Landscape Design Process and Thinking

If your project is not time sensitive, anytime of the year would be ideal for meeting with one of our designers. Some may ask, “Why do I need to spend all of this time in the designing stage?” In order to provide a sound, sustainable and interesting design, time is needed for different ideas and materials to be explored. This also allows for a more accurate pricing. Pine to Prairie prides itself in the fact that we provide unique and cost effective solutions for all of our client’s projects.

The design is an integral tool in transforming a yard into a functional and beautiful space. A landscape plan becomes a construction document for the homeowner and the landscape foreman. Pine to Prairie provides detailed, to scale plans. The key is “detail”. Some companies will be vague or use broad descriptions of what the design is calling for. You should always ask that the plan be clearly labeled. For example, don’t accept color pallets for the plant material; ask that the specific plants be labeled. Also make sure that the plan is scaled properly so everyone involved can take their own measurements. With this document comes the pre-approval that is necessary to ensure that you are getting what you want. If any revisions to the plan are needed, there is still plenty of time to address changes. A design can incorporate as much or as little of the property as you’d like. Pine to Prairie often suggests that a “Master Design” be provided.

This will deliver an end product that is more unified and that flows from one area to another of the  entire yard  allowing the designer to repeat features like plants and shapes  throughout the space. This doesn’t mean that the entire project needs to be installed all at one time. Which leads to another benefit of a master design in that it can be a document which allows a home owner to phase the installation over a number of years resulting in a beautiful and cohesive landscape. Phased installations are a great way to keep the cost within certain parameters if needed.

How does one find a designer that they are comfortable working with? The connection between a designer and homeowner is one of the most important aspects of the landscaping project. You want to have your needs and wishes for the property to materialize into the landscape that caters to you and your family's maximum benefit. This is accomplished through good communication. A good designer should ask you to do a little homework initially by writing down ideas and finding pictures of projects that emulate your style and taste. Your designer should ask a lot of questions but then be able to stand back and listen to your ideas to provide a design solution that fits your style and property. Pine to Prairie’s design team will give you general concepts, thoughts, and ideas about what can be done with your space at the initial meeting. This will give you confidence that he or she is listening to your needs and is addressing them. The relationship formed between a homeowner and a designer should be long standing. If any problems with the project arise during installation or in years to come you should feel completely comfortable calling on their help. Experience should be a good indicator of ability. Find out as much as you can about the company and the designer at the beginning to get a sense of their capabilities. Pine to Prairie will always discuss our background and qualifications during the first phone conversation. References from past clients can also be provided. These contacts will give you an idea of the caliber of relationships that were formed during the process. If any of this information is not offered or available, keep looking.

One last point to consider is the relationships between landscape companies and their suppliers. Some companies have their own supply business or have a strong relationship with an outside supplier. There may be benefits to the client with these relationships, but there could be a down side as well. For instance; if a company gets a good buy on Arborvitaes the client may receive a better price on Arborvitaes used in the their plan, on the other hand the landscape company may push the designers to use Arborvitaes in their designs which compromises a pure, custom design. A pure design company could still shop for good buys, but yet also create a design that is customized.
Pine to Prairie provides almost three decades of experience and an emphasis on quality that is unmatched. Their designers have a unique ability to manifest a landscape that encompasses a client’s ideas, needs, and dreams by using information gathered at meetings and thorough examination of the site and its elements. We provide unique designs that are beautiful, functional, and specific to each home and home owner. Our designers allow the design to dictate the material selection; we take great pride in the fact that we are pure to the design process and have great relationships with all local suppliers. This allows for custom landscapes that will be beautiful, healthy, and enjoyable for many years to come.