Have you ever walked along with a neighbourhood and noticed the front of a home with a water feature? Or have you ever been over to a friend’s backyard to see cobbled pathways leading to their garden? If so, most likely, they found a landscape design in Calgary that they liked and brought their vision to life.

Yet, what exactly is the point of landscape design? Get the answers here and see if landscape design might be for you!

Residential backyard with koi pond, waterfall, and stone steps to patio.

What is Landscaping?

Before you understand the purpose of landscape design, you need to know what landscaping is first. For the most part, landscaping involves working towards altering the visible features surrounding a land’s area, which can range from commercial and residential buildings.

The changes come in various ways. You can add living elements, known as ‘softscaping,’ which refers to plant materials, sod or groundcovers like mulch and decorative rock to give an attractive look through the greenery. Complementing softscaping, you have ‘hardscaping’ that utilises materials such as paving stores, concrete, and decks. Typically, this is where you see most landscape construction and installation.

When these two landscaping approaches come together, they’re used as the resources and tools for creating your landscape project.

What is the Point of Landscape Design?

Landscape design is incredibly important since it’s the initial step before working on the project. It’s all about mapping out how you want to execute your landscaping project. In which case, many opt for reaching out to landscape designers in Calgary since they can compile a detailed plan on what your space will look like upon completion.

After all, the end goal of landscaping your property’s area is to enhance its aesthetic appeal to meet the vision you have in mind. If you want the successful execution of your landscaping project, you must plan and prepare for it effectively.

What’s Good About Landscape Design?

There are several benefits to landscape design. Beyond being an essential first step in landscaping, it can help you save money and free you of any stress in the long run.

How so? When you don’t have a plan (essentially a landscape design), you risk making mistakes that can end up being costly. Instead, you and the designer can scope out your space thoroughly through a landscape design before getting to work and prevent any issues from occurring.

For example, if you’re planning a water feature, it’s good to have a landscape design you’ve run through with a designer since the design will factor in any underground water lines you need to avoid to get the project done. Plus, having a landscape design already gives you an effective timeline of the project’s work and completion deadline.

You honestly can’t go wrong with having a landscape design. You can guarantee it through your dream landscaping project coming to fruition!

Transform your home and increase its value and curb appeal while working with the best landscape company in Calgary with Tazscapes. Our award-winning team of landscape contractors and designers is recognized for creating and delivering stunning landscape designs in Calgary that are beautiful, functional and affordable. We offer various services, including landscape design, residential, commercial and acreage landscaping, hardscaping, such as retaining walls and concrete patios, and softscaping, such as sod and artificial grass installation. Our eye for details, meticulous planning and unique landscaping methods and eye-catching results is why we’re a two-time Consumer Choice Award Winner. Contact us today at 587-578-0747 or [email protected].

Landscaping is a great way to spruce up your home’s surrounding area. It transforms it into a visual feast for the eyes and lets you be creative about the land around your home. With so much that can go into it, how much would it all cost for landscaping in Calgary?

If you want to dip your toes into landscaping but are uncertain about the price, read on – check out below how much it can cost and why!

The Cost of Landscaping in Calgary

Many elements make up the overall price of landscaping. Consider these factors before contacting landscaping companies or contractors. It can help you determine how much you should budget for a project and what would be the best avenue to take for it.

The Value in Landscaping

Landscaping can seem like a pricey project to undertake. Yet, so many choose to do so – why is that? For the most part, homeowners choose to do so as an aesthetic extension of their home. Who wouldn’t like to have a lovely-looking property? Speaking of good-looking property, adding some landscaping to a home you intend to sell can significantly increase its value. Therefore, you can expect to price your property at a higher asking price for any potential buyers and receive a big profit from doing so.

Landscaping Cost Factors

There is no real fixed cost for landscaping. Certain factors affect how much you might spend, such as your property size, certain materials, labour costs, and the type of work you would like. Plus, it depends on how landscaping contractors charge you – which can either be an hourly rate or per square foot.

But to give an idea of average costs, you can expect to pay as low as $3,000 to as high as $100,000.

When budgeting for a landscaping project, it’s suggested to pay 10% of your home’s value, so you’re not overspending or low balling the quality of the property since landscape work can add a lot of value to a place.

