Residential landscaping, usually the kind which is of the most importance to most people. Although it is a highly visible part of the residential development as a whole, it is almost always the last element to be completed - almost an afterthought. The process usually goes something like this.

The house is designed, located on the lot, and built. Then come the other elements. The lot may need grading, some walks and a driveway are put in, perhaps some enclosing or retaining walls, maybe a swimming pool, a ramada, and so on. Then, when everything is finished,
plants are put into the leftover areas, and the place is landscaped.

In this process, each of the several builders has tried to do a good job, but no one has had a clear overall view of the project as a complete entity - all of the elements working together, in harmony. It's really a collection of things; rather than a design. Even so, it may look pretty good; what are the advantages of an overall design? In other words, why engage a landscape architect?

Landscape architects spend their lives working out a total design before anything is built, and this process has a number of advantages, some of which are simply practical. After doing several hundred such projects, the designer learns to anticipate problems, and avoid them, rather than having to solve them later. It is also axiomatic that good design is also efficient - maximum benefit at the least cost. One of the designer's greatest pleasures is not just solving a problem, but turning it into an asset.

As a professional designer, however, his greatest value is his talent in creating something elegant (not necessarily expensive, just elegant). Outdoor space is after all, far cheaper than interior space, and if the house is not quite as impressively beautiful as you would have liked, this may be the way you can give it that quality at a reasonable cost.  Not the least advantage to be gained is a possible increase in the value of the property far in excess of its cost.

The landscape architect is generally viewed as dealing primarily with plants, but this is only partially true. It is more accurate to say that he deals with the land. In the scenario outlined above, the use of plants is dictated by the placement of the various structural elements, and if this is done without considering the plants as an integral part, neither the planting nor the rest of the project realizes its full potential; hence the landscape architect's concern about the overall design. No one else does this.

In preparation for this work, the landscape architect normally completes a five-year course at an accredited university. In most states, he is also required to have worked three additional years under a registrant, before being allowed to take the examination for professional registration. In lieu of this, he may complete eight year's experience. All this does not guarantee his skill, or even competence, but it's a good start.

Often, a homeowner prefers not to complete the entire project at one time, but rather to prepare a master plan, which can be implemented over a period of years, perhaps doing much of the work himself. He is thus assured that as each element is completed, it will fit into the overall plan. This can be very successful, and the landscape architect can from time to time provide consultation for an hour or two as the project progresses.

In any event, it is important to meet with the landscape architect at the outset, and to discuss in detail the proposed project. Other considerations aside, it is essential that you are able to communicate freely and easily with each other, and that you feel entirely comfortable with him as a professional - you will probably spend many years, every day,
living with the result.