Forum home Garden design
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Looking to start a business and need advice

13

Posts

  • Thanks domino man 

    are classroom courses better?

    and what would you go for

    garden design?

    gardening?

    bricklaying?

    hedgelaying?

  • dominomandominoman Posts: 150

    I'd go for Garden Design, for the reasons above.  It's the first part of the process.

    When you get some work doing a garden design you have a customer right at the beginning before they are getting quotes for patios or fencing or hedges. 

    From there you are their friend and can help them through the rest of the process.  If you are responsive and empathetic they will ask for your advice all the way through. 

    Ideally you end up managing the contractors that do the rest of the work - which puts you in a powerful position where you can pick and choose the parts you want to do.

  • dominomandominoman Posts: 150

    I wouldnt say classroom is necessarily better or worse than web/postal courses.  It depends on your learning preference.  Do you like having people around you for ideas and guidance, or do you work better at your own pace.

    Rachel Matthews does an online course that looks good.

  • To be honest I like to bounce ideas of each other so classroom would be for me than you can learn from others

  • What's the best garden design course out there

  • Yes I always am reliable and on time, need to find a course

  • WonkyWombleWonkyWomble Posts: 4,538

    Jo, you sound a fascinating lady! I'm very keen on archaeology, but unfortunately my history teacher at school was useless and not inspiring....a date reciter! Did a degree in English lit and lang as it was the only thing I was good at as a mature student...but would have loved to do history... Oh well...there's still time! Best of luck with your PhD! image 

    Good luck with the business venture Nick!

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    Hi Nick - can I just say that a good working knowledge of plants in general is vital to do the designing bit. You might have a great design but if you're putting plants in all the wrong places it's a disaster. A lot of the necessary information can be gained from reading and researching so it's worth doing that alongside, or before,  any designing. All design courses will have a plant section anyway so look online for books, and also in libraries or charity shops. Read as much as you can and good luck with it  image

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • dominomandominoman Posts: 150

    Definitely agree knowledge of plants will be essential.  But all the same I'd start with learning about structure and layout. 

    Once you have the right bones in place then everything else (colour, balance, repetition, height) can be achieved through good planting, along with a knwopedge of the soil type, drainage and aspect.

    Get the layout wrong and there's only so much you can achieve with planting.

  • Ok great

Sign In or Register to comment.