A Landscaping Quote

At the end of the day, your best bet to understand how much a landscape design in Calgary will be is to reach out to professionals. They can accurately give you a quote by breaking down the costs of what the overall total would come to for your project. To budget better for your landscaping project, compare quotes with other businesses and their portfolio work to see if it’s affordable for you and suits your tastes and if you appreciate the work quality.

When it comes to landscaping design in Calgary, it’s hard to figure out the best time to start landscaping. It makes you wonder if summer is the only good time to do so. However, you might be surprised that might not be the case. You don’t need to wait until summer to get landscaping done if you’re itching to get it done during the winter. If winter might be the only time you can think of landscape, then continue to read on to find out if you’re able to do so!

Winter Landscaping Misconception

Anyone with a garden knows how Calgary’s harsh winters can easily wither flowers and plants at the first sign of frost. You can have greenery involved in your landscaping, but it’s not the only piece of design you can use in landscaping. The cold shouldn’t get in the way of you being able to landscape however you might please. If anything, there are plenty that you can do during the winter for landscaping that can carry over into making spring landscaping a lot easier.

Advantages of Winter Landscaping

The beauty behind landscaping during the winter is ensuring maintenance. It’s all about preparation and preservation by protecting the hardscape from the colder weather and your lawn. In this way, you will be ready to make spring landscaping more manageable.

In addition, if you employ any landscaping contractors, you can expect to have them all devoted to your landscaping project. When it comes to landscaping, summer has the highest demand for projects. With such a high volume of projects, it can be harder for people to find the right landscaping company. Plus, you can expect potentially avoidable mistakes to occur during the summer since many contractors’ attention is divided between juggling multiple projects and rushing through them.

However, what means of landscaping can you do to achieve this?

Winter Landscaping Projects

You would be surprised by what you can do for landscaping during the winter. If you’re uncertain of what projects you can go for, here are a few ideas that can get you started:

water features
patios
retaining walls
irrigations systems
shrubbery and trees that are winter-friendly
additional hardscaping

A few of these ideas are instrumental in prepping for spring landscaping – which will mean less work to do once spring comes and lower costs if you’re going shopping around for landscaping companies around Calgary.

Winter landscaping might seem intimidating – and there are certain limitations to it. However, winter landscaping can provide various benefits you wouldn’t have anticipated before. So, don’t be afraid to take the lunge and give winter landscaping a chance, and see how you can transform your property for the better!

If you still feel you need some insight on winter landscaping, don’t hesitate to email us directly at [email protected] for uniquely lavish landscaping ideas.

I’ve been fortunate enough to work on some major acreage landscaping designs. I’ve been put in positions by other landscaping companies and some high-end clientele, including Home Builders, to foster creative acreage landscaping ideas.

I’m not going to lie – it’s not easy.

Coming up with acreage landscaping ideas can be a real challenge primarily because of the abundance of space that is available for me to work with.

One mistake many landscape designers in Calgary make is that they think that you have to “fill up” space.

But having worked on hundreds of landscape designs myself, I’ve come to realize that the famous architect Mies Van Der Rohe was definitely on to something.

Over the past several years, I’ve learned a lot when trying to create beautiful acreage landscaping designs. Hopefully, by the end of this article, you’ll be able to see your property in a new light.

Acreage Landscaping

Calgary is a prairie-dominated region resting in the southern part of the province of Alberta, where the Elbow and Bow Rivers meet.

Located on the foothills of the Grasslands and Parkland Natural Regions, Calgary is home to several acreage properties.

Owning a property with 5-gallon acres of land may sound impressive to homeowners. When it comes to landscaping, however, Calgary is one of those regions where proper planning is absolutely essential.

Vastness of Space

A rural landscape is very different from an urban or suburban landscape. While small yards with a limited variety of trees and shrubs are sufficient for the suburban market, rural acreage landscaping requires extra consideration. This is primarily due to its vastness of space, the open air and the exciting views.

“Space” is a big restraining factor in the suburban and city landscape. That’s why urban landscaping design requires meticulous planning with a focus on utilizing even the smallest of space in a useful way.

