er, disagreed, insisting the existing shrubs had to go. The result was a very unprofessional confrontation (picture a 50-year-old man having the temper tantrum of a toddler). Now the drama pendulum has swung too far the other way, but there is a point to the story: What if an installer who also knows design is installing for a designer? Do changes in design occur during installation? People are quick to assume it’ll be an ego bout when two designers are working together on a project; that’s the worst case scenario (Doesn’t that just take the soul out of our work?). The clients bought the designer’s plan, not the contractor’s opinion. The landscape designer has likely spent hours with the homeowners, looking at various options, making revisions and sharing laughs. The designer has listened carefully to everything the clients have said. This is what personalizes each design. This is what makes the designer’s ideas a little more suitable than the contractor’s. The exception to the rule, of course, is when the landscape design includes a tangible error. Sousa had a great example. “We
had a situation where an inlay paver was four inches, but the other paver was 2-3/8 inches. The designer spec’d it, but I should have caught that. At the end of the day, it’s the contractor’s job to make sure the design is something we can build. And it’s written right on the design, make sure you’re doing your due diligence and make sure measurements are correct.”
HEADING OFF PROBLEMS Back in Kawartha Lakes, Hubble also installs for architects, and while he has not had creative differences with design partners, he has experienced logistical challenges. That has led to Hubble standing his ground on the need for design changes when his experience told him problems were on the horizon. “Last summer during installation we found we were short one riser in the set of steps we were building,” explained Trevor Twardawa of Niagara Outdoor Landscaping in Beamsville, Ont. And? Did you fire the designer? Yell? Say bad words? Throw things? “Not at all,” Twardawa laughed. It was a lesson learned for everyone.
During my research, I found that politeness and political correctness abounds. Somewhat satisfied with the harmonious replies received from all areas of the industry, I was still on the hunt for something definitive. Enter Rod McDonald of Saskatchewan, regular contributor to Landscape Trades, retired garden centre owner extraordinaire with over 28 years in the biz. As readers, you know he shoots straight from the hip, writing must-read articles every month. Faithfully, he was at the Designers’ Conference. I approached and asked, “How often do you make changes to your plans once the crew is on site?” MacDonald’s wise, knowing eyes twinkled, and he said, “As soon as the shovel LT hits the ground. Every time.”
Audriana VanderWerf is an Ontario-based landscape design pro and a Certified Landscape Designer.
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