What Garden Designers Have Learned From Early Career Mistakes
Three garden pros on Houzz share the invaluable lessons that have helped their businesses to grow
Amanda Pollard
7 April 2021
Senior Editor at Houzz UK and Ireland. Journalist and editor specialising in interiors and architecture.
Senior Editor at Houzz UK and Ireland. Journalist and editor specialising in interiors... More
The journey to career success is rarely straightforward, but it’s those early stumbling blocks that can build resilience. As part of our career growth series of stories, we asked three garden designers on Houzz to share the tips they’ve gained from years of experience in their profession.
Contributing professionals: Nic Howard of We Love Plants; Christian Green of Green & Gorgeous; Peter Reader of Peter Reader Landscapes
Also in this series: 6 Things Interior Designers Learned From Early Career Mistakes l What Houzz Pros Learned from Running a Business in 2020
Contributing professionals: Nic Howard of We Love Plants; Christian Green of Green & Gorgeous; Peter Reader of Peter Reader Landscapes
Also in this series: 6 Things Interior Designers Learned From Early Career Mistakes l What Houzz Pros Learned from Running a Business in 2020
Look after yourself
Enthusiasm is key for doing great work, but it’s important to balance this with rest, Peter Reader says.
“When I started my business as a sole trader, it was all very exciting and I loved the work. This meant I was very happy to work long hours and finish stuff at weekends,” he recalls. “I was even happy to take calls and answer non-urgent emails if I was on holiday. For a while this is manageable, but it’s not sustainable, nor is it fair on your family, if you have one.”
The answer to maintaining that balance is to take time for breaks and not work ridiculous hours. “Otherwise, you’ll find yourself becoming burned out, not enjoying the job, and resenting the imposition of clients on your life, rather than enjoying working with them,” he says. “A good answer message and out-of-office email reply will keep most people happy. You can look at emails just once a day when it fits into your time. Leaving the mobile in the hotel safe is a sure way of it not disturbing you. Your health and work/life enjoyment are important.”
Nic Howard also emphasises the importance of delegation. “As a business grows, it’s so important to allocate the areas of the business that are not your passion or skillset,” he says. If the workings of the company aren’t under control, then it very quickly becomes chaos. It’s also invaluable to build up a list of trusted, enthusiastic and skilled craftspeople to back up your projects.”
You might also like 6 Time-saving Tips to Prevent Admin Tasks Taking Over.
Enthusiasm is key for doing great work, but it’s important to balance this with rest, Peter Reader says.
“When I started my business as a sole trader, it was all very exciting and I loved the work. This meant I was very happy to work long hours and finish stuff at weekends,” he recalls. “I was even happy to take calls and answer non-urgent emails if I was on holiday. For a while this is manageable, but it’s not sustainable, nor is it fair on your family, if you have one.”
The answer to maintaining that balance is to take time for breaks and not work ridiculous hours. “Otherwise, you’ll find yourself becoming burned out, not enjoying the job, and resenting the imposition of clients on your life, rather than enjoying working with them,” he says. “A good answer message and out-of-office email reply will keep most people happy. You can look at emails just once a day when it fits into your time. Leaving the mobile in the hotel safe is a sure way of it not disturbing you. Your health and work/life enjoyment are important.”
Nic Howard also emphasises the importance of delegation. “As a business grows, it’s so important to allocate the areas of the business that are not your passion or skillset,” he says. If the workings of the company aren’t under control, then it very quickly becomes chaos. It’s also invaluable to build up a list of trusted, enthusiastic and skilled craftspeople to back up your projects.”
You might also like 6 Time-saving Tips to Prevent Admin Tasks Taking Over.
Confront problems head-on
If you have worries about a particular aspect of a job, Peter strongly advises you address them early on.
“When you’re in the flow of a design that seems to be falling nicely into place, it’s easy to ignore the odd detail that doesn’t quite fit or work, but that you’re sure can be sorted out on site. It can be easy to hope that the contractor will come up with some clever way around the problem,” he says.
“Sometimes this can be true, but not always,” he continues, “and you can end up in embarrassing conversations with both the client and the contractor about why the design won’t work and how you’re going to have to do things differently.
