So, what is the difference between landscape architects and landscape or garden designers? Apparently, more than you may realize.
Landscape Architects
To legally call yourself a landscape architect, you must have a bachelor's and/or master's degree in landscape architecture from a university and be licensed by the state in order to design and work on landscape projects. Traditionally, they attend colleges accredited by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) and have passed the required exams to become licensed. A good landscape architect has experience or has training to work with challenging issues in both commercial and residential sites, including:
- Steep slops
- Retaining walls
- Irrigation and drainage systems
- Designing outdoor structures
- Solving elevation problems
- Designing or giving advice on where to place service lines, entries, driveways and parking areas.
Landscape and Garden Designers
The primary distinction between landscape architects and landscape designers is that designers usually work on smaller residential projects. While some landscape designers may have training equivalent to a landscape architect -- especially if they have an undergraduate-or-higher degree in landscape architecture -- they do not have the state license, which is a requirement.
While some landscape designers are self-taught, most have taken courses at a college, through an extension or certificate program or online. In other words, you can't wake up one day and just decide to call yourself a landscape designer.
Most garden designers work with the soft stuff -- plants. Some landscape or garden designers may have experience with hardscaping, especially in drought-prone regions where pebbles and bark are used as often as succulents and natives. But to do any actual earth-moving construction, wall building or electrical work, a licensed landscape contractor must be brought into the project.