How to Become a Garden Designer

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A garden designer is a professional who creates the layout or flow of a garden as well as picking the right types of plants for the area. Some of these professionals train in the art of landscape architecture, which gives them the ability to take a much more formal approach and be hands on in all aspects of the garden. If you want to become a garden designer you need to gain experience in gardening and learn more about the various plants in your area.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Step1

Attend horticulture classes either as a part-time or full-time student. There are dozens of schools in the U.S. alone that offer degrees in this field, while many others offer classes in landscape architecture or design. Getting a degree in design or graphic design can help quite a bit as many garden designers work with computer programs.

Step2

Intern or work for a garden supply store, preferably one with a focus on plants and flowers. This is the time to start cold calling all those nurseries and garden centers in your area. You can skip over the big home improvement stores and mega stores with a garden area because they probably won’t help much. Working or interning in a smaller store can get you some hands on experience in how to work with plants and how to use certain tools.

Step3

Practice by designing your own garden. Even if you only have a small amount of space you can learn how to design a garden by looking at what plants and flowers work together in that area. If you do a good job on your own garden, you might even pick up a few jobs from your friends, family and neighbors.

Step4

Get experience in the landscaping world in any way possible. Some of the best garden designers in the world started out working for landscaping companies. They dug holes, planted trees and even mowed lawns to work their way up. If you’re willing to show hard work and get your hands dirty, your boss will notice your work ethic.

Step5

Learn about the plants and flowers that are native to your own area. Before you ever start designing a garden, you need to know about the plants and flowers in your area. Choosing a palm tree when you live in a cold climate doesn’t work that well. Your clients are going to depend on you to make the right choices for their home and climate.

Tips & Warnings

The American Society of Landscape Architecture is an excellent place to get started on a career in this field. You can look for meetings and groups in your area, upload your resume and even look for jobs all around the world.
Don’t think you can just jump right into the world of garden design by advertising yourself to people in your neighborhood. Most people want someone with experience and if you don’t have experience, it’s going to show.