Questions to Ask when Hiring a Native Plant Designer or Landscaper

Find the perfect fit for your project!

Growing numbers of garden designers and landscapers specialize in native plants making it easier than ever to find an expert to help you plan or plant your native plant garden. Some will design your garden, help you find the plants and let you do the planting. Others are full service providing design, garden installation, hardscaping and maintenance. Some specialize in more formal designs, others specialize in more informal gardens and some do it all.

Generally, garden designers assess your site or garden and provide a design for you to review. Some will provide a sketch, others a detailed plan with exacting specifications, and you can likely find everything in between. Landscapers typically install the hardscaping and plants. That said, many designers will also help you source the plants and manage the installation. Similarly, there are landscapers who will also provide a design. That's why it is important to find just the right match for your needs.

Nuts for Natives provides a list of designers and landscapers committed to using native plants and creating robust native plant gardens. This list scratches the surface as there are many more who do this work out there. Most of those listed have been vetted which merely means several references were checked. As we all know, checking references is a start. To make sure you find the right match for your needs, here are some questions you may want to ask when considering hiring a pro.

PROCESS

What is your process?

Some businesses have a set process and you will typically find it described on their website. They have found the process yields good results for clients and helps the business be more efficient in its work. Others are flexible and will specify a process based on the size and nature of the job. It helps to make sure everyone understand exactly what the process is and where there is and is not flexibility.

If you design it, may I install it?

Somer designers are happy to provide the design and let you take it from there. Others, will coach you along in the planting process. Some will source plants for you which can be important as professionals have access to wholesale nurseries and are able to find specific plants and particular sizes of plants that we as consumers may have difficulty finding in retail nurseries. Others design and manage the entire planting process to ensure the overall success of the project and be able to troubleshoot on site.

It helps to think carefully about what help you need and what you can realistically do yourself to make sure you find the right match.

EXPERIENCE

How many gardens have you designed/installed that were native gardens?

Some businesses might be relatively new to working with native plants. That is not necessarily a bad thing. Indeed, they might have years and years of design experience that is a benefit. You do want to make sure the people involved have adequate experience growing and working with native plants.

What do you consider a native garden?

For some, creating a native garden may consist of adding a bed of native flowering perennials. Others would consider a native garden one that adds layers of trees, shrubs, perennials and groundcovers throughout the space using many keystone plants to increase the ecological benefit provided by the garden. You want to make sure you and your professional are working toward the same goal.

How many gardens have you designed/installed that were native gardens?

Once you understand the definition of native garden you are looking for, you can talk about the experience with those exact types of gardens.

Is your experience in formal gardens, informal or natural style gardens or restoration?

Native plants can be used in each of these types of designs and projects. If you prefer a more formal garden design, it would be important to find someone with experience in that type of design and that plant palette. Likewise, an ecological restoration typically involves using species of plants indigenous to a very localized area. Make sure to ask to see photos of projects like the one you contemplate to make sure expectations align.

Do you have experience with urban, suburban or rural gardens?

Designing a garden for a small urban space involves challenges and issues that can be very different from a large rural garden. Everything from light, stormwater, types of animal visitors and weather can vary dramatically. It can help to work with someone familiar with your conditions.

PLANTS

Where do you get your plants?

This is an important question if creating a garden free of neonicotiniods is important to you. Neonicotinoids are a class of systemic pesticides sometimes used to prevent insect damage to plants grown in nursery settings. Those systemic pesticides persist in plants and are detrimental to the very pollinators many native plant gardeners seek to help. You can read more here. There are large growers that commit to being neonicotinoid free.

Are you open to using non-native plants?

Some designers recommend a design of native and non-native plants while others design with all natives. If this is important to you, best to ask the question early on in the process.

EXPECTATIONS

May I see photos of gardens you have designed that include issues similar to mine?

You may a particularly challenging steep slope in shade or a need to channel excess rainwater. You may want a meadow like garden. Whatever the case may be, it is really helpful for you and the person you are considering working with to look at photos together to make sure your expectations align and can be achieved.

What will my garden look like in year one versus year three of four? What can I expect in the first few years?

This is an important question because as we all know, in year one, plants sleep. In year two, they creep and in year three they leap. You want to be prepared for what you will get. Initial plantings often include smaller plants, both to keep costs in check and also because there is scientific study showing that younger plants often establish more readily and ultimately develop stronger root systems than larger counterparts planted at the same time. Particularly with informal gardens, you may have to be prepared for a period of grow-in. If that is not your preference, you can talk with your designer or landscaper about options.

Do you expect a certain mortality rate for newly planted plants?

Plants are living things and moving from a sheltered growing location to a truck to wheelbarrow to a new location can take a toll. Not every plant make may make it. You can talk to your professional about what to expect in this regard.

What will my garden look like in winter?

A bed of flowering perennials, even with stems and seed heads left standing may be enough winter interest for some; others will want the structure of evergreens and other plants. If winter structure and interest are of interest to you, it helps to ask about this up front.

Do you have other questions you would recommend asking? If you are a designer or landscaper, do you have questions you wish your clients would ask? Please add away in the comments!

In the meantime, you might enjoy looking at the websites of the designers and landscapers included here. There are some very beautiful native gardens!

Happy Gardening.