However, in rural landscaping, there is often ample “space” which causes some owners to feel perplexed while designing their acreage landscaping projects.

It’s crucial that you can distinguish actual usable space in your yard. It is often the case that with large acreages, there are a lot of existing trees and even natural un-usable areas.

So in turn, the 3-acre landscape you thought you had to design really isn’t that much – because once you take into account your house, your driveway and the natural surrounding (trees / un-usable space), you’re left with very little around your home for landscaping.

Assess the Existing Landscape

In rural landscaping, the idea is to create consistency along your existing landscape, not chaos. Make sure that your newly-proposed design is based on the existing characteristics of the site.

Careful planning will help you build a secure yet beautiful landscape for your acreage property. You need to take into consideration how much space is to be allotted for outbuildings, gardens and windbreaks among other elements.

Creating acreage landscaping ideas that will be functional as well as aesthetically appealing can pose to be a daunting task for many. So, let’s dive into learning more about exciting acreage landscaping ideas that you can implement in your Calgary property.

Fundamentals of Acreage Landscaping Ideas

The crucial point is to ensure an overall sense of familiarity and intimacy across the acres of your plot. This can make you feel like the yard is simply an extension of the house, no matter what its size is.

Taking the project as a performing art will help you view it as a creative endeavour and not a dreadful chore.

Here are a few ideas that you can use for your acreage landscaping project:

Land Division: You might love owning a vast property, but sometimes it can be overwhelming.

However, if you divide the land and create individual ‘pockets’, you can create a more intimate space.

There are endless possibilities if you decide to divide your property. You can use screens like fencing and hedges and build physical barriers.

Solidify Destination Zones: Close to your house, you should create a space dedicated to “landscape engagement.” This is where you aim to spend most of your time.

This “Destination Zone” can fall under three different categories: cooking, dining, lounging and sometimes, play.

Play can be for kids or adults, even putting greens are a great feature on an acreage.

It is best to keep these spaces close to the house as it can give you a feeling of intimacy rather than the exposure you might currently have.

Curvilinear or Rectilinear Forms:

It’s wise to use the existing terrain to establish a conceptual form to your landscape.

Lines and sharp angles in the design will tend to make a landscape with sloping terrain appear odd and strange. It’s better to use curves rather than straight, hard lines to make the landscape design appear more natural.

For example, the paths need to be curved instead of pin straight for them to correlate with the landscape contours. Retaining walls should look smooth as it rolls with the terrain.

Designing rounded borders and beds rather than straight edges in the garden will also allow you to integrate curves in the overall landscape. The result can flow quite beautifully.

Outdoor Water Features

These can be interesting and exciting methods to a better acreage landscape.

If you want to add purpose and beauty to your Calgary acreage, consider excavating for natural water bodies in your land.

Ponds can retain water that can help you with waterfowl rearing and plant irrigation. Lands with clay soils can prove quite beneficial for ponds.

If your area is covered with rocky or sandy soil, you will need thick liners for retaining water in the ponds.

You can also improve the look of a pond by adding alluring vegetation like reed grasses and willows along the rim.

A flagstone path extending from the house right up to the pond will also enhance the aesthetic value of the landscape.

Importance of Windbreakers

In Calgary, wind can pose to be a huge problem, especially with the warm Chinook winds blowing all across southern Alberta.

In fact, Chinook winds can be as powerful as a hurricane, with a case of Chinook gusting (171 km/h or 106 mph) the Lethbridge in November 1962. These winds can derail trains and blow snow across the roadways in winter. It can even increase the temperature in the summertime.

Chinooks are common in Calgary, a natural wind tunnelling city.

Consider berms with large Colorado spruce trees to give you wind protection all year round. I’ve been on acreage properties both south of the city (Priddis) or north of the city (Bearspaw). They have winds so strong that they end up killing off most newly-planted shrubs.

Mass tree plantation can also prevent damages due to water erosion in low-lying areas. Aspens and spruces are among the quick-growing tree varieties that can protect you from windbreaks. They are very hardy for our climate and will give you sustained protection throughout the year.

Calgary Planting for Acreage Properties

The crucial thing to consider is that acreage landscapes provide excellent scope for planting trees, shrubs and perennials or grasses.

