I WANT TO HIRE WAYSIDE LANDSCAPE SERVICES, INC. HOW DO I PROCEED?

If, after thoroughly reviewing this web site (especially the FAQs on this page), you like what you see, and want to hire Wayside Landscape Services, Inc. to help you develop your landscape, then this is how you should proceed.

1. Complete the Design Analysis Questionnaire and e-mail back to Wayside. Begin assembling pertinent documents and information, such as surveys, house plans, pictures, etc., that will be useful to our designers.

2. Call and schedule an initial consultation at Wayside's office to discuss your project. 828-298-4599

3. Hold initial consultation at our office to discuss your project; remember to bring pertinent documents and information. There is no charge for this meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to make a final decision with regard to hiring Wayside to help you design and develop your landscape.

4. Sign Landscape Design / Consultation Contract; pay the retainer.

5. Begin the design process.

6. Eventually settle on final plan.

7. Accept Proposal to do the work; make prepayment.

8. Begin construction and installation.

9. Finish project - Enjoy!

10. Maintain what you have. Wayside will help if you want us to.

WHY DO I NEED A DESIGN? I ALREADY KNOW WHAT I WANT.

Before answering this question, let's define a few terms. DESIGN is an information gathering and problem solving "process" which is intended to culminate in a plan of attack for completing a project (see WHAT IS LANDSCAPE DESIGN?). A landscape PLAN is a communication device (it can be written, verbal, graphic, computer generated, etc.), which attempts to translate the results of the design process into a set of instructions for completing a project. The terms design and plan are not synonymous, nor are they interchangeable.

Our experience is that many people who ask this question, in fact, really don't know what they want. They may think they do, but in going through the design process, come to understand that many of their ideas just won't work on their site. Others may say they know what they want, hoping to shorten the design process, and thus reduce their design fees. Ironically, design fees for this type of client are usually higher because they try to skip vital steps in the design process, which leads to many time-consuming dead ends. They don't realize that good landscape design does not cost, it pays. The bottom line is that if a person has the education, experience, talent, and creativity of a professional landscape designer combined with the installation, construction, and maintenance experience of a veteran field supervisor, then they don't need our services; they can and should develop their own landscape. When told this many people realize they really do need our professional help. At this point, we have a client who is committed to working honestly through the design process with us, and the end result is usually a very well developed landscape.

A professional landscape designer asks questions about the site and the client that the client might not think to ask. These questions are the basis of the design process. The key to the development of a good landscape is the design process; this is the basic and founding premise on which Wayside Landscape Services, Inc. operates.

THE AREA I WANT TO LANDSCAPE IS SMALL.
CAN I ASSUME THE DESIGN WORK WILL TAKE LESS TIME, AND THEREFORE COST LESS?

There is a correlation between design fees and project size/complexity. The design process takes longer for larger, more complex projects, because there is more work to do: more information to gather, more measurements to take, more problems to solve, etc.

Small spaces, however, frequently present bigger challenges on a per-unit-of-area basis. Many people think that since the space they are dealing with is small, it must be simple and easy to deal with. The fact is, small spaces present complex and challenging problems for designers. When space is at a premium, there is little room for error. Larger spaces, on the other hand, can absorb more flaws without being severely handicapped, and, in many cases, the flaws are not even recognized except by the most trained observers. Most designers consider small spaces to be far more challenging than larger spaces.

The size of the task is usually inversely related to the size of the space. Do not confuse small with simple, where simple is equated with less expensive. As a general rule, small projects are considerably more expensive per applicable unit of measurement than larger projects. Small spaces do present big challenges!

WHAT GEOGRAPHICAL AREA DO YOU SERVE?

Most of Wayside's work is carried out in Buncombe County, N.C. At least ninety-five percent of our job sites are located within a twenty-mile radius of our headquarters in east Asheville. See map for exact location (map is located at bottom of home page). Our work sometimes takes us into the fringes of northern Henderson and Transylvania Counties, and eastern Haywood County. Beyond twenty miles, mobilization costs can become excessive.

Occasionally, we do take on distant projects (having ranged as far as 100 miles), but only under certain circumstances. Such circumstances include a customer who, for whatever reason, wants only Wayside to design and build their project, and is willing to pay the extra costs associated with distant travel. Furthermore, the project has to be large enough in scope to allow for some economy of scale; this generally precludes projects of less than about $75,000.00. The more distant the project, the larger it has to be, for economic reasons. The project site should be such that we can set up and maintain a remote project headquarters; this helps to maximize productivity and minimize mobilization costs. Access to equipment suppliers, product vendors, and reliable subcontractors local to the job site also help to make distant work more practical and cost effective.

