By
eHow Home & Garden Editor
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Step1
Call nurseries and garden centers that offer design services or ask for recommendations. Ask friends and neighbors with beautiful gardens who did their work; a well-conceived, well-laid-out and beautiful garden is its own recommendation. Contact professional designers and design firms.
Step2
Look into employing a landscape architect--especially if your project is high-end, complex, or involves structures and landscaping. This is a licensed professional with a college degree in the field, who is trained to work with contractors, draw architectural plans and get permits from cities for work projects. For more information, including local contacts, see the Web site of the American Society of Landscape Architects (asla.org).
Step3
Consider a landscape designer, who may be certified and may have a college degree in the field. Check with the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (apld.org).
Step4
Ask to see a portfolio of the designer's work. View actual gardens he or she has designed.
Step5
Determine your budget. Landscaping projects can bloom into tens of thousands of dollars depending on construction requirements.
Step6
Decide what the scope of work will be, both beforehand and in consultation with the designer or landscaper. You can ask the designer to draw up complete plans or to suggest plants and landscaping ideas for only some parts of the garden.
Step7
Find out how you will be billed: by the hour, a flat fee for a plan (a modest plan may range from $200 to $1,500), as a percentage of the project's total cost, or for the whole project. Ask what the fee schedule is. How involved will the designer be during construction and planting? Will the designer supervise installation or will it be turned over to a contractor?
Step8
Start early in the year. The winter season is the best time to consult with a designer. You'll be ready to go when spring weather arrives.
Step9
Check your municipal landscaping codes. Certain cities have design-review procedures for landscape improvements, as well as requirements for water-conservation planting and irrigation.