Anyone can draw a garden plan, but truly great design transforms how you live in your space.
So when you invest in a garden designer, what should you really be looking for?
The 7 Qualities of a Great Garden Designer
> Creative Vision & Artistic Skills with Practical Execution – While horticulture and gardening skills are a vital element of garden design, being a great garden designer also requires creativity, visualisation and designing with practical solutions in mind.
> Horticultural Expertise – A fundamental understanding of plant knowledge, selection and maintenance tailored to changing local conditions (especially Scottish climates!)
> Listening Skills – The business of garden design also involves other people, especially clients. So it’s important that a good garden designer listens to their needs and desires to create a garden that reflects the client’s lifestyle, not just the designer’s particular style.
> Technical Proficiency – Skills in using design software and understanding construction, drainage, and hardscaping such as patios and paving are necessary for translating designs on the drawing board into reality.
> Problem-Solving Ability – Every garden space presents its own set of challenges so thinking on their feet and looking at issues from a solutions perspective is the sign of a good garden designer.
> Project Coordination – Designing and building a garden involves many trades so the ability to manage those effectively is important to keep projects on track
> Sustainability Focus – Designing with an awareness of global influences such as climate change, focusing on biodiversity, ecology, and water efficiency is also the sign of a good designer.
Beyond the Design: What Really Matters
A successful garden designer brings a wide-ranging skill set to their work, beginning with strong communication skills to understand and articulate the vision that the client has, to ensuring the final space is a true reflection of the desired outcome.
In addition to this, a keen attention to detail is very important, as those finishing touches are often what define a successful design. Furthermore, local knowledge and expertise can be crucial, particularly in the case of Gerbera Designs, where our understanding of Aberdeenshire’s unique microclimates and soil types really help local clients. In addition, our wide network ensure that it’s easy to collaborate with trusted local landscapers and nurseries to bring your garden to life.
The role of a garden designer also demands long-term thinking, visualisation around how a space will evolve and mature with time, particularly when the plants with grow and fill out.
Finally, professional accreditation provides clients with the assurance that the designer has met wider industry standards in essential areas like spatial design, planting, construction, and project management.
The Gerbera Designs Difference
Gerbera Designs’ expertise around garden design has very much helped when working on more complicated projects such as this Coastal Garden Project in Banff. This project was a challenging project with tough weather conditions for planting and where accessibility was fundamental to the design for our clients.
Gerbera Designs is an accredited garden designer member of the Association of Professional Landscapers (APL). We are also a pre-registered of the Society of Garden and Landscaper Designers working through the adjudication process to become fully registered. We are open and transparent about our design process from the very beginning – as you can see we have a step by step page around our process to ensure you already have a high level idea of how Gerbera Designs works on a garden design project.
If you’re interested in a garden design project in Aberdeenshire or are just looking for an initial consultation, please get in touch!
Here’s what a past client said about our work:
“Thank you Joanne for designing our beautiful coastal garden in Banff. We had no idea which plants would withstand the winds, sand and salt conditions of a barren piece of land close to the sea. As well as suiting the weather conditions, we also needed the garden to be low maintenance and wheelchair friendly. Together with Kernj Landscape Designs who brought your plans to life, your design has transformed the area into a flourishing beach garden with hardy but pretty flowers and plants which blend into the coastal environment beautifully. We love it!”
