible to replace one with the other. Although paying both can be pricy, it’s worthwhile because they ensure the longevity of your garden.
In contrast, you can solely hire a landscape gardener as some double up as designers, which can save you money. But, never hire a landscape designer to create and develop your outdoor space. They don’t have the expertise and knowledge required for construction work.
Alternatively, you can opt for a landscaping company that offers both services in one. This way, you don’t have to waste time trying to find a gardener and designer separately. The company connects you with a designer first then a landscape gardener to complete your project.
For more information on landscape gardening, please see: https://www.walshlandscaping.co.uk/services/landscape-gardeners-maidenhead-marlow/
