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Is landscape design expensive?

Perhaps you find yourself coming home every day, looking at your landscape and asking yourself; "I wonder if a landscape design would be expensive?"

You wouldn't be alone in this, in fact, as I drive down the busy streets of Hunstville Alabama I seem to have a similar question. Why don't more people have a good landscape design on their home.


Depending on what you do for a living, you might be more open to the mistakes made in the landscape design currently on your house. Design isn't something every one knows or understands. But, I wouldn't be too hard on yourself.


If you find yourself asking if landscape design is expensive, there are a few things you should think about.


First, not all landscape designers are created equal. When searching for one, you will find some who all they do is design. In other words, they have no part in the installation process, they simply draw up a plan, and you can have it installed. Although this may sound like a great thing, these designers can often be out of touch with the reality of plant installation. They select plants which they have heard do a certain thing, or grow a certain way. However, in the real world these plants can be aggressive, or taller they they imagined.

Bottom line for this is, make sure the landscape designer you hire understands the installation world as well as design.


Second, landscape designers often forget utility, and practical use of your design. In other words, they forget you have to have a place for your trash cans, or they plant shrubs where you normally would walk. It's an easy thing for them to overlook, but if it's not addressed you can end up paying to have things installed you don't need, and then needing to pay to have them moved.


Lastly, be careful of landscape architects, all though there are many really great architects out there. They can often be a little to high on themselves. (I mean this in the best of ways of course.) In other words, because of their education they can be hung up on certain plants, trees, or shrubs which they feel would be best. Despite the fact, you might not like them. It can be difficult to tell them you'd like something a little bit more green, because they are really proud of their designs. It's important for any landscape designer or architect to remain a student regardless of their education.


No that we've covered all of that, let's talk about the cost.


A landscape architect can cost anywhere from a hundred and fifty to two hundred and fifty dollars an hour to draw up a plan.


An average landscape designer working from a home office, can usually put together a landscape design for about three hundred dollars.


As far as White Shovel goes, our landscape designers work to create a landscape design for you at no charge. Their goal is to design something which fits your lifestyle, and taste. This takes time and energy. But we want to create something that will bring quality to your life. We wish to address all the aspects of design and the practical, while creating something beautiful.


Often, you may choose to install the landscape yourself. Our easy to install plans can help with that. You can purchase a copy of the landscape design for around three hundred, depending on what size project that's created.


If your unsure if your landscape needs an update or not, you may need to have a brainstorming meeting with a landscape designer. An idea session might be just what you need to find out what things you need to keep, and what you should get rid of.


As always, our idea sessions are free of charge, and extremely helpful.


I hope this has helped, be sure to review some of the other helpful articles posted here in the learning center.




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