Did you know anyone can call themselves a Landscape Designer without any credentials or formal education?

As you read through this article you will discover important distinctions between a landscape DESIGNER and a landscape ARCHITECT.

Knowing the difference will save you time, money and aggravation when planning your new yard.

First, as stated above, landscape designers do not have required formal education, which limits their knowledge of fundamental and important areas like:

• Architecture
• Horticulture & Botony
• Ecology
• Soils & Geology
• Structural Engineering

Unlike landscape designers, landscape architects are required to be certified through formal education of the above bullets.

Some may argue, landscape designer’s work on smaller projects than landscape architects, and in many cases this is true… but one thing is for certain…

Landscape Architects ARE Landscape Designers

Landscape Designers ARE NOT Landscape Architects

When your property requires proper drainage, grading, and specifying the right materials, landscape designers are typically not in the same league as a landscape architect.

Would You Hire an Interior Designer to Plan & Build Your House?

One big glaring difference between landscape designers and architects is… landscape architects require licensing in 49 states, including New York, whereas designers are not regulated, nor licensed.

You can liken it to a building or house architect versus an interior designer.

Would you hire a designer to plan and build your house? Neither would I!

Landscape designers usually offer and produce design ideas, landscape plans, planting plans and lighting plans… but conceptual plans and ideas are very different from the actual execution of those plans.

Meaning, ideas on garden structure, hardscape layout and irrigation are critical elements to any landscaping project, and designers are not licensed nor typically trained in these areas.

Landscape designers are normally educated in residential design which focuses on design planning, some plants & shrubs, and hardscape choices.

 

Three Landscape Designer Pitfalls You Want to Avoid

Pitfall One: Often, landscape designers will have others go out to a property and measure the area being worked on. In other words, in most cases, the landscape designer doesn’t even see the property they are drawing up plans for.

Pitfall Two:  Landscape designers are good at drawing plans, but they are not knowledgeable or prepared to implement complex designs with structural engineering and drainage problems. Ultimately, they can't execute a project successfully because they don't understand many of the details one needs to know before the project starts.

Pitfall Three: Some landscaping projects require architectural certification. If you hire a landscape designer they can't work on the project because they are not certified, where architects are.

In the end, like all decision making, arm yourself with reliable information to make an informed decision.

I’m not saying don’t hire a landscape designer, only, you’ll want to take an extra step and learn as much as possible about the designer’s experience, knowledge and credentials.

This simple step in the process will alleviate any unforeseen problems when you’re right in the middle of construction and something goes wrong.