“My advice is, don’t gloss over your concerns, but work through them thoroughly to deliver a solution or design change that resolves them,” he says. “I find construction detailing drawings very helpful in this process, as they’re great at highlighting glitches and give you the time and space to solve them before they become a problem.”
If you have worries about a particular aspect of a job, Peter strongly advises you address them early on.
“When you’re in the flow of a design that seems to be falling nicely into place, it’s easy to ignore the odd detail that doesn’t quite fit or work, but that you’re sure can be sorted out on site. It can be easy to hope that the contractor will come up with some clever way around the problem,” he says.
“Sometimes this can be true, but not always,” he continues, “and you can end up in embarrassing conversations with both the client and the contractor about why the design won’t work and how you’re going to have to do things differently.
“My advice is, don’t gloss over your concerns, but work through them thoroughly to deliver a solution or design change that resolves them,” he says. “I find construction detailing drawings very helpful in this process, as they’re great at highlighting glitches and give you the time and space to solve them before they become a problem.”
Do the maths
Keeping a budget on track is a one of the biggest challenges for a designer, Christian Green says.
“Certainly in those first few projects, it’s very easy to get lost in the form of the design and rather lose control of the budget,” he explains. “This can then involve reworking the entire scheme to fit the client’s needs. Understanding the inherent costs in the construction of a garden space and all of the variables that surround this does take time, but putting in the work, with in-depth research and good old-fashioned number crunching, always pays dividends.”
Nic recommends you think about your value as a designer right from the start of a project. “We now always charge for an initial consultation and this ensures the client is committed to the process,” he says. “We ensure we leave the client with lots of ideas and options, and a renewed enthusiasm for their space.”
If you’re using our Houzz Pro management software, take a look at the daily log tool, which can help you to communicate your pricing strategy to clients clearly and transparently.
Keeping a budget on track is a one of the biggest challenges for a designer, Christian Green says.
“Certainly in those first few projects, it’s very easy to get lost in the form of the design and rather lose control of the budget,” he explains. “This can then involve reworking the entire scheme to fit the client’s needs. Understanding the inherent costs in the construction of a garden space and all of the variables that surround this does take time, but putting in the work, with in-depth research and good old-fashioned number crunching, always pays dividends.”
Nic recommends you think about your value as a designer right from the start of a project. “We now always charge for an initial consultation and this ensures the client is committed to the process,” he says. “We ensure we leave the client with lots of ideas and options, and a renewed enthusiasm for their space.”
If you’re using our Houzz Pro management software, take a look at the daily log tool, which can help you to communicate your pricing strategy to clients clearly and transparently.
Build your knowledge
As experience grows, garden designers get to know what works and what doesn’t in a space, but, at first, the options available can feel confusing.
“It’s very easy to become overwhelmed by the range and choice of planting available, ideas from the client, and the latest in-vogue species,” Christian says. “Working with trusted and reliable species while pushing your own design boundaries to explore new options is a delicate balancing act.
“In my early designs, I found some elements were not as successful as I believed they should be based on my research, simply because I didn’t fully understand the plants’ needs and requirements,” he says. “Over time as a designer, you develop a better and deeper understanding of the delicate factors that are involved in a planting scheme being a success. Looking in detail at the surrounding space and picking up on other environmental signs regarding the conditions can really help to guide the planting design.”
As experience grows, garden designers get to know what works and what doesn’t in a space, but, at first, the options available can feel confusing.
“It’s very easy to become overwhelmed by the range and choice of planting available, ideas from the client, and the latest in-vogue species,” Christian says. “Working with trusted and reliable species while pushing your own design boundaries to explore new options is a delicate balancing act.
“In my early designs, I found some elements were not as successful as I believed they should be based on my research, simply because I didn’t fully understand the plants’ needs and requirements,” he says. “Over time as a designer, you develop a better and deeper understanding of the delicate factors that are involved in a planting scheme being a success. Looking in detail at the surrounding space and picking up on other environmental signs regarding the conditions can really help to guide the planting design.”
Consider client relationships
While many partnerships will work well, some won’t – and it’s OK to acknowledge that.
