Quite often, people can be seen to be a little resistant to the idea of hiring a garden designer. It's understandable, gardening is a slow, long-term activity, and it can naturally become a satisfyingly personal activity to challenge yourself with. Structuring, planting and maintaining your property is usually carried out in private, and deferring to another's expertise can feel like an intrusion. Though bringing in, a designer can have huge benefits. Professional design is unmatched, and for extensive projects renovating a neglected property or building a new garden altogether, there's nothing like an experienced eye. If you're interested in hiring a designer for your project, there are a few points to consider first. Make a plan. Now, you don't need to do anything extensive. Simply going ahead with a vaguely defined affection for the beach and a desire to see flowers by the fence is more than enough for a designer to springboard off creatively, but there's no harm in exerting a little control. You could create an extensive plan and utilise the designer as a consultant. Decide in advance how you want the creativity to be split, and the entire process should go along far easier. As with most professions, the personal recommendation is king. Any friends or co-workers who've used local designers will be able to tell you their house style, attitude, personality and capabilities. Also, it's always worth checking the Society of Garden Designers (SGD). They're a respected community of accredited professionals, and searching for designers in your area is easy. Doing a little research is never wrong. Every professional can be expected to have some form of portfolio available on their site, especially if they claim to be part of the Society of Garden Developers, which requires two years of work experience as a minimum. Check out different contractors, and see who is offering the highest quality of design. More importantly, see if their house style chimes with your personal vision. Design is an on-going creative process, and there's no designer better than one who understands your goals. For an accurate figure, you'll be looking at a personal visit and consultation. Many contractors charge for this service though, so it's best to try and arrange for a ballpark figure in advance. You can use the occasion to discuss exactly what level of contribution you're looking for from your designer and enquire about their experience and openness to project management, maintenance and aftercare. These casual discussions can be a great help since they allow you to get to know your designer, and see if they're someone you'd like to work with.
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