WANTED: Backyard landscape design on a budget

My wife and I are avid gardeners, and half way decent graphic designers , but not so hot when it comes to landscape design or strategies.

We currently have a construction project finishing up in the next few months next door (4 stories of brick now blocking us in) and will be ripping out our "oh so Bklyn" concrete patio and redoing our planting and veggie gardening area. The space is approx. 55X20 ft. with a mature eunymous, a gardening shed and planted beds (can you say hosta?).

The project includes figuring out the patio, pathways and planting areas, as I stated above, some of which already planted up (but can be moved).

We "think" we know what we want :? . We definitely know what we like and dislike...and of course are on a budget.

Looking for a landscape designer or student who could work with the two of us on a game-plan to turn our haven into a heaven. We will be doing the final work ourselves, most likely.

Any recommendations appreciated or solicitations wanted. Please PM me or post here with any questions...

Thanks in advance!

ever thought about a chinese type of garden, design the stuff around existing landscape.


thats what i did for the two gardens i did for my tenants.

I suggest you contact the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. They have classes for home gardeners but also a more advanced horticulturalist program. If you want to do it yourself they have a fantastic garden design course that walks you through the process from hardscape to picking the plants. Lots of individual attention from 2 master gardeners in a small group over several weeks. If you want to pay someone else, they could probably suggest a recent grad of the horticulture program who knows their stuff but doesn't have as much experience yet.

Check the education section at www.bbg.org

tajmb wrote: I suggest you contact the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. They have classes for home gardeners but also a more advanced horticulturalist program. If you want to do it yourself they have a fantastic garden design course that walks you through the process from hardscape to picking the plants. Lots of individual attention from 2 master gardeners in a small group over several weeks. If you want to pay someone else, they could probably suggest a recent grad of the horticulture program who knows their stuff but doesn't have as much experience yet.

Check the education section at www.bbg.org

Thanks, will contact BBG. One of the folks who we are talking to took some of the "more advanced horticulturalist programs."

Subject: landscape designer recommendation

I know a great landscape architect who has designed private garden space in brooklyn-- he is also a freelance garden and landscape design consultant- i'm sure he'd be happy to meet with you. His site is www.futuregreenstudio.com.

Well, that would be great if the DNS lead somewhere other than a holing page. Can you PM me hi/her info?

Hi- I'm a graphic designer too but I've taken enough classes to have certification at NYBG in landscape design. Not currently practicing in that field but would love to build my portfolio so I can someday. Maybe I can help you out in some capacity- advice, whatever. Could work into a mutually beneficial kind of thing. I'm kind of near your 'hood. Just signed up here and am waiting for my confirmation info from this message board. I'll PM you when I get the ok to sign in if you want.

Pics of my own garden are up on my husband's Flickr account if you want to look in the meantime. Similar story as you- lots of concrete, some plants of the hosta persuasion, garden shed, etc. We did it all ourselves and it's a work in progress (the concrete will be replaced this summer) so it is possible The link should take you to our best of with some before and after thrown in.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/finsterbaby/sets/72157605911035291/

Another tip - different 'guest'

See if a local designer offers consultations. I'm not local, but I offer consults -- it's a more economic way to get high-end advice on a low-end budget.

Typically on one of my consults the home owner tosses out their ideas (or throws up their hands in confusion at their landscape). I toss out a few ideas for pulling the idea together along with a few warnings (if needed).

It's not a design -- many times there won't be specific materials or measurements mentioned, but DIYers get lots of ideas for doing it themselves.

If you've got a good idea of what you want, a consult could be right up your alley.

lostingreenwoodhts wrote: Well, that would be great if the DNS lead somewhere other than a holing page. Can you PM me hi/her info?

just get rid of the period at the end and it works just fine.

sweet tea wrote: [quote=lostingreenwoodhts]Well, that would be great if the DNS lead somewhere other than a holing page. Can you PM me hi/her info?

just get rid of the period at the end and it works just fine.

Still is just a holding page (big jpeg file). No matter, meeting with them tomorrow

Thanks.

Thanks to all who posted and PM'd

We have narrowed the playing field to two folks and will make a decision this week. I'll hopefully post a success story in the upcoming months.