You may consider starting your own vineyard or apple orchard in a part of your property, or even a complete vegetable garden. However, plants and lawns require proper maintenance.

Native plants don’t require much weeding or additional water for maintenance. Moreover, they offer a more natural look to the landscape, thus welcoming wildlife to the property.

Top Tips for Planting on Acreages:

Tree sizes

For the most part, you’ll want the most mature trees. Choose high caliper trees (over 80 mm minimum) on deciduous trees. For coniferous trees over three meters is the minimum.

Anything smaller on acreages looks off the scale. It could take a while before it really stars to grow in and fit in on your land fully.

Shrub Sizes

Most landscapers will try to sell you on 5 gallon shrubs – stick to two gallons.

Yes, I know they’re smaller, but the 5 gallon shrubs are already established and given the harsher climate (more wind) on acreages; it’s best to stick to younger shrubs.

Creativity Within Your Acreage Landscape

Acreages also have the best chance to get creative given the ample amount of space there is to play with.

But think outside the box.

Stop hiring landscaping companies or landscape designers that give you the same boring patio, fire pit and pergola package.

Push the envelope, and I say that with caution because I know everyone has a high budget. However, creativity is not expensive. At least, it doesn’t have to be.

“Out of the Box” Acreage Landscape Design Ideas to Consider

Rooftop Garden:

These are also called green roofs and are planted on an existing or new roof structure with the help of specialized, solid membrane that protects the building.

It has been proven through studies that rooftop gardens can increase the lifespan of any standard roofing system two-fold.

Green roofs are also highly cost-effective in the long run. Having a rooftop garden will increase your property’s value, especially if you invest in an intensive green roof.

Furthermore, let’s face it. The future is landscape sustainability so why not bring something unique and environmentally-friendly to your property?

Outdoor Living Walls:

Living walls are great for growing plants both on the exterior and interior of any house.

Installing a living wall around a retaining wall or gazebo can really give your space a major pop.

Nature-Scape: Be all Natural

Natural landscapes are in vogue these days, and they offer an informal and relaxing look by implementing winding paths and curvy lines rather than harsh geometrically straight lines.

They’re also great if you are having to landscape several acres of land, as the “unmaintained” areas can blend into the overall concept of the design quite easily.

Wildflowers, rustic elements, native plants and natural building materials provide a warm and inviting look to the landscape.

Imperfections like twigs and logs, salvaged wood, bark chippings, natural stone and unfinished surfaces make your acreage property landscaping more charming and eco-friendly.

Natural Stone Retaining Walls:

The use of natural rocks and boulders in acreage landscape design is also quite reasonable. Thus, incorporating natural stone retaining walls for your acreage property will not only enhance the aesthetic appeal of the land but is also highly beneficial from a functional standpoint. This is especially the case if you have many large slopes on your acreage property.

Moving large, natural boulders to create terraces (levels) in sloped yards will cause the soil to cut back and create a flat surface, or ledge.

The natural boulders settle in the terraces to hold the soil back, creating retaining walls along your landscape.

Moreover, you can dry set, nestle, and stack the natural boulders together without having to worry about it looking “perfect”. This adds to a rustic, natural theme.

Natural Water Features and Ponds:

Yes, this may be expensive but it really can bring your whole yard to life.

Water is something that really strikes people as it plays on the human senses of sight and sound. By incorporating large water features and ponds, you can create tranquil scenes in your yard.

The natural boulders are a great compliment to the lot, especially if it is in sync with the natural retaining walls.

You can also do creative things with water features such as wrapping the stream around your patio to give an island feel or have waterfalls cascading from different elevations.

Conclusion

Finally, it is important to remember that designing a landscape in Calgary or any other province, requires patience, especially if it is your first time.

Trying to come up with landscaping ideas for acreages isn’t easy and different landscapers, and landscaping companies will steer you towards the direction they want you to go.

But if you’re well informed and understand the underlying concept of what you’re trying to achieve in your yard, it’s just a matter of finding the right landscape designer to turn that vision into a reality.

Call Tazscapes Landscaping at (587) 578-0747 today if you are looking for an experienced and creative landscape designer for your acreage properties!

