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Ecological landscaping for the 21st century
hiring a garden designer
No doubt, planning a landscape takes a lot of preparation and skill. If you want to partner with a professional designer, here is a little homework that will streamline your first conversation with them:
Know your intentions for using your property so you can convey that easily to your designer
Identify what you consider the problems and advantages of your land and why you think so
Have a budget. Whether you have $2000 or $200,000, let your designer know right away what you will spend. A sound plan is worth the work and expense. A designer can offer a fresh eye, expertise and creative solutions. Any carefully planned project can be completed in phases, which dovetails nicely with the thoughtful ways of permaculture design
Look through plant databases and library books, noting shapes and colors you are attracted to. Show your designer pictures of gardens you don't like as well as those you do
Notice the colors you wear and decorate with; choose your favorite three
Have a list of food you'd like to grow, if any
Provide a copy of your plot map or any other architectural property drawings if you have them, to aid in preparing a base sheet
Most designers will ask you to fill out a lengthy questionnaire to use as a design reference. Be as forthcoming and thorough as possible. This information is very helpful and is always held in strict confidence.
new urban gardens services and design process
Once I have received your questionnaire and talked with you on the phone, we will schedule a meeting for a short (2 hours or less) paid consultation. During this time you may freely pick my brain for information and I will give you suggestions about how to manage your yard. You will also receive a packet of regional information based on your zip code.
If we are both inspired and decide to proceed further I will draw up a contract outlining the terms and cost of my design work for your project which you return to me with a 50% deposit. Its scope and the distance I travel to you will determine the cost of your design. Once the plans are finished you get to keep them. You will need them to get estimates from contractors or other trades people you wish to work with. Permaculture-based gardens are best realized over the long term. After the basic plan has been delivered, I like to work with people on an hourly consulting basis as a sort of midwife to the process. You may need a consultation on plant placement, composting or regular water management checkups, or if I am planning any artwork for your garden.
services:
permaculture design, container garden design and general design consultation
accurate base map (CAD) preparation with regional data
soil sampling and arrangements for testing
water management consultation
garden artwork
Contact me through this form to find out more about a design for you. You will receive an auto-response, then an e-mail promptly from me:
biography
I grew up in Arkansas and went to Hendrix College there, where I majored in art and continued my lifelong interest in botany. Later I went to art school in Arizona and made sculpture from found and recycled materials. Here in California I completed a permaculture design course at Occidental Arts and Ecology Center. Trained in the basics of horticulture design at Foothill College, I continue my education by attending seminars concerning ecological landscape information. I passed the California Landscape Contractors Association Water Management Test. I belong to the California Native Plant Society, the Ecological Landscaping Association and ELA California.
Best regards,
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