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?

Thanks,
Brian

"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?

Thanks,
Brian

Brian...try posting over in rec.gardens.

ms

Landscape software and be "checked out" at some public or college libraries.

Designers that I've had experience with, seem to be less intrerested in the
design and more interested in placing plants in the ground.
I had one come out, ask me what plants I liked, showed me pictures, and then
proposed that he bring out a whole lot of those types and place them in the
beds. Then the plan was for me to look it over, say add some here, take
some out there. Then he would estimate what to charge me. I didn't use
him.

~rd

"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?

Thanks,
Brian

"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?

Thanks,
Brian

The software will be unable to consider site conditions and determine what
plants would do best in a particular location. It will allow you to draw a
depiction. You must have the general layout in your mind before you start.

You might be better off to get a Designer to do a master plan for you. They
will visit the site and the come up with a plan that can be implemented in
stages as time and money permit. Many of the local nursery places (here)
charge a minimal fee of which all or a portion is applied to any purchases
you make. Once you have a master bed layout you can spend days or weeks
figuring out which plant you want to plant where and to what effect. Once
you see it done by a pro, you should grasp the basic concepts. We paid
once, spent a lot of time chatting, bought enough plants from that company
to make it a fair transaction for all and then did the next stages with
plants from a cheaper source.

When we moved to a new house we did our own site plan based on the previous
experience.

Colbyt

"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?

Thanks,
Brian

I hired a professional landscape designer when I moved into my home 6 years
ago. It was expensive, but worth it. The plan included design of the lawn,
shrub, and bedding areas; drainage around the house; a sprinkler system
integrated with the proposed and existing plantings; and a considerable
amount of "soil shifting" around the house, together with construction of a
retaining wall at one side. The plan was plotted to scale on drafting
paper. The original plan was going to involve far too much expense, and
they worked with me to eliminate some features and reduce others. We had
several sessions in which I described the general type of layout that I
envisioned. They worked around those ideas and made many suggestions of
their own. The final result was gorgeous. It is not the type of thing I
could have obtained from computer software or from simply talking to people
in garden centers. I already had a considerable amount of gardening
experience, so I had a lot of ideas -- but the design element became very
important and was not something that I could have done by myself. I added
flagstone walkways and patios a couple of years later, and I used the same
landscape company.

The landscape company/design group I used is a fairly small local company.
I selected them based on word of mouth, looking at properties they had
designed and planted, and telephone calls to references. I also wanted a
company that could integrate all of the elements I described (design,
planting, drainage, sprinkler system). There are not many companies in this
area that can do that. Their designer is a master gardener with a degree in
horticulture. Their price was based on: (1) the original, detailed plan,
including specifications for materials, plants, and labor; (2) I could pay
for the plan itself, or that price would be deducted from my total price if
I used them for the actual landscaping; this could be done on a
proportionate basis if I chose to use them for only part of the plan.
Incidentally, the preliminary plan was reworked (and plotted on graph paper)
several times before I accepted the final version.

MaryL

"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).

Runyan wrote:

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?

Thanks,
Brian

Brian, there is simply no software on the market that will cover all that
you need. You might be able to come with a spatial layout, even some plant
selection, but certainly no software that I am aware of (including
professional LD software) will address issues like grading and drainage.

If you need the assistance, invest in a designer. You can hire them on a
consultation basis or to help you develop a master plan which you can then
implement yourself. Finding and selecting a qualified designer is much the
same as finding any other professional service - ask at nurseries for
referrals (careful about nurseries that offer design services - sometimes
those are only vehicles to get you to purchase plants and their
"designers" are nothing more than a nursery staffer with no particular
design training), inquire at homes that have obviously professionally done
landscapes or get local referrals from the Association of Professional
Landscape Designers (www.apld.com). Ask for and check references. And make
sure that you and your designer are compatible - this is a pretty close
partnership requiring a great deal of interaction.

pam - gardengal

When we first started to look at doing some landscaping in the backyard, I
ran out and purchased software (Sierra Garden) thinking it would allow me to
design the bedding, and then move the plants around until we got the right
fit.

I spent the better part of a week learning the software, dealing with the
bugs, and finding all the limitations the software had. Could never even get
our property lines properly inputted in the program as our lines are far
from rectangular or perfectly triangular, something the program couldn't
deal with.

In the end, I pulled out a sheet of 11x17 graph paper, and sketched our
design on paper, then photocopied many copies so that we could play with the
placement of the plants.

Then we had one of our good local nurseries send in a consultant to help us
understand what plants may be best suited for the type of soil and location
of the beds in our backyard, and to quote us for them to do all the work.
Cost us $75 for the rough draft of a plan, and we got that money back when
we purchased a whole whack of trees and shrubs from them.

We took the consultant's ideas, incorporated our own, and did the work
ourselves, saving $4,000 in labour, and providing hours and hours of fun
(and lot's of hard work!)

