Design: Our Passion


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Design: Our Passion

Learn new design techniques and strategies you can immediately apply to help you grow as a landscape designer.

Selling Your Vision: A Step-By-Step Approach to Creating a Conceptual Plan
Chris Heiler | February 20th, 2010

The meaning of the word "Conceptual Plan" varies from designer to designer. Personally, I use this "Concept" as a way to sell my overall vision for the property. It's all about getting my client excited and committed to my ideas. The combination of color and drawings of different views accomplishes this. . . . keep reading

CAD Showcase 2010: Landscape Design CAD Software Demos

What is the best CAD program for landscape designers? View the recordings from the recent CAD Showcase 2010 webinar featuring CAD Software demos by Vectorworks, DynaSCAPE and Land F/X . . . keep reading

Garden and Architecture as One: Form Composition
Chris Heiler | December 10th, 2009

At a very basic level, form composition is nothing more than combining lines and arcs to form geometric shapes such as circles, squares and triangles. Learn how to use Form Composition in your landscape plans . . . keep reading

Outsourcing Your Design Work: A Case for Virtual Assistance
Kyle Burgamy | October 15th, 2009

In order to remain competitive, a landscape designer must constantly seek to improve efficiencies with their services. With the internet changing the way businesses are run, countless opportunities exist to streamline a company and increase profitability . . . keep reading

Tech Tip: How to Use PlantMaster in Your Landscape Business
Anne Chilcott

PlantMaster is a plant database that can be used during sales presentations and for creating plant booklets for your customers. You can even use PlantMaster's plant search to find plant choices based on your design parameters . . . keep reading

The Art of Presenting a Landscape Plan
Chris Heiler, Editor

For being such a critical step in the design/build process, the importance of the presentation process is many times underestimated. We need to hone our skills as "presenters" just as we hone our skills as designers . . . keep reading

How to Construct a Detailed Base Plan
Chris Heiler, Editor

Drawing a base plan, or base map, is one of the most boring tasks landscape designers face. That said, it is one of the first and most critical steps in creating a successful landscape design . . . keep reading

Water Conservation Considerations for Landscape Irrigation Design
Brad Smith

There are a number of approaches to conserving and reducing the amount of water used in landscapes. This article focuses on the use of irrigation and how this process can be enhanced to improve water conservation. . . . keep reading

June 09 Podcast: Outdoor Kitchen Design
In this months podcast, Russ Faulk of Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet discusses outdoor kitchen design and talks about the latest trends . . . keep reading

The 7 Step Landscape Design Process--Part 2
Chris Heiler - Editor

As a landscape designer, it's critical to have a step-by-step design process that you can easily explain to your prospects. In this article we'll cover steps 5 through 7 of my process . . . keep reading

The 7 Step Landscape Design Process--Part 1
Chris Heiler - Editor

As a landscape designer, it's critical to have a step-by-step design process that you can easily explain to your prospects. In this article we'll cover the first 4 steps of my process . . . keep reading

To Bulb or Not To Bulb as a Landscape Designer
Pam Duthie

Each spring as I watch for the progression of change to begin in the garden, I get very excited by the emerging season of new color from spring bulbs . . . keep reading

Video Tutorial: Planting Patterns in Plan View
Chris Heiler

In this video, I'll explain the various planting patterns such as "triangular", "linear" and "radial", and show how you can apply them in your design work . . . keep reading

Product Review: Bluebeam PDF Revu
Cheri Stringer

This pdf editing and markup program is a powerful tool for landscape designers whether you use CAD or draw by hand. It also allows the user to measure elements in a plan . . . keep reading

Colorful Landscapes are Created by the Best Observers!
Pam Duthie

Winter is the best time to evaluate color in the landscape. There are no distractions like the 'riot of color' from spring and summer flowers . . . keep reading

Podcast: The 10 Step Landscape Design Process

In this podcast, Tim Thoelecke, the founder of the American Academy of Landscape Design, shares his "10 Step Landscape Design Process". . . . keep reading

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