Many houses in Calgary have mundane front yard landscaping – mainly because it’s not usually a top priority for home-owners. However, some residents understand the importance of “the first impression.”

As a full-service landscape design and construction company, we often find that front yards are usually more challenging to design for than backyards. Solely because of scale: front yards have a much smaller area to work with.

However, if you keep the following tips in mind, you can come up with some pretty awesome front yard landscaping ideas to accentuate your biggest investment: your home.

Tip #1: Front yard landscaping has to make sense

During my landscape design studies, one of the underlying concepts we learned was relationships of forms. The dominant, sub-dominant and subordinate design forms, to be exact.

Think about it, when you look at a front yard – what’s the most dominant factor standing out? You guessed it: your house.

You now have this hunk standing on top of your property dominating the space. You have to surround the rest of it to make it make sense.

If there is a slope, I always recommend doing a small retaining wall. To some, spending $3000+ on a tiny front yard may seem crazy, but trust me when I tell you that slopes should always be taken care of with retaining walls in Calgary. This would be your sub-dominant form.

The subordinates are, most often than not, your softscaping: plant materials, groundcover and grass.

Add colour. Depth. Scale. You have to make sure you’re doing this. Otherwise, it’ll look just like another boring front yard.

They seem minor, but they make a big difference!

Tip #2: Clarify access

We’ve all been there. Walking up to a house and pausing for a minute and saying to ourselves: “Wait…Which way is the entrance?”. Sound familiar?

As someone who goes to the homes of Calgary all the time for landscaping consultations, I come across this issue often.

Make sure you direct people to where the entrance is. If you need to build steps because of slopes, do so – but the key is to make sure it’s easily readable because no one likes to walk on your grass. This goes especially when there’s snow or mud on the way to the front door.

By creating clear and concise access for the user, you will have hit the functional part of the front yard landscaping that many often miss.

Tip #3: Frame your house

There is something about the human eye that tends to enjoy symmetry. When I go to a house and want to design a grand entrance or give it an estate feel, I often use big trees to frame in the house. This gives symmetry to the front and invokes an emotion of comfort that smoothes to the space.

By using plant material to bring verticality to the space, your front yard landscaping ideas will start to follow in rhythm. Now, you are understanding the importance of the forms in conjunction with one another and complimenting them accordingly. In this case, with trees.

Tip #4: Borders and edges

This is very similar to the idea of framing but on the ground. Even if you have no grass and only plant material, you must define your groundcover borders.

I love poured decorative concrete curbing. It is not just aesthetic; it makes the planting beds more pronounced. Also, it acts as a very functional element in the landscape by holding in your ground cover. It’s also durable enough so that your lawn-mower doesn’t come in contact with the plant materials.

By investing in curbing, you are now highlighting the subordinate form within your landscape. This can have the front yard looking more vibrant than ever before!

Tip #5: Feature pieces

At Tazscapes, one of Calgary’s leading landscape design companies, we like to propose a feature piece when considering front yard landscaping ideas. Implementing a feature gives the eye something visually appealing to observe.

Often, due to budgetary constraints, I recommend an address boulder.

You can also do something a little more creative, such as front yard privacy landscaping. Use miniature privacy screens – maybe to hide a utility box – and have your address number plated on it.

The lowest-cost option, however, is selecting a specialty tree. Pick something that blooms vividly, like a flowering crab.

Whatever the case, I personally always put something in the front yard to draw the eye to a ‘wow factor.’

And if you need something truly creative, you can reach out to Tazscapes to come by and give you a few incredible proposals!

It’s hard to come across great backyard landscaping ideas for a small-sized yard. It’s always nice when I can walk into a backyard, and there is ample amount of space for a landscaping proposal, but that’s not always the case.

I have come across many clients who have a small backyard but feel very limited in their options. Often times, they have no landscaping ideas for their small space and feel that their dreams of outdoor living is non-existent.

On the contrary. Where there’s a will, there’s a way!

It’s challenging – I’m not going to lie – but as a landscape design expert with academic training and years of experience, I feel confident enough to go over 5 tips with you should keep in mind when you’re trying to design easy landscaping ideas for your small Calgary yard.

Idea #1: Choose your destination and make it cozy!

