Landscape Architect? Garden Design? Horticulturist?
Which One if Right for YOU?
By Sara Busse, KCMGA
You’ve just moved into a new home. . . or you’ve decided it’s time to “do something about this yard” . . . or you need a new deck/pond/sidewalk/gazebo/whatever. Now, who do you hire to help with the job?
The answer is as varied as the variety of plants listed in your favorite gardening book. It seems that the job at hand dictates the type of specialist you want to hire, but the lines between specialists’ specialties are often blurred. Your best tool is patience and a bit of time to do research into who’s right for you.
First things first, you must prioritize your needs. “Function first, luxury second,” according to landscape designer Beth Loflin of Blooming Designs. “Make sure you meet your basic needs before you start to add the luxury items.” Then you can continue with those “fun” things that make your garden/landscape unique, Loflin added.
There are several factors you must take into consideration before hiring. “When people are looking to hire someone, it helps to look at educational background. A background in landscape architecture helps with soil conservation, drainage, construction and other structural design items,” Loflin explained. Loflin’s degree is in landscape architecture at West Virginia University. Often, however, a horticulturist is recommended for expertise in plant materials.
Tom Vasale, of Tom’s Word, is well-known in our area for his vast knowledge in the varieties and uses of plants. He has a degree in agriculture with a major in horticulture. And he said there are many different “sub-specialties” that an agriculture degree may hold: agronomy, ornamental plants, fruit trees, etc. For example, there are very few “certified” arborists in our area, according to Loflin, and just because someone calls themself an expert doesn’t necessarily mean that they are truly an expert in the field. “Anyone can call themself a ‘designer,’” Loflin added, but different people have different specialties that make them right for certain jobs but not necessarily the best for every job.
“The problem with the different ‘titles’ is that there is only one with a state licensing board -- the West Virginia chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects,” Vasale said. “I belong to a perennial plant organization, and there is an association of professional landscape designers, but they are not as stringent in their guidelines.”
George W. Longenecker, a Professor of Landscape Architecture at West Virginia University and an original member of the state licensing board, said there are several requirements to becoming a licensed landscape architect. “There is a national exam, and we use that test here in West Virginia with an additional West Virginia-specific section,” Professor Longenecker explained. “It’s a three-day exam with several parts. Some states, such as Florida or California, do a section on irrigation, but that’s not pertinent here. Our state portion deals mainly with plant materials for our area.” Before taking the test, however, one must complete two years of professional experience. “There are some things that just can’t be taught in class. These must be learned through experience,” Longenecker said.
Why the stringent requirements for landscape architects? “Some of the things that landscape architects do that garden designers don’t do is deal with issues of public health, safety and welfare,” said Longenecker. They do projects such as state and national parks, subdivision design, school and campus design, including parking and sidewalks. Longenecker admitted that many landscape architects don’t know plants as well as garden designers. “But that’s from other schools besides WVU,” he said with a laugh, as he is extremely interested in plant material and he teaches those courses at WVU. Interestingly, he holds license #1 in West Virginia. “I was on the original licensing board, and between us, I drew the short straw and got to be #1.”
While it is important to take into consideration the educational background of a landscape/garden planner, there are other factors to think about before making a decision. Loflin and Vasale agree that an on-site consultation is extremely important. “In Charleston, if you’re considering hiring someone, you should pay for two or three on-site consultations if you really want to find the right person for your needs,” Vasale explained. “I do a consultation at an hourly rate, and it usually takes two hours to discuss the different aspects of the project. Then, I’ll give a quote for doing a design. The third step is to draw a design, and the fourth stage is a quote for the installation of the design.” Additionally, past work is very important. “The designer should be willing to take the client around to their past sites to show them what they have done, as well as providing names and phone numbers of other clients,” Loflin said. “I also recommend you review projects that are several years old to see how the design holds up -- and look at jobs that may be similar to yours.” But remember, every project is unique, according to Vasale, so you can’t necessarily expect something to work for you that may have worked for someone else.
As with any other profession, titles and licenses aren’t necessarily a guarantee for a good product. “You don’t always get what you pay for,” Vasale warned. Loflin added that it’s good to have a designer who will follow the project through its entirety, whether they provide the installation or not. “The consultation/design is separate, and then you get recommendations for installation from your designer. You are relying on your designer for good recommendations, and that designer should be available to oversee that installation,” she explained. Vasale has his own crew which most of his clients use. He discovered that when he waited on other crews, he was often at the bottom of their priority list, so he put together his own group that is available to him for his jobs. However, he also will do a design and then allow the homeowner to find their own installers or do the work on their own, as well.
While most of the advice here is aimed at home landscape design, there are commercial planners in our area who do projects on a larger scale. But that’s not a hard-and-fast line, either, as Loflin has done commercial designs including work at the State Capitol and Vasale works for the City of Charleston and West Virginia State College. Loflin recommends Environmental Design Group if you want a licensed landscape architect, or TerraCare as well.
Beth Loflin of Blooming Designs can be reached at 344-3158. Tom Vasale of Tom’s Word can be reached at 343-3081. Professor George Longenecker of West Virginia
University’s Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Consumer Sciences, can be reached at (304) 293-4832 ext. 4488. Information is available about the WVU college of Agriculture at www.caf.wvu.edu.