“Sometimes, you just get the feeling this project is not going to be easy due to the client’s ideas or expectations,” Peter says. “We’re so focused on getting the work, we can often push these thoughts to the back of our minds. My experience, though, is that my ‘sixth sense’ is usually correct, so it’s best to either walk away or make it absolutely clear in your communications what your agreement with the client is and what is and isn’t possible.”
Nic has also learned to go with his gut instinct when it comes to clients and projects. “I now only work with lovely clients on projects where we both share the same vision for the space. Life’s too short and valuable to spend energy trying to match someone with a different aesthetic.”
While many partnerships will work well, some won’t – and it’s OK to acknowledge that.
“Sometimes, you just get the feeling this project is not going to be easy due to the client’s ideas or expectations,” Peter says. “We’re so focused on getting the work, we can often push these thoughts to the back of our minds. My experience, though, is that my ‘sixth sense’ is usually correct, so it’s best to either walk away or make it absolutely clear in your communications what your agreement with the client is and what is and isn’t possible.”
Nic has also learned to go with his gut instinct when it comes to clients and projects. “I now only work with lovely clients on projects where we both share the same vision for the space. Life’s too short and valuable to spend energy trying to match someone with a different aesthetic.”
Focus on function
It’s tempting to want to include all your design ideas in a client’s space, but our garden professionals recommend reining yourself in a little.
“There’s always a lot of pressure to produce the most stunning spaces in garden design – this is, after all, why we do what we do,” Christian says. “Early in my career I found it was very easy to become heavily focused on forms within a plan and completely miss detailed aspects of the functionality of the garden space as a result. Keeping in mind desire lines and the ease and comfort of movement through a space while retaining the striking aesthetics of the design is a skill that takes time to develop.”
“It’s always important to step back and be clear that you are designing the garden for the client’s needs (not your design needs) and for the space available (not how much clever stuff you want to include),” Peter adds. “Less is often more, and it’s important to have enough physical space in the garden for what you design in, for it to function properly.
“This is as important in hardscape as it is in plant choice,” he continues. “You need to allow enough space around a table for chairs to be pushed back and for circulation around them, just as much as you need to give a shrub enough space to grow to its expected size.”
Tell us…
What have you learned from mistakes you made early in your career? Share your tips in the Comments.
It’s tempting to want to include all your design ideas in a client’s space, but our garden professionals recommend reining yourself in a little.
“There’s always a lot of pressure to produce the most stunning spaces in garden design – this is, after all, why we do what we do,” Christian says. “Early in my career I found it was very easy to become heavily focused on forms within a plan and completely miss detailed aspects of the functionality of the garden space as a result. Keeping in mind desire lines and the ease and comfort of movement through a space while retaining the striking aesthetics of the design is a skill that takes time to develop.”
“It’s always important to step back and be clear that you are designing the garden for the client’s needs (not your design needs) and for the space available (not how much clever stuff you want to include),” Peter adds. “Less is often more, and it’s important to have enough physical space in the garden for what you design in, for it to function properly.
“This is as important in hardscape as it is in plant choice,” he continues. “You need to allow enough space around a table for chairs to be pushed back and for circulation around them, just as much as you need to give a shrub enough space to grow to its expected size.”
Tell us…
What have you learned from mistakes you made early in your career? Share your tips in the Comments.
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You are so on point! Well said and we’ll written.
"If you have worries about a particular aspect of a job, Reader strongly advises that you address them early on."
Biggest and most consistent - client wants to play their kazoo in the orchestra and help direct with the conductor. Their role is audience which is the most powerful position in the project arrangement. No happy audience - no production. I recently told a prospective client - anyone can put groceries in a bag - then you watch the people at the state fair in competitive bagging. I let the experts do their job and request the same. And please have all the items to be put in the bag there when I start - "Oh, whoops forgot this 18 pound ham - just put it on top of the tortilla chips - no need to repack the whole thing".
This is very delicate subject to bring up and resolve but if it isn't it will haunt you the whole project. Some people know this intuitively, some need the boundaries defined (repeatedly).
Excellent article…understanding the expectations of clients are extremely valuable aspects that creates excitement, and in the end a beautiful garden that’s created just for them