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  Sarah Russell November 2, 2010 at 8:39pm

  I generally only produce designs, and then suggest several local landscapers for the client to get a quote for the job. I have occasionally project managed, which is more lucrative, but on the whole I prefer the regular flow of garden maintenance to provide my main income and consider the designs an extra. I would struggle to make the design side of the business provide a regular income, and I found the design and build approach very stressful and time consuming for little gain.
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  Luciana Cordery November 3, 2010 at 9:29am

  Thank you guys, I appreciate everything you said, so my main target from now on is to find a good landscaper(s) to work in conjunction with. But you made me think even deeper, maybe I'm not advertising properly. Website, google adwords, btcustomerstreet, signs on my car, had done almost nothing for me, everything I get is from word of mouth. Maybe I should advertise more on wealthy areas...
  Do you advertise or just go with the word of mouth?
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  Keith Barker November 3, 2010 at 2:00pm

  Hi Luciana,
  
  You can make money from design only, it's just a question of how much do you want to make?
  
  Although we offer a design only service the vast majority of our customers do not want the bother of tendering out and managing their garden build; they want us to manage the whole process. So finding a landscaper you can work with is a must. We were very lucky in finding two very good builders/landscapers which allows us to offer our service in a 25-30 mile radius of our base.
  
  I would say, though, that the landscaping portion of our projects is much more lucrative than the design portion. If we were to give up landscaping tomorrow and concentrate exclusively on design, we would have to do a LOT more design work. Given the way the economy looks, I'm not sure there is enough demand to make that work.
• PRO

  Gary RK November 3, 2010 at 3:33pm

  It's intersting to read the above comments. It may help explain why I've been contacted several times over the past few months by Designers either looking for client's with possible needs or to make an 'alliance'.
  
  Maybe that indicates the design side is seeing a downturn ?
  
  I'm not going to tar all designers here, but a few I've dealt with have treated contractors with a level of contempt as they believe their profession is way above the humble landscape contractor (have to say it normally when they have no real life landscaping experience.......).
  
  So, perhaps the upside is the realisation that we all need to work together on a professional, sound footing.
  
  That way everyone wins and no 'them and us' anymore ?
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  Claire Brown November 3, 2010 at 4:23pm

  i'd look at it from another point of view, - do you really only want to design?, - not see it through to a finished product and keep a relationship with the client so that you can keep going back and see how it develops. (and get way after photos)- That's how I learn and improve on all my designs, seeing how the plants mould together, seeing which thrive and which just survive, seeing where features still look great x years down the line.
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  Luciana Cordery November 3, 2010 at 4:46pm

  I guess you are right, I do want to be involved in the whole process. What I want to reduce is the days I spend in the rain or freezing ( I don't mind the heat though!) when I have to build a decking or put up a fence or lay turf or whatever jobs I have to do... I've been working with a gardener/ handyman for many years and he will move somewhere else next year, so I'm thinking what the options are...
  
  
  Claire Brown said:

  i'd look at it from another point of view, - do you really only want to design?, - not see it through to a finished product and keep a relationship with the client so that you can keep going back and see how it develops. (and get way after photos)- That's how I learn and improve on all my designs, seeing how the plants mould together, seeing which thrive and which just survive, seeing where features still look great x years down the line.
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  Luciana Cordery November 3, 2010 at 4:58pm

  Yes, I guess it happens when the designer is not "hands on" or doesn't have experience building the designs, but there is another kind of designers (including me) that uses all the opportunities to learn with the landscapers/ contractors, in order to produce feasible designs and not impossible designs... And the other thing is, I think it takes more knowledge to build a garden than to design one...
  
  
  Gary RK said:

  It's intersting to read the above comments. It may help explain why I've been contacted several times over the past few months by Designers either looking for client's with possible needs or to make an 'alliance'.
  
  Maybe that indicates the design side is seeing a downturn ?
  
  I'm not going to tar all designers here, but a few I've dealt with have treated contractors with a level of contempt as they believe their profession is way above the humble landscape contractor (have to say it normally when they have no real life landscaping experience.......).
  
  So, perhaps the upside is the realisation that we all need to work together on a professional, sound footing.
  
  That way everyone wins and no 'them and us' anymore ?
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  Lawncare-4u.co.uk December 7, 2010 at 1:10am

  Peter ,
  
  did you used to live nr Woore ? i have a picture of a pond in my mind.............
  
  Peter Ward said:

  Its what i've observed thus far Gaynor, as soon i'm proved wrong ill recant my 'generalistic view' :) Don't take it too personally, there's plenty of idiots like me on here making the forums interesting, lol.
  peter
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  Yorkshire Garden Design December 7, 2010 at 11:04am

  It's been really useful following this thread, thanks to everyone for posting such useful information. I myself have worked with my father on the landscaping side whilst studying as an architect and saw an increasing need for a more rigorous design process - but then the recession has hit quite hard and now we're finding it hard to convince people of the need for design.
  
  I still work as an architect as well and have found that combining these skills with landscape knowledge has enabled for some interesting hybrid projects involving extensions and remodelled gardens - I'd be interested to know if anybody else incorporates similar projects?