Last month, I encouraged you to consider adding commercial seasonal displays to your repertoire. They provide a steady revenue stream and an opportunity to showcase your creativity.
I shared with you an example of a 45-mph landscape—one that’s meant to viewed from a distance. I pointed…
by Vanessa Gardner Nagel, APLD, NCIDQ
www.SeasonsGardenDesign.com
author of Understanding Garden Design
Whenever I have an opportunity to see amazing gardens I think how delightful it is that I belong to a group of landscape design professionals with whom I can share my view of the gardens. This week my travels took me to Victoria, the Butchart Gardens, and the Abkhazi Garden.
It’s been at least 11 years since I’ve visited the Butchart Gardens. My last trip was in late summer and our views were primarily of large swathes of vividly colored annuals, not dissimilar to Longwood Gardens. However, each year at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show I was seeing that their interest was beginning to lean towards more perennials, so my visit this week anticipated some big changes. I was also told about the Abkhazi Garden by a fellow gardener in the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon, who has a marvelous garden herself. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to see one more garden while we visitedVictoria.
Our first stop took us to the Butchart Gardens, about 20 minutes north ofVictoria. The tulips were in bloom adding to the glory of the rhododendrons and azaleas that were also blooming. Adjacent to the sunken garden (which is probably the most famous part of the entire garden) there appears to be a new bog garden. It contained many new plants, that in 2-3 years will fill in, but the largest plants were native skunk cabbage. They were not yet in bloom but the leaves appeared to be at least 30 inches tall! There was also a lovely perennial border on one side of the sunken garden, but many of the perennials were still coming up. The theme of annual or bulb color still predominated. While it was certainly an amazing site, I prefer less dependence on annual color. One area, a courtyard with bulbs and fountain, turned me off. The curbs surrounding the water fountain were all painted white. I think the intention was to integrate more white into the garden to tie the arbor to the garden, but the white curbs positively glared! One other issue that glared – the lighting. There were so many fixtures and too many of them were large lights looming above the flowers inside the flower beds. It seems to be they could achieve high-quality results with less obtrusive fixtures.
above: the sunken garden; below: drifts of tulips
above: glaring white curbs; below: entirely too well seen light fixtures
The next day we visited the Abkhazi Garden which is closer to downtown Victoria. A private garden of about one acre (in comparison to the 55 acres of the Butchart), it was rescued by The Garden Conservancy in a period of four days from a developer’s destruction equipment. This was a labor of love on a site of solid granite. Huge masses of granite outcrop unified the garden which was planted in soil between the rocks. This is a plant lover’s garden. There is no grand entry; in fact the entry was obscure and could have been more generous and easier to identify. Enormous old rhododendrons created a canopy under which many ferns, hostas, mayapples, and other shade tolerant perennials thrived. Well-sited conifers acted as accent points at the end of a path or a bend in a flower border. Deciduous azaleas were in bloom and their outrageous colors were everywhere, unifying the garden. A pond garden was graced by ducks and turtles sunning on rocks. Very mature trees acted as the overall structure of the garden. I loved the use of bulbs, too. Planted more as Mother Nature might have planted them, it held more charm than the massed bulb planting at the Butchart. I know there are those people that love huge masses of bulbs and it’s not that I don’t enjoy it. I just think the addition of smaller drifts of bulbs to great plant combinations much more appealing.
above: clever use of tree peony structure to support tall stems of Angelica gigas
below: clever plantings among the granite outcrops
A recent evolution of an idea that spanned approximately three hours. This was a fun and fast exchange between Maffei Landscape Design and the architect of the project. We batted the ideas around via email for a quick presentation to the client.
I just returned from an amazing bus tour organized by the APLD Phoenix district….and I am still dreaming of all the stunning sites. I thought I would share some of the images that I found inspiring. Our first stop was in Palm Springs for a tour of the newly opened Sunnylands gardens. We visited the modern gardens on this trip. I will definitely be back for the tour of the original home and grounds.
We then carried on to Pasadena and hit the Huntington Gardens for two days. The real treat was the three hours that the Director of the Gardens spent with us…discussing all the thought behind preservation decisions and the history of the gardens. We also were able to enter the garden before the general public both days…and were able to truly take in the beauty and serenity of the space. This will be a trip I will never forget! Thank you APLD for bringing these experiences into my life! We are already planning the bus tour for next year!
