Garden Designer ?

Should the alarm bells be ringing?

I have been asked by a garden designer to take over a landscaping project,

I have visited the site and discussed the project with the client and the designer, and have discovered that they do not have any drawn up plans or sketches.

Twenty metres of natural stone walling has to snake around the garden and act as a retaining wall to the sloping beds.

Areas have to be levelled and old bricks on site have to be used to create a pathway winding past the glasshouse and connecting the lawn to the hot tub section.

Old leaning stone walls have to be dismantled and rebuilt using additional larger stones.

York stone steps have to be built.

A large stone wall of unknown height has to be built across the garden. The garden slopes dramatically, and the wall must not step up, the stones must be laid horizontally and there must be no mortar visible in any of the walls.

The garden will be replanted with native plants, and these I believe have already been bought and are being kept by nurseries.

I have to prepare the site for planting and do the planting, but I do not think there is a planting plan.

The maintenance of the garden has to undertaken by me, with the designer as a sort of overseer.

Hedges have to be trimmed and a large box hedges have to be cut in the shape of clouds.

However I have discovered that near to this hedge there are a couple of trees that
have died from Honey fungus. Half of the hedge was trimmed a year ago by the previous gardener, about a year ago. And there is about three inches of new growth, but it is a pale and insipid colour and really does not look healthy at al, compared to the uncut side.
I advised the designer that it would be unwise to cut it at the moment as it was definitely struggling and that checks would have to be made, but I was told to cut it
right away and that it was due to all the rain we have had. - None of the other gardens that I maintain have this problem?

I also mentioned that it would be important to get the large weeds out of the beds
before they drop their seeds, but again I was told that weeding other beds would be a priority even though the planting will not go ahead until the work is finished.

I pointed out that the lower section of the garden could be ready fairly quickly to enable quite a large percentage of the planting to be done this autumn, but I was told that this was none of my business.

Perhaps one of the garden designers on the site would like to comment on this matter.
Thanks

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Pro Gard on September 18, 2009 at 4:28pm: I would walk, sorry run from this, carry on and my gut feeling is there will be witholding of payment and no end of problems.

Without proper plans you are left wide open for the client or designer to gripe about execution/ finish and withold payment or for extras to crop up that you were never told about.

The work spec sounds a nightmare and the designer an incompetent buffoon (polite version).

I would also have taken serious umbrage about being told how to do my job from someone of sutch blinding incompetance, this alone would be enough for me to quit (after expressing my opinion!!)

Listen to the alarm bells that another contractor has already done so.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by The Perfumed Garden on September 18, 2009 at 5:41pm: I have to agree with everyone else. It might sound like a large job giving you weeks of work and an income - more than 10k Robin - but I feel it will give you more grief than profit.

Walk away.

You could always over price it (by a lot) and see what they say.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kerrie John-The garden design Co on September 18, 2009 at 6:16pm: Hi John,

As the rest of the replies say, walk away!

This project sounds like a minefield and will cost you and your reputation in the end. The 'designer' isn't a real one if they will not discuss issues with you in a calm and pleasant manner and haven't even prepared a plan for you to quote from and work to.

I wouldn't spend time pricing it, how can you? You would have to survey the site which should been done before they even called you.

Best
Kerrie; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by John www.acegardenservices.co.uk on September 18, 2009 at 7:54pm: Thanks everyone for all the good advice,, there were many points that I had not even considered.

I think that the owner of the property is employing the garden designer via a friend or colleagues advice( just something else she said, made me feel this was the case),
And she also said that although she had lost one landscaper, she felt that she had to stick with the garden designer to see the project through.

I think that she is genuine, but now finds herself stuck in a very awkward situation. And then there is the case of the plants in storage. ? perhaps they are not there.

I do not like to see anyone posssibly being duped by somone, and I keep wondering just what sort of checks can be made, to give her justifiable reasons for dismissing her.

Obviously, LJN forum springs to mind.

It just shows how important it is to thoroughly check out people before employing them on such a big project.

It will perhaps be much easier to do a quick check, now we have agreed on LJN to have a customer page, where all the landscapers/ designers/ gardeners can be found.

I am sure that none of them would have told me to mind my own business. !!!!

So for now I have a lot to think about.

Many thanks to everyone for the great advice !; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jonathan Hall on September 18, 2009 at 8:03pm: Hi

This is a shocking example of why one bad garden designer tars us all. No plans or drawings! - its like going into Tesco and seeing no food on the shelves. If you a supermarket you sell food. I think what David has said might ring true. Some clients hate paying for any of the planning stages. Personally, I would speak to the designer away from the client. Tell them what plans,drawings and spec you want and put this request to them in writing as well. Once received, then you price from there. If you don't get what you want from the designer then walk away. It might also be helpful to send a copy of this letter to the client so they know what any decent contractor needs and expects of such a project. You will regret doing anything further in this project by trying to be helpful. Leave it for for some other contractor to make a loss on. No qualified designer would ask a contractor to work in this way.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Pro Gard on September 18, 2009 at 8:17pm: John,

Were her exact words to mind your own business??

Id certainly have told her to mind hers if I was spoken too like that!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Graeme @ BGS on September 18, 2009 at 8:22pm: Pro Gard said:
John,

Were her exact words to mind your own business??

Perhaps she was referring to the plant :-); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by John www.acegardenservices.co.uk on September 19, 2009 at 9:08am: Do you mean, Snap Dragon ?

Graeme @ The BGS Group said:
Pro Gard said:
John,

Were her exact words to mind your own business??

Perhaps she was referring to the plant :-); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Dr Jenny Woods on September 19, 2009 at 10:26pm: As a Garden Designer this appalls me - although I can understand the social pressures all round if the poor client took on a friend and then discovered they aren't up to the job. There is a Society of Garden Designers - I'm sure they must have been mentioned before on this site - which sets standards for competence in design. This is the sort of thing they are trying to stamp out by ensuring all designers have appropriate qualifications (or at least are trying to work towards them!) before trading.

Steer clear...; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Stuart Marler on September 20, 2009 at 9:22am: I feel this project is going to be one ongoing huge problem, as it already is.

If the garden owner and designer can not get their act together, then I would not touch this. Explain to both parties either separately or both together in a formal meeting, why you can not procede at this point due to lack of design, drawings, specification etc.

It seems obvious the "designer" does not know about planting, design and customer service.

No plans, no budget?, no specification....... how long is a piece of string?

WALK AWAY, politely but firmly, then run once round the corner.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by claudia de yong on September 20, 2009 at 9:47am: I have been called in so many times like this to take on a job that had started between 'friends' and had problems.

I know how tricky it can be as you become piggy in the middle. But stick to your guns and if you want to take it on make sure you don't lose out as I have done many a time by trying to please both parties. They are not your friends so remember it is a business you are running.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jonathan Hall on September 21, 2009 at 11:06am: I am glad that Stuart has received some valuable advice and that this query seems to be answered however, I feel I must respond to Dr Jenny Woods comments re the SGD.

There is a misconception that registered members of the society are qualified designers. Whilst many are, you do not need to be qualified in any form of garden/landscape design or horticulture to become a registered member. Registered members have had their work verified by an adjudication committee and if deemed up to the required standard they are allowed to use the initials MSGD after their name. These letters are not a qualification in themselves, merely an indication that the designer is a registered member.; ▶ Reply to This