Wouldn't do it any other way now.


"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?

Thanks,
Brian

I would suggest you wait until next year. This will give you a chance
to see what is already there, and to note any problems. Once you know
what you have, then you can decide what to keep. I have one tree, for
example, that is mediocre in the spring and summer, but is beautiful in
the fall; the only way to find out what you have is to give it a chance
to bloom.

Runyan wrote:
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?

Thanks,
Brian


--
SPAMBLOCK NOTICE! To reply to me, delete the h from apkh.net, if it is
there.

William Brown thoughtfully penned:
I would suggest you wait until next year. This will give you a chance
to see what is already there, and to note any problems. Once you know
what you have, then you can decide what to keep. I have one tree, for
example, that is mediocre in the spring and summer, but is beautiful
in the fall; the only way to find out what you have is to give it a
chance to bloom.



I stongly second this advice: wait one full year of growth and cycle so you
can see what you have, when it blooms, sun and shade patterns etc.

penny s

Runyan wrote:

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?

Thanks,
Brian


I've plunked around with software freebies, with no satisfaction at all.
A flat plant on a computer screen tells me nothing about how the plant
will grow or look in my yard. A landscape designer? High end,
satisfaction for him/her but not for me ) A dedicated DIYer? Implies
you have the time, and are willing to put effort into your yard. For
me, there is great satisfaction and enjoyment in doing my own gardening
- when I don't like a plant in one spot, I yank it out and put it
somewhere else. I'd start with a walk around the neighborhood, chat it
up with folks whose yards you like. Dedicated gardeners will often give
or trade plants, give tips, etc. A garden club would be another place
to get ideas, advice and more plants, in addition to some practice in
gardening.

I would begin by considering what you want to keep, what you want to
remove, building healthy soil, removing overgrown or unwanted
plants/trees. If you have mature trees, get them pruned and opened up
so they remain healthy and allow growth beneath. Have soil tested,
amend if it is seriously deficient and treat any bad pests. This is the
foundation needed to grow anything decently, and it isn't work you want
to do AFTER you have planted a garden. If you have large areas of
shade, plan to have an irrigation system, difficult soil, local pests or
disease problems, they need to be part of your overall plan. Get
familiar with what works and what is needed before you sink any money
into the yard. There are lots of plants that make attractive ground
covers and reduce the maintenance that grass requires. If you have some
beds ready to plant, get a load of horse manure delivered in the fall
so's it is ready to plant in the spring.

I've read loads of gardening magazines and books, but there is nothing
like growing stuff and getting my hands dirty. Your lifestyle has a lot
to do with how you develop your property - need room for a softball game
or for intimate outdoor entertaining? Three big dogs fenced in the yard
or a perfectionist with no tolerance for weeds in the grass?

William Brown wrote:
I would suggest you wait until next year. This will give you a chance
to see what is already there, and to note any problems. Once you know
what you have, then you can decide what to keep. I have one tree, for
example, that is mediocre in the spring and summer, but is beautiful in
the fall; the only way to find out what you have is to give it a chance
to bloom.

I strongly third that advice. I was in your situation last year: first
time homeowner, first-time taking care of a yard, plus new to the area
and not knowing the plants. I didn't even mow for a while, because I
wanted to see what was there. Turns out there were rose and crape myrtle
bushes that had been mowed over by the previous owner's drunken
crackhead lawn guy, and needed time to recover and be beautiful again.
Plus, an entire hedge of nandina that had either gotten the same
treatment or sprouted up from the neighbor's seeds. I was ready to fill
in a hole in the front yard, and it sprouted canna. If I'd been too
quick to slash and burn, I'd be out at the garden center now purchasing
these plants which I would have never known that I'd had.

As a designer, I am somewhat biased, but one problem with software
packages is they group plants by zone. Plants that do well in the
east zone 7 will not necessarilly survive in southwest zone 7. Too
many variables in plant selection alone. A designer ( a good one
anyway) should take as much input as possible from you on desires of
look, colors, etc and use his/her experience, knowledge, and talent to
give you the look you want using what works in your area and your
particular site peculiarities. If you go with a designer, I suggest
that before you meet with one, looking at other landscapes and
magazines and collecting pictures that show the type of look you like,
dont worry so much about plant types, just the look you want. This is
very helpful to a designer in understanding your tastes.

To do it your self, I suggest learning as much about what works in
your area as possible before trying to plan anything out. I can see
the software being helpful if you already have a plant selection based
on your area recommendations, but cant picture how it looks together.
Just dont trust the software plant list. I agree with the previous
poster who said it is quicker and easier to do it by hand, you just
have to be able to picture the plants in your mind. And as others
said, dont be in a hurry, it is too expensive and too much of a long
term investment to rush into.

Good luck,
Bryan