Nobody does Greek Revival better than the south. The Old State House in Little Rock where I am today.
As we design, install, revise and repair dozens of irrigation systems annually, I am often asked by potential clients about irrigation. “How many zones do I need” or “What will the system cost” are among many of the questions asked.
If you ever have trouble determining irrigation needs or want a quick estimate, here is a simple way to determine the number of valves and your client’s corresponding investment for installation.
Let’s ignore drip and micropspray layouts at this point in order to simplify. (See my past DonD - ‘Drip is a Drag’ post for a discussion of drip irrigation).
We are talking about spray zones here. If you know the number of irrigation zones/valves, you can get a rough approximation of retail installed pricing. So, on a traditional single-family residential lot, how many zones do you need for any given area?
First, think in terms of big vs. small areas. Small be areas are generally served by small pop-ups (think Rainbird 1800’s). Large lawn or bed areas might be served by rotor type heads. Pop-up spray heads may have a spray radius of approximately 12 feet, rotors approximately 40 feet.
(Image from S&S Sprinklers)
A simple way to determine valve/zones is to place pop-ups at about 12 feet on center, rotors – 40 ft on center and…simply count heads. You will get 8 to 12 pop-ups or 6 to 8 rotors per zone with average residential 60psi water pressure. This of course varies with corresponding pipe size, length and topography, etc. but we are really generalizing here.
Treat the point of connection (POC) and clock assembly as an additional “zone” with regard to cost. Starting at the water meter, the POC is typically a backflow preventer, check valve, the mainline run to the first valve and perhaps a rain sensor.
Consider $800-1500+ per zone installed…
Voila! Add it all up. a 3 zone system? ….$2400 to $4500 installed. That’s the irrigation.
Yes, naysayers will say “What about PSI?, feet-of-head? Pipe size? Yada-yada. Forget all that. We are just offering up quick numbers here. If you have to have all the calculations figured out, be my guest. But I would pre-qualify my client first by making sure that they can really invest in an irrigation system.
Finally, be sure that you can “talk technology” with your client. You should be versed in the latest water saving products, from wireless rain sensors to modular clock technology. Be sure to order some manufacturer’s catalogs and ask if they can provide simple brochures. They are typically free and you can offer them as a handout to your clients….hey – you ARE professional!
Here are some links:
http://www.hunterindustries.com/
http://www.toro.com/en-us/irrigation/pages/default.aspx
Best to ya –
Alan Burke, asla
Landscape architect
Classic Nursery & Landscape Company
alan@classicnursery.com
I cut my teeth as a designer on commercial seasonal displays—you know, those gardens designed to impress for a single growing season, from spring’s last frost to the hard bite of fall. In the Midwest it’s common to install display beds around corporate signage and in containers clustered at a…
Vanessa Gardner Nagel, APLD, NCIDQ
Author of Understanding Garden Design
WWW.SEASONSGARDENDESIGN.COM
A ceramic mosaic becomes the primary focal point in this garden.
February outside in Seattle is drizzly, cold winter, but indoors at the Washington Convention Center spring was in the air. Literally. The minute you walked in the door the fragrance of Sarcococca flowers wafted under your nose.
The second largest garden show in the country, The Northwest Flower and Garden show is a feast for winter weary Pacific Northwesters and so many visitors from beyond. In addition to all of the fabulous seminars and the plant and garden marketplace, the big stars of this show are the amazing gardens constructed in one week – but planned for months ahead of time. APLD Washington is just one of those garden creators, but there are a number of other local organizations that also contribute design inspiration.
Plants, outdoor furniture, hardscape, garden art, even outdoor leather were on display as inspiration for gardeners and those wishing for a garden. So without further adieu, enjoy a few inspirational photos from the show!
Repetition of form in a garden creates cohesiveness.
Outdoor leather on this sofa is completely weather-proof.
By Jane Berger, APLD
www.gardendesignonline.com
@Gdndesignonline
On rainy days or in the dead of winter, I often sign on to the photo archive at the Smithsonian Institution’s Archives of American Gardens. There are literally thousands of photos … of gardens all over the country … garden furniture, garden styles, horticultural artifacts, and much more. Many of these are glass slides dating back decades, but others are more contemporary, and each one offers something very special. Many of these gardens are long gone, but they’re accessible forever, and designers always learn from past masters.