WE DECIDED TO TERMINATE THE DESIGN PROCESS BEFORE COMPLETION.
DO WE STILL HAVE TO PAY DESIGN FEES EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T HAVE (OR NEED) A PLAN?

The design process can be terminated before completion for any number of reasons. Such reasons can include: a sudden job transfer necessitating an unexpected sale of the home; a client's eventual realization that their wants and needs exceed their budget; discovery of a site problem or other situation for which there is no practical or economically feasible solution; etc. When a client enters into a design or consultation contract with Wayside, they are agreeing to pay for the designer's time and expenses (see LANDSCAPE DESIGN / CONSULTATION CONTRACT for details). If the contract is terminated during the design process, the client is still obligated to pay for the designer's time and incurred expenses at the previously agreed upon rates. Depending on when the design process is terminated, there may be little or much meaningful documentation to reflect the designer's effort to that point. If terminated early (i.e., during or after the initial client interviews and site analyses, photography), there may be very little meaningful data or documentation to reflect the efforts of the designer. The later the design process is terminated, the more a designer will have to show for his/her effort. Such is the nature of the design process (see WHAT IS LANDSCAPE DESIGN?). It is not until the end of the process that the designer brings everything together and formulates a meaningful plan of attack. Up to that point, information, data, and ideas are still mostly disjunct and of limited value when considered separately.

It is important to repeat that, at Wayside, the client agrees to pay for the designer's time and expenses, regardless of whether a plan is generated. The landscape plan (together with its unique set of specifications) is the culmination of the landscape design process; it is the vehicle used by contractors to estimate the cost of the project and drive it to completion.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST FOR LANDSCAPE DESIGN WORK?
HOW LONG DOES THE PROCESS TAKE? WHAT IS INVOLVED?

This is a difficult question to answer, because there are so many variables that can affect the amount of time it takes for a designer to conduct the design process and arrive at a plan of attack for developing the landscape. Such variables can include the intended size, scope and complexity of the project; the quality of input from the client; the involvement and commitment of the client; unusual site problems; local or regional restrictions and ordinances; quality of communication between designer and client; etc. Because of all these variables, Wayside charges for its design / consultation services by the hour (see LANDSCAPE DESIGN / CONSULTATION CONTRACT for details).

Basically, not much can be accomplished in less than eight to ten hours and even this would be unusually fast. Between sixteen and twenty-four hours of design time would be more typical for our average projects. We feel so strongly about the importance of the design process in the development of a landscape that we rebate our design fees when we complete the job (see LANDSCAPE DESIGN / CONSULTATION CONTRACT for details). This is a win-win situation for the customer and us, and is done to remove the concern over design fees from the decision whether or not to employ a professional landscape designer.

The normal procedure and course of events at Wayside is for the designer to accumulate as much information from the client as possible before visiting the site. Such information would include a completed landscape design questionnaire (see LANDSCAPE DESIGN QUESTIONNAIRE) and relevant information about the site, such as surveys, house plans, neighborhood restrictions, etc. The designer would then visit the site with the purpose of interviewing the client and examining the proposed work area. During this initial site visit, the designer may begin collecting site data, measurements, and visual images (i.e., photographs), or he/she may want to come back and do this at a later date, depending upon the circumstances. Sometimes it is best to allow some time for assimilation of first impressions and new information before proceeding. Eventually, the client is thoroughly interviewed as to their needs and wants, and the site is thoroughly measured and photographed. This usually takes several meetings with the client and several site visits to be thorough. Rushing the design process can have negative consequences; it is prudent to emphasize accuracy and completeness rather than speed. Once the site has been thoroughly analyzed, a base map is produced. The base map is simply an accurate recording of all, or at least the most important, details of the site. Once the base map is produced, it is used in conjunction with all other previously gathered information to begin developing preliminary drawings. We usually prepare two or three preliminary drawings for the customer using the same design theory; this gives them many options, all of which will work together, so they can pick and choose. The preliminary drawings are then presented to the clients for their input. Revisions, if necessary, are made, and a final plan is produced incorporating the results of all the efforts made to-date. Specifications for completing the project are produced. At Wayside, we usually include the specifications in our proposal for doing the job. Our proposal also includes our price, or estimate, for doing the job.

Although the total amount of billable design time for a project may be the equivalent of several days of work, it is rarely spent in a continuous fashion. The design work for a project can take weeks, or even months, to complete. This is generally how long it takes for proper collection, coordination, and assimilation of multifaceted information originating from many different sources.

WHO OWNS THE PLANS, IDEAS, AND INFORMATION GENERATED DURING THE DESIGN PROCESS?

