The Power of Partnerships in Landscaping : How valuable is a Garden Designer?
By Bo Cook MAPL MSGD
Some Landscapers have developed good working relationships with Garden Designers and already know the benefits of a strong, trustworthy and loyal collaboration between these two professionals to the success of their projects. However, some of you reading this may never have experienced this type of working relationship, and so I have written this blog post in collaboration with our designer Members of the Association of Professional Landscapers (MAPL) in order to help highlight the benefits to reaching out and connecting with your local Garden Designers.
So, what are the benefits of successful partnerships with designers?
1. The Garden Designer has already done a lot of the hard work! Clients will often contact a designer first to discuss their project. As Rachel Bailey from Rachel Bailey Garden Design Ltd points out "a garden designer brings you a client who is already committed to having their garden built, so cuts out the timewasters. A good designer will also have discussed the budget, managed client expectations and realistically costed the design". Kate Charles from Kate Charles Garden Design agrees, finding her landscapers really appreciate being introduced to clients who are ready to proceed.
The designer will also have promoted you to their client, highlighting your very best qualities - how good your attention to detail might be, your personability, your reliability, and so having already done a lot of the work towards getting client buy-in for you! A good partnership between designer and landscaper is very obvious to a client - "I can see that you and [Simon] clearly have a good working relationship so I am happy to proceed with him as my landscaper" was a demonstration of trust from one of my own clients - and we are now working as his dedicated team on his second home.
2. Helping the Quote Stage and Reducing Creep thus making your time spent quoting and building so much more efficient! Kate Charles shared these direct quotes from two of her landscapers :
- 'Having the Landscaper's Pack to refer to saved me a week onsite. We knew exactly what we were doing (for the quote), and everyone was on the same page.'
- 'Your Landscapers Packs are always detailed and helpful. It means we can put together the quote quickly, and there's no guesswork.'
Without a strict and defined set of plans and specifications signed off by the client, your time on site can be impacted. As Hannah Philips from HP Design highlights there is a "Reduced likelihood of scope creep / client-led changes once build is in progress." And if this starts, the landscaper refers the client back to us as the designer to help manage the situation.
Having project creep during the build shouldn't automatically be seen as simply resulting in more cash in the bank, but actually as often meaning a frustrated later client having their start date pushed further into the future, or as a disgruntled existing client wondering why you have abandoned site to start the next project on time. Having the designer oversee the build is also important because Clients appreciate the continuity of our presence, while we are also able to manage their expectations on the landscaper's behalf. This all goes towards a seamless experience for all involved, but most critically, our clients.
3. Troubleshooting! There are always issues on a job, be that a buried drain, a challenging neighbour, or an issue with any number of materials / finishes etc., and if you have a Designer working alongside you, you have back up, you have support, you have someone who can come up with a design solution or take the issue away and deal with it for you. While the designer is contracted directly by the client and so ultimately works for them, they are also primarily there to support the project as a whole so will be on hand to help with any issue on site. We are all wanting the best outcome for a happy client!
Hannah Philips writes that designers are there to "Assist with Client management. Should issues arise within the scope of the design/build, it allows for a professional, independent third party (who has the interest in a good outcome for all involved) to provide counsel." She goes on, "and where a site presents an issue where the solution requires technical and creative input, 2 heads are better than one".
4. Regulatory Compliance: Let's face it, no one likes paperwork, and as Dan Hartley from Dan Hartley Gardens highlights "Dealing with local regulations can be a complex task. Garden designers can help ensure that your projects comply with necessary regulations and deal with all manner of issues surrounding conservation areas, listed structures or buildings, TPOs, and other aspects requiring planning or approval. This minimises the risk of delays or legal issues, keeping your projects on track".
5. They can provide you with some inspiring portfolio projects for your website and other advertising outlets. Designers have the skills in spatial design and a real attention to design detail. They can create some truly brilliant designs that can provide you with some really interesting build challenges. Furthermore, as Rachel Bailey told us, "working with a designer offers the opportunity for expanding your portfolio and gaining experience working with different materials and more sustainable techniques".
Designers are continuously exploring and experimenting with materials, details and installation methods, thus keeping things really interesting! Every day is a school day right? While a landscaper may have an eye for design, a qualified experienced garden designer can raise the scope of the build to the next level, while also freeing you up to focus on the quotes and managing the builds. "It meant we had something really great to go in our portfolio" was some feedback received by Kate Charles.
It may sound cliché, but teamwork really does make the dreamwork, and the difference that a brilliant working relationship between designer and landscaper can bring to the client is priceless.
A comment from Designer Ian McBain ends this blog perfectly - "Many of the best gardens are a result of a really successful collaboration between the client, a designer and a landscaper". And let's all aim for the best!
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