Poke around in the archive … it’s useful both for designers and clients who are looking for a specific style, specific kinds of gardens, fountains, terraces, benches, urns, trellises, furniture, you name it and you’ll find it there.
Photos: Smithsonian Archives of American Gardens
Your design package, that is. Landscape designers can get really creative with what they can offer a client, from drawings and plans, to estimates, catalogs, samples and continued consulting. In this competitive market, what you offer to your clients will say a lot about how you approach design. I tell clients that they might talk to a “designer” that hops out of the back of a truck and slaps out a free sketch on the back of a napkin or they might make an appointment with a ‘cape & beret’ designer that presents a lot of lofty concepts with paint and pastels at $150 an hour.
Which is the better way to go? Well, both or neither, really. The fact is, a client can get a great design on the back of a napkin and might be able to build an award-winning outdoor environment simply by pointing and guessing. You can also meticulously cross all your T’s to build a project that is over budget and still underperforms. In the end, there is no “rule” about the right creative process. Nevertheless, potential clients have to have a place to hang their hat, to make quality choices and start on a process that is creative, methodical and most importantly, on-budget. That’s why I recommend that my potential clients hire, (in order): me, followed by good designers that I know, APLD designers, ASLA designers and finally - state landscape association contractor or designer referrals.
I had the rewarding and fun opportunity of presenting seminars to APLD members last year on the subject of budgeting and no single issue raised as much of a ruckus as the segment about design fees. I have a firm opinion about it, let’s say. And I do suspect that many of you are charging too high an hourly rate - while keeping your fees at a certain competitive level. In turn, you are not charging as much as you need to for travel, meetings, concept time, mapping or printing. Maybe I’m wrong, but methinks not.
You see, as a landscape architect and design/build contractor, I am in the unique position of preparing my own plans and bidding work for installation from other designers as well. As part of this effort, I commonly discover how the outside designers work was presented, what the client invested and how they feel about the design investment and process. Sometimes it’s very professional and they are quite happy. Most times though, not so much.
Sure, a potential client can reasonably be assured of a professional design from an APLD member. But I would submit that, taken overall - the quality, pricing and presentation of our design packages can vary greatly. Is this a problem? What about this issue? Is it the 800lb gorilla in the APLD room…the red-headed stepchild of landscape design? I would suggest that your willingness to present an equitable fee arrangement and ability to present a comprehensive design goes to the heart of your own company’s success. it also informs the thinking behind the ever-present national contractor/designer rift. But that’s another story altogether.
So let’s sift through our design packages and, if you’re up for it – followup with your own response so that we can share how we work…
Types of designs: there are a wide variety of ways to present your work, from sketches, to plans in cad or by hand, renderings, diagrams, elevations, axonometric views and sketch-up scenarios to name a few. In addition, designers might present their own portfolios, color boards, catalogs, samples or magazine clippings or digitally, manufacturer links, Tumblr, Pinterest or One-note catalog pages. Here at classicnursery.com, we typically meet hundreds of potential clients a year, (less so in recent years, but that’s picking up again). In doing so, we often present a design contract as part of a proposal, perhaps at one out of five meetings. These vary as to investment level, but all will typically include:
1. The initial complimentary meeting. This is a plan presentation meeting, usually up to 2 hours with plan discussion, laptop estimating and a discussion of “what-if” scenarios. We may also bring sample materials.
2. A cad drawn scaled plan that shows the entire property with existing botanicals and site features.
3. On the plan above, a clear description of the new design with a plant pallet, but in our case, no notations of quantity or size. We do this because we want to refer specifics on an attached and flexible attached proposal.
4. A color, logo-stamped folder that contains the following:
a. A reduced 11x17 PDF’s of the plan.
b. An estimate / proposal to build the work as well as a ‘phase one’ on budget proposal if appropriate.
c. Necessary plant and/or manufacturer material catalogs.
5. In addition, we offer a single followup revised and re-estimated plan/proposal that will be provided after client comment later.
This requires a signature on a mutual design agreement, a 50% deposit and represents what the client wants, we think. Creative ideas, pragmatic budgeting and real material choices, reflecting their site, topography, access issues, architectural integration and stated and implied uses. Most critically, the proposal for installation is tunkey and within 10% of budget in most cases.
