There are two questions here.  Firstly, do you want help with your garden?  Secondly, is a garden designer the right type of help?

For some, they love learning by trial and error and aren’t concerned if they lose a number of plants or if it takes a decade to get anything like a finished garden.  These people enjoy the journey and I encourage them to continue with this adventure.  It is fun!

For most reading this, you probably are looking for some help.  So the question is, what type of help is best for you?  I am often asked what is the difference between a Landscape Architect, a Garden Designer and a Landscaper (that does design)?

Whilst I obviously can’t speak for all in the industry, there are some clear patterns that emerge.  This table summarises the patterns that I see:

So it really does depend on your situation.  In summary, I would say that if you have a very complex project, with a lot of structural engineering work required, then a Landscape Architect is the way to go, at least initially.  Similarly, if your garden is quite a low priority for you, I would have to recommend a Landscaper, who can quickly and cheaply ‘green’ it up for you.  The market that I think garden designers best serve is that of clients who want to have a beautiful garden, but don’t have the time, inclination and/or confidence to design it themselves.  Here, a garden designer will work with you to create something that is personalised to you with robust plantings that thrive in the long term, whilst charging only moderate rates.

Happy decision making!