In Calgary landscape design, one concept I’ve always stressed is the importance of choosing your destination points. These points are often categorized as either cooking, dining, lounging, or play.

In a small backyard space, it may be difficult to fit all of them in so you may have to choose just one.

Ask yourself: above all else, what do you like to do outdoors? It could be as simple prioritizing an open green space because you value giving your kids the ability to run around. Perhaps you just need a small space for the occasional weekend fire pit party. Whatever the case, you need to choose a limited number of destination points and get ready to make it your cozy nook.

By bringing a private intimate feel to your small backyard landscaping design, you create an escape for yourself from the daily rat-race. This makes that destination point so much more meaningful. You’ve now connected an emotion to your little alcove.

Tip #2: Think vertically when it comes to small backyard landscaping.

Many people often look at Calgary landscaping in a horizontal plane or axis. Think about it. If you had ample space in your backyard, you would say something like: “Patio here, garden beds on the left, grass on the right,” and so on and so forth.

You are thinking about landscape design in a horizontal manner – there is nothing wrong with that, I do the same. But when you’re dealing with smaller spaces, the horizontality of the space can be somewhat limited. Therefore, we have to start thinking outside the box and look at the space on a vertical axis.

Softscaping

Columnar trees are best. Swedish Columnar Aspens, and if you’re wanting a year-round coniferous option, Columnar Blue Spruce is a great choice. In terms of shrubs, I always recommend Karl Foerster Grass because they are very hardy, look wonderful year round, and are columnar.

Hardscaping

Landscaping structures like pergolas, privacy screens and arbour scan do wonders for your yard. The main thing they do is draw your eyes up, and anytime your eye links the landscape with the sky, it’s a wonderful feeling. Trust me, look at the sky next time you’re looking at a beautifully done landscape, it invokes an internal emotion.

Tip #3: Choose a focal point: Hardscape or Softscape

You have to make a decision. Do you want more hardscaping or more softscaping in your backyard?

Sure, technically you can do both, but (depending on size) ultimately one will dominate the space. Your destination point will dictate that answer.

For example, if you want a lounging area, chances are that you are going to have a deck or a patio dominate the space. As the rule of thumb goes: 12’ x 12’ for comfortable seating whether it’s cooking, dining or lounging around a fire pit.

Conversely, if your destination point is to play, you have to decide if you want your kids being able to play sports (which sport?), or if you’re investing in a play structure. This will dictate the overall soft landscaping required in your small backyard.

Make a choice, stick by it. That destination point – hardscape or softscape – is the focal point in your small backyard landscaping design.

Tip #4: Form follows function

All design fields, both interior and exterior, have always adhered to a famous concept propounded by American architect Louis Sullivan. He said that projects should first intend the function of the space, then let the form follow from it.

You need to know what you’re designing before you begin to put forms to it, whether they’re rectilinear or curvilinear. Spacing and scale becomes paramount, and even more so when trying to propose a landscape design for small spaces because the room for error is so little.

This ties into our first tip: your destination point. Understand what you need the space for, then allow that to determine what size you’ll need it to be.

Once you establish the type (dining?) and size (12’ x 12’?) of that destination, you can begin to form it according to your taste in conjunction with the overall space you have to work with. Some like the rectilinear shape while others prefer the curvilinear shape.

I personally look at the lay of the land, the existing form of the house and allow those elements to form my form (no pun intended!).

Tip #5: Color and texture

So, you know you want a patio space as a dominant destination point in your small backyard. You also know you need ample space to entertain your friends on a Saturday night around the fire pit.

You’ve measured things out and realize you have the space for it, and have created a beautiful form that compliments the house for your space.

All done right? Wrong.

There is one last step: selecting the right product and color that will yield particular textures to your landscape. This, in turn, can make or break the landscape design of your small backyard.

Often times, Calgary landscapers tend to go with a small handful of paving stones to sell to the client. This is for a couple reasons: one, the cost is cheap. Two, it’s easy to install.

You need to fully explore different options (and grab samples if you have to) so you can try to match the house.

As a landscape design expert in Calgary, I always encourage my clients to understand the patterns and textures that will be created with the selected products. I want them to understand the color options they clients have, and then show them how my landscape design proposal will accentuate their small backyard.

