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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Landscape Designer here: Everything you’re asking for is what I do but little of it would be part of my initial consult. That discussion sure focuses on your questions but more importantly it focuses on your goals. If you want walkeays but have a drainage issue-I’ll know that I can possibly solve one while building the other. I can give an assesment as far as if wall is failing but until I investigate why-I can’t tell you how to rebuild so it doesn’t happen again.

That initial meriting is where I understand your aesthetic and you tell me your budget. I would not be sketching out a rough design for you: I don’t give my design work away for free and I don’t even credit you for it if you decide to hire me to installl it as I create a plan for hour landscape and then figure out how to accomplish it within uour hoped for costs and don’t pad the installation fees to cover the hours spent designing it.

And re this first meeting: I’ve gone back and forth on charging for my first visit but have decided that the $150 wasn’t worth it as I can usually tell from first ‘contact’ of the prospective client is serious and I’m happy to invest an hour of my time firguring out how I’ll approach their particular space-and not offer the same design done yard after yard.

While I’m sure there’s someone who’ll do what you want for free I can tell that you don’t understand how a well designed landscape plan despite actually costing something gives you a valuable path towards addressing every single one of your questions. I think I’ve been around enough that I’d pick up on your intention of taking my time with no intention of hiring me. Luckily I only met with someone like you once last year and with the rest-85% hired me, 15% decided not to proceed with the work wether it was because they didn’t think I was going to provide what they were looking for or/and Icost too much.

I know I’m coming off cranky and abrupt but you sound like a client no one would want.[/quote]

Thanks for the info. I should be clear that this is the very rough initial stages. I just bought the house so I want to see what happens during the spring and summer, if there are flowers or shrubs I might keep, etc. I’m not looking for a full design or sketch. By rough sketch, I literally meant a box drawn in ballpoint with a couple curvles to show beds or where a walkway might go. I know nothing about gardening so I don’t have an aesthetic or preferences yet and don’t have a budget, which is why I don’t want to buckle down with a full on design session yet, which of course I’m happy to pay for.

I’m still interested in a free consult if anyone can point me in that direction. I really just need someone to come over and give me basics to start with, like say, “ Ok, your retaining wall is rotting, but you should replace in x weather or conditions” or “Wall needs to be done ASAP but here are options in stone or concrete” and “Those beds/pathways don’t make sense, what about doing a bed along the fence” or “These two trees are dying and need to be cut down” or “These beds are full of weeds” vs “These beds are actually full of good plants.” [/quote]

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