That noted, what’s in YOUR package. Tell us!
Types of charges: Designers are all over the map regarding how they charge for their services. The most common charges are based upon:
1. An hourly rate. This should have a contracted “not to exceed” number or I recommend that clients not hire this way. If so, it should include a defined list of deliverables and duties that the designer will perform.
2. A lump sum. This may be derived from an estimated number of hours at an hourly rate and may also include materials, printing, mobilization and other anticipated expenses.
3. A “cost of construction - plus percentage”. This to me is the least professional way to go, as it is usually open-ended and can reward the designer for cost over-runs. I would suggest that potential clients run from a designer that suggests working this way.
Determining the design investment. So how does your client assess value and how do you then estimate the investment in design? There are a number of items to consider, from distance traveled, to site, to design elements and the all-important (and too often overlooked) issue of client personality, (or lack therof). For me, and importantly in advance of noting to the potential client what I am asking that they pay for design, I tell them that fees should not exceed 5-10% of the projects installed value. This gives the client a metric that their design investment should always stay within.
So to recap, (this is from my loose notes at the APLD seminar):
Always offer competitive value, cover two way travel & if you can, one revision. Be timely, smart and do what you say you will do.
Use a contract that indemnifies you, defines the scope of your work, what the client is paying and what happens if the client does not pay in a timely manner.
Define what you are providing. Design packages can include: Plans, details, specifications, estimates and revisions. Your plan should also include your company name, a title, scale, orientation, project notes and general disclaimers.
Consider the issues of site, project and client complexity.
Solve for yourself the “hourly rate conundrum”. $80/hr = $160K annually. 10Hrs@$80 = 20Hrs@$40.
Know “who/what/when/where & how” you’ll bid before you meet. Research who you’ll be meeting, what you’ll be designing & bidding, when it’s needed & how you’ll get it done.
Think of “Who/What /When /Where/How”
a. Who designs?
Homeowner/designer rapport. Research and know your client and the site.
Designer/designer bidding Understand other designers position vis a vis client.
Designer/contractor relationship Research your contractor to ensure reliability.
Contractor/subcontractor hierarchy Know the subcontractors as well as contractors.
b. What are we designing?
Design bids By hour/lump sum etc. What’s in your package?
Consulting bids Usually by hour or job %. Reports? Liability?
Permit coordination Use a ‘not to exceed number’ and revision provision.
Installation bids Always supply at least a preliminary bid with the plan.
Revisions and “value-engineering” Know clients investment comfort/ fallback positions.
Maintenance bids Plan by season, bill by month. Have a closure clause
c. When are we designing?
Prior to design Webtools to “know” site and your client in advance.
Internal as part of preliminary design Plan to the budget with your list of elements
As part of design package Pre-estimate concept/determine max. allowances
Ongoing consulting Use minimums and an hourly fee w/a contract.
d. Where are we designing?
At office, on the phone or by email. Use webtools and stay in contact.
At the site meeting Be professional. Give free literature.
At office, post design/ out to bid Fax, scan or email as you go. Have “instant allies”.
On site, from contractor to sub Know subs and their limits and capabilities.
e. How are we designing?
Sketches, to plans in cad or by hand, renderings, diagrams, elevations, axonometric views and sketch-up scenarios to name a few. In addition, designers might present their own portfolios, color boards, catalogs, samples or magazine clippings or digitally, manufacturer links, Tumblr, Pinterest or One-note catalog pages.
Units of measure: Each, Lump sum, HR, CY, SF, FF, LF, TN. Plant size, Hourly rate.
Tools of trade: Scale, measuring wheel, tripod, ruler, tape measure, peashooter, planimeter, toolbelt, rite in the rain paper
Some links regarding our landscape architectural plans & estimates:
http://www.classicnursery.com/_assets/howto_plans.pdf
http://www.classicnursery.com/landscapeDesign.php
http://www.classicnursery.com/samplePlan.php
Best wishes to all of you for a positive and prosperous spring season…
Alan Burke, asla
Landscape architect
Classic Nursery & Landscape Company
Email: alan@classicnursery.com
classicnursery.com
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(Image from http://otisketch.tumblr.com/page/2)
