You want a landscape designer, not a contractor. Tell them you want JUST A PLAN, with a list of species and alternates, that you can implement yourself over time.

I do design only as a service in addition to installations. Don't know where you are, but searching online for landscape designers and going to their websites, you should be able to see if they offer design only. Otherwise, it is not uncommon for someone to do a plan for you remotely, especially if it is fairly simple and you provide them with good site information. Here is an example of how I show example designs for people who only want a plan and do it themselves.

Why should somebody pay for something 'fairly simple'?

Mike...just askin'.

Mike - really?? Think about it a minute. It's "fairly simple" to paint a house......yet many folks hire it done. Similarly, it is well below "fairly simple" to mow a lawn yet again, many folks hire it done. And fully expect to pay for those services.

Granted, landscape design is not exactly rocket science but it is not a skill set that everyone possesses. Nor wish to go through the learning curve to create a successful one on their own, even one that is "fairly simple". It is a time and skill service that is sold, just as the lawn mowing or painting is. Why shouldn't someone pay for that service?

When you were actively landscaping, you charged for your services regardless of how simple or complicated they might have been. 'Simple' generally requires less time involved so a lower fee than a more 'complicated' project, but I doubt you donated your time and skills :-) Why should creating a design-only plan be any different??

Regarding "simple" vs. "not-so-simple," it seems to me that the more inexperienced in landscape design one is, the more likely it is that they will try to add complexity to the scheme, with committed "gardeners," beholden to their love of plants, sometimes taking complexity to the extreme and ending up with "busy" or hodgepodge results. A client is paying not just for someone's time, but their expertise, which is why it's best to find someone whose work one likes (by seeing examples) ... and then refrain from over-managing the work. If everyone had the ability to create good landscape design, they would just do it. In fact, very few people understand how good design comes about. Most are "used to" and satisfied with mediocre results, which are the standard "builder's landscape.

While I've seen landscape design 'by remote' harshly criticized on this forum, I agree with JSL that there is nothing particularly extraordinary about doing it, especially if it's limited to planting design. It partly depends on the site but is mostly a matter of the client providing good detailed information, much of which will come from photos. (Note though, it is often like pulling teeth to get people to provide decent photos on this forum! A paying client would need to provide better and much more comprehensive photos. But it's very do-able.) While they may be a few things that can't be done by remote, they are not things that prevent good planting design from being accomplished. Obviously, it's going to get more complicated if grading and hardscape are needed.

LLP, you'll meet with animosity if you barrage the forum with advertising or solicitations for work. It's prohibited as per the Houzz TOS.

While I greatly respect Yardvaark's opinions and the excellent advice he provides, I am one that questions the efficacy of a design prepared 'remotely'; i.e. online. Even with a simple planting plan (IMO, the least design governed aspect of a garden design), one is going to get a much better sense of scale, bed depth, views both from inside and out and the ever important genus loci from an onsite design consultation. And then there are the intricacies of plant selection that are so very regional in nature........a design prepared online by a Midwest designer is unlikely to offer suitable plant selections for a California garden and vice versa. Plants are not at all universal in their suitability and application in all areas and a designer that is more regional to the area in question is going to know better what works well in that area.

I hope what you do take away from this thread is that obtaining a design-only plan should not be difficult to accomplish. Many designers - even design/build companies - will gladly prepare a design-only plan. It is just a matter of making some calls or tapping some local resources to see who in your area offers these services.

Be very upfront about wanting to do everything yourself so you're not wasting your time or theirs. Beyond that, I'm with gardengal on the local design thing. I'll do space planning and hardscape design for someone pretty much anywhere, but planting design is very much of the place. I flat out will not do planting plans for a place I haven't lived, because I feel it's a disservice to the client.

Funny example: potential client cam to me with a godawful plan cooked up by some random online design dollar store. The icing on the cake? They specified 8' hollies in a variety they had clearly found and read up on online and didn't know a blessed thing about. Because these hollies had just finished field trials and had just become commercially available that year, there was nothing on this planet for sale taller than 18-24".

I'm not saying that online design is superior to local design, just that it's do-able, and probably in many cases, adequate. It has the potential to be much less expensive, if someone figures out how to deliver the services. Personally I believe, like many other offerings via the Internet, that it will be a viable option for the future. It's entirely dependent on information collected and provided by the client and it takes a fair amount of information in order to produce good design. The weak point, as I see it, is getting the client to provide this information. We see here how reticent people are about providing decent photos. It might take a hundred or more well organized photos and a lot of words. Now, it's pretty much theoretical as I don't believe anyone has worked out a slick, comprehensive method of accomplishing this. Nevertheless, depending on client needs, I think there is a great deal that can be offered if someone wants to make the effort. I've had a few occasions to help people via remote and say that from my perspective, it's MUCH more time consuming trying to get a client to collect information as opposed to just doing it myself. There is also the future potential to employ some very sophisticated technology in order to collect data. Personally, I'd like to be the smart dude who figured out how to make many millions by coming up with the "go to" web site for landscape design! However, I think it will be one very expensive website that relies on software tools yet to be invented. I would work on this if I could first win the MegaMillions lottery.

I do design for my clients, but that also involves installation. Try a local nursery--the ones around me will do straight landscape design and they'll also walk the nursery with you and help you find stuff you like. The benefit to that over online design is that they know what specifically thrives in your part of the world, not just what will grow there.......

http://www.hallslandscapers.com

Hello, I am a horticulturist and landscape designer. Although I have a landscaping company offering a wide range of services locally (Cyclades, Greece), I do a lots of remote jobs, designing commercial and residential gardens. I have a tried and tested method and helped with garden owners with their designs remotely in the UK, several locations, Paris, France and Warsaw, Poland. Contact me to discuss your needs, what you need is basically a planting plan well suited for your soil conditions and location and a clear plant's list that use to make your purchases. (http://www.greekvillaparos.gr)

GardenGal, thanks for the explanation of why somebody would pay for 'something simple'. You make it so clear. :-)

Back to getting sufficient information from the client. So far all I've seen when requesting info it's from the street. What does it look like from the street? I'm more interested as to what it looks like when I see out the windows. Nobody asks for that view. I feel that's it's very important when designing a landscape. I live in my house, not out on the street. Just because it looks good from the street doesn't mean it's doing the job looking at it from the inside. Like screening where needed and preserving good views, surface water management, etc.

I am on Vancouver Island and looking for someone to do landscape/hardscape design. I have a company to do the pavers but I find they tend to suggest or push ideas that are perhaps a bit more elaborate than necessary - more money for them. I am not trying to skimp on money, just want to see something ore low maintenance etc.

I have a big area to do (about 1800 sqft) which will include a 15'x25' covered timber frame (pergola) with outdoor kitchen.

Murray, why don't you privately contact (via Houzz messaging) one of the designers who've written on this thread and see if they are able to help you. If you're looking for someone who will visit your property (as opposed to doing work by remote), start with Gardengal as she is somewhere near your neck of the woods. (Not sure how far exactly.) If she is not positioned to help you, she may know of someone who can. If you're up for having it done remotely, the list of potential designers grows.