Designing your outdoor space is an exciting process that often takes the same kind of perception, planning and preparation as designing a custom home. An experienced landscape designer can help create and execute your vision into an art form of functionality, expression and style. When it comes to choosing a landscape designer, it’s hard to pick one from the pack. Each designer offers their own benefits, but it’s hard to know which candidate will make the difference for YOU.
Here are some things to think about as you choose a landscape designer for your outdoor project.
Look for Certain Personality Traits : Communication is Key
First, understand who a landscape designer is and how they can help you. An experienced, trained landscape artist can save you money and ensure your overall happiness with the finished project. They can make your home truly unique and accurately represent the things that are important to you. In order for a landscape designer to pull this off, they must be great listeners. They must take the time to understand you. They must be patient.
The best way to communicate with your designer is visually. Start by collecting examples from books and magazine clippings showing pictures of landscapes and designs. Another best place to start putting your visual boards together is Houzz. Note features, preferred plantings and a color palette, as well as favorite furniture, materials and other elements that you like or dislike.
Bottom line: Find someone who you feel comfortable with, and someone who makes a great team member in your quest to perfection.
Evaluate Their Training, Education and Experience
Experience doesn’t necessarily make the best landscape designer, as there are many young, new 
designers out there whose creativity makes up for a lack of experience. Still, there are certain situations where training and experience really make a difference. Look for designers who have horticultural training or Master Gardener status, which means they have received 88 hours of training.
Fortunately, you can get information and reviews very easily from the Internet, so do your research and read what others have to say. In many cases, people choose to go with a landscape design company that offers a large pool of designers with various skills. As part of a company, you can expect that employees are licensed, bonded and certified as well.
Study Their Completed Work
When you have narrowed down your pool of candidates, take a look at the work they have done. Many landscape artists have websites that show off their completed projects. You can get a good idea for how the designer sees space, transforms exteriors and works with clients to make each yard unique. Each designer has their strengths, so see if those strengths will complement your vision.
If you’re still not sure, hire the landscape artist for a consultation. The price will be well worth it, as you get to know the landscaper, they can walk around your property, sharing unique insights with you.
Let the award winning designers at Horizon Landscape, located in Wyckoff, New Jersey help you with your dream projects, from concept to completion. At Horizon, our goal is to provide friendly, efficient service and a finished project that exceeds the customer’s expectations.