become a landscape designer

What does a Landscape Designer do?

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A landscape designer creates beautiful and functional outdoor living spaces. The spaces they design for include residential areas, public parks, gardens, and other exterior places. If you enjoy working outside and love to design, this may be the job for you! Next, watch a video with a landscape designer to learn more.

How to Become a Landscape Designer

Landscape designers can begin their career by earning a professional certification. These certifications can be offered by vocational schools and community colleges. New designers can also gain experience under an experienced designer or architect. Designers can gain experience at botanical gardens, nurseries, greenhouses, or golf courses. Designers who want to further advance in this career field can attend school to earn a two-year associate’s degree at an accredited community college.

An associate’s degree can be beneficial as credits can count toward their bachelor’s degree should the designer wish to continue their education. Associate’s and bachelor’s degrees have courses in landscape design plant science like biology, geography, earth science, horticulture, math, and science. Pro Landscape design software classes should be part of the curriculum, like AutoCAD.

Landscape Designer Job Description

Landscape designers typically work in public parks, playgrounds, private homes, golf clubs, and private residences. The goal is to integrate the space between garden design and landscape architecture, combining nature and culture. A designer consults clients to understand what they want for their outdoor space and then gets to work. Creativity is vital in this job and they have extensive knowledge of the environment, plants, and ecological systems. They studies the soil, drainage, slope, and all man-made and natural components for the project and also consider construction plans, lighting, decks, arbors, and planting beds.

Designers compile sketches using landscape design software to design spaces that are pleasing to the eye and functional in use. They study how much time a client might spend in the space and who uses it, and any historical or sentimental significance to the area. After the client’s approval, the project begins with the landscape designer managing the installation crews to ensure all goes according to plan. They continue to meet with the client throughout the project to update their progress and discuss any modifications needed. The landscape designer meets with vendors, businesses, and individual clients and manages their accounts. They negotiate contracts and ensure budgets remain within the confines of the project. The designer must also account for the geography of the job to ensure plants, flowers, and other materials are compatible with the climate.

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