Garden designers perform a variety of functions. They can act as consultants, discussing your wants and needs and determining how best to fulfill them. They may create drawings or computer-generated renderings. They can help design hardscaping and other structures. They will do research on what plants are best for your garden or how to address a specific issue. Some garden designers maintain their own greenhouse or garden with plants, some work with wholesalers, and some buy plants at retail nurseries: All these factors will also affect the pricing of the project.
Garden designers may or may not be comfortable with offering horticultural advice: Some are trained as landscape designers, some as garden designers, and some as Master Gardeners, while some have all of these qualifications and more. To get a sense of their range and specialties, ask them before you hire them. Most professionals are happy to help you find someone else if they’re not the right person for your project.
If you have a complex project in mind, you may want to hire a landscape architect. These professionals are trained in planning and designing large-scale work, such as digging a large water feature, installing a retaining wall, or creating built-in features like tiered beds or stone walkways. They will determine the need for additional labor to install the design and give you the cost estimate upfront. Typically landscape architects cost $25 to over $150 per hour.
