"Runyan" wrote in message
om...
I just bought my first home last November. It's old and needs lots of
work. I have just moved to the lawn and garden area of the home. I
have many questions regarding drainage, runoff, retaining walls, grass
type, shrubs, plants (basically everything). I am also a compulsive
do-it-yourselfer. I have been considering two options for a path
forward. 1) Landscape designer or 2) landscape software. I
definitely believe in proper planning before action. Has anyone had
greate success with either of the two above prior to taken action in
their own? If so, how did you select the designer, or the software?

We went with a designer and haven't regretted it. We just didn't have the
same sense of "balance and placement" that they had. We drew up a plan and
when we compared ours to his, ours was not in the same league. Maybe you
have a more creative touch though...

We ended up using one of the designers that work at the local nursery. It
was around $300-$400, but we also got it credited back providing we spent
more than $1000 at the nursery (or some type of crediting "scale" which I
can't remember).