Proposing viable landscape design ideas for small backyards or small spaces isn’t difficult. It just requires a little more ‘out of the box’ thinking and finding landscaping companies in Calgary that can do this.

Give Tazscapes a call and see if we can design your small yard into your own personal oasis!

Would you ever buy a house without seeing a floor plan first? Probably not, right?
So why would you have someone take a shovel to your yard without first seeing or hiring a professional landscape designer?

Hiring A Professional Landscape Designer Will Save You Time & Money!

I’ve been doing Calgary landscaping projects for many years now and the most frequent statement I hear from homeowners is that landscape designs don’t really matter because if the construction contractor knows what he’s doing – “it’s all good”.

Another reason I often hear is the construction contractor will design and build for me.

And the most popular reason goes to: “Sorry, It’s too expensive” – which basically means that you don’t think of it as a valuable investment.

While these are all respectable points, my gut response is always: “Good luck”.

Here are 3 Reasons Why Hiring a Professional Landscape Designer Will Be of Great Benefit To You

1. Only a Professional Landscape Designer, is a True Landscape Designer

It’s easy to just put a bunch of lines on paper and call it a design drawing – what most self-proclaimed designers think. But without any formal training in the details of landscape design, we, in the trades industry, call it: ‘chicken-scratches’.

Has this self-proclaimed designer taken a proper site analysis? i.e. Shoot grades?
No, not just looked and guessed “oh, you’ll need a two feet wall” – I mean actually taken elevation shots to see how the existing land is shaped?
Have they really listened to your personal needs and come up with a solution that not only is aesthetically pleasing but fully functional?
Have they dissected the details of how different elements work within a yard – i.e. the Dominant element in conjunction with sub-dominant and subordinate elements?
What about properly defining transition spaces and destination spaces? How about a conceptual framework for the overall project?

I can go on and on but I think you get the point. You can’t have someone who learned a CAD design software just draw something random on paper and call it a ‘landscape design’ because, in the end, only a landscape designer can be the landscape designer.

2. A Good Professional Landscape Designer HAS Formal Education and Experience

In the last 10 years in being in the landscape design and landscape construction field – from a university master’s degree in landscape architecture to working as a landscape labourer, to working in an architectural firm, to working for Calgary landscape contractors – I’ve seen it all and there is a BIG difference!

How do design educators think? How do landscape architects think? How do landscape contractors think? and How do landscape designers think?
I’ve also learned very quickly when specifically working with landscaping trades for about 6 years now, what quality workmanship is and what a ‘corner-cut’ project is.

I’ve seen my design vision for space come to reality and it’s the most gratifying feeling ever.

I’ve also seen my design vision for space turn into a nightmare, and that is not as pleasing to see. By hiring a professional landscape designer you will partner with someone who has the education, and the experience to back that education, so to help you avoid making mistakes they’ve encountered in the past.

You also want the landscape construction contractor to have a reliable track record – not Joe Blow (poor Joe – he’s always being singled out) contractor who started his company with a truck and a lawnmower because he needs his weekend beer money.

3. Hiring A Professional Landscape Designer Comes With a Price

I get it. When you think that a designer just draws a pretty picture (if they actually do) and to have to pay them $800, $1000, or even up to $3000 for it – On the surface seems a bit ridiculous when you don’t understand the details that (should) go into it – Everything from site analysis to form and function – a typical home-owner (not all) often question it.

The thing to understand is nothing in this world is free. Remember that. And if you’re planning to spend money this summer on landscaping your yard, you have to ask yourself: whether I’m going to spend $5000 or $150,000 on my yard, Should I have on paper what I’m going to be paying for?

Because the last thing you want is a miscommunication with the contractor regarding your agreement – so not only will it tell you what you’ll be getting but also acts as a contract between you and your landscaping contractor. Note: Often times landscapers will even waive the cost of the drawing if you decide to use their services.

Take a look at some of our landscape design portfolio and you will clearly see the professional difference that sets us apart from the rest.

I hope this shines a bit of light on why you need a professional landscape designer before diving into your next landscaping project contact Tazscapes Inc. Calgary Landscapers and learn why we can help you save money!.