All plans, ideas, and information generated or discussed during the design process, whether written, oral, graphically represented, or electronically recorded or transmitted, are solely the property of Wayside Landscape Services, Inc. until such time as all design fees are paid in full. Any use or implementation prior to payment in full is a breach of the LANDSCAPE DESIGN / CONSULTATION CONTRACT. Any publication, reproduction, or revision prior to payment in full is a violation of copyright laws and subject to prosecution. The landscape design and consultation services provided by Wayside Landscape Services, Inc. are understood to be improvements to real property under North Carolina law, regardless of whether or not Wayside Landscape Services, Inc. actually provides construction labor or materials to implement the plan.

WHY DO YOU HOLD YOUR INITIAL CONSULTATION AT YOUR OFFICE
RATHER THAN AT MY HOUSE, OR BUSINESS?

We do this for several reasons. First, and foremost, we do it for time-management purposes. It is simply not possible for us to make a site visit to every potential client who calls us; there is just not enough time in the day. We can help more people by reducing our travel time.

Second, many of the calls we receive are from people who are shopping around for the lowest price. By making the effort to come to our office and discuss their landscape situation, potential clients are demonstrating to us that they have made a serious commitment to fulfilling one of their needs. We are looking for that level of commitment in our clients, because without it the design process cannot be successful.

Third, we feel it is important for potential clients to check us out (and vice-versa) without obligation before entering into any type of contractual agreement. At our office, we have many resources that are invaluable in helping potential clients make decisions; most of these resources would be impossible to take on a sales call. Through videos and photographs we can demonstrate how we solved other problems similar to that of the potential client. That's basically all we can do at this point. The potential client is usually going to leave this meeting without any doubt as to whether or not Wayside is the company they want to work with.

Fourth, we have a beautiful office and landscape. It is a fun and enjoyable place to visit. As you can imagine, our landscape is in a constant state of improvement as we test and explore new ideas and materials. It would be difficult to leave without taking at least one new idea home with you.

WHAT IF I DON'T LIKE YOUR PLAN - DO I STILL HAVE TO PAY YOUR FEE?

At Wayside, it is practically impossible to go through the entire design process and produce a plan that the customer does not like. The reason for this is that the design process cannot go forward without constant input and effective communication between the designer and the client. The preliminary drawings/plans produced during the design process are based on existing site conditions and information given to the designer by the client. The design process would never get beyond the preliminary plan stage without the approval of the client. The preliminary plan stage is where any remaining problems are resolved. The final plan is based on preliminary plans (modified, or not) which have been approved by the client.

Wayside charges an hourly rate for its design services (see LANDSCAPE DESIGN / CONSULTATION CONTRACT for details). If an impasse developed between one of our designers and a client, then the client would be expected to compensate Wayside for the designer's time and expenses, if the client were the cause of the impasse. However, if Wayside's designer were solely responsible for the impasse, then the customer would not be expected to pay for services from which they did not benefit.

I WANT TO INSTALL THE LANDSCAPE MYSELF. WILL YOU DO THE DESIGN WORK?

Generally, no. We believe that the best landscapes are designed and built by the same responsible party. We think this continuity is important. Our entire company is set up to manage a project from beginning to end.

WHAT IS THE AVERAGE COST OF A LANDSCAPE?

There is no such thing. Landscaping is personal. Some people invest nothing in their landscape while others invest great amounts. However, from a real estate point of view, if a homeowner invests less than five percent of the value of their home (property included) on landscape development, then they are probably not doing it justice. A landscape investment will probably not significantly affect the resale value of a home unless it approaches ten percent of its value. Landscapes involving hardscapes and the development of outdoor living areas, water features, seasonal gardens, and various other construction elements obviously represent much greater investments by their owners, usually in the range of twenty to fifty percent or more of a home's value. Our landscape development projects average twenty-five to thirty percent of a home's value.

WHY DO YOU COLLECT A RETAINER FOR DESIGN SERVICES?

We collect a retainer to cover the initial costs of our design services. We feel it represents a solid commitment to the design process on the part of the client, and this is necessary for success of the project. Furthermore, it shows that the client has confidence in us and our abilities, which is also important for success. If the retainer were ever to exceed the cost of the design fees, then the excess would be credited towards completion of the project, or returned to the client.

WHY DO I NEED A LANDSCAPE DESIGNER? CAN'T I DO THIS ON MY OWN?

Most people can do anything they put their minds to. The reason we are not all experts at everything is because of limited time. We tend to be good at those things that interest us, because this is where we spend most of our time. A qualified landscape designer has many years of concentrated education, training, and experience behind his/her counsel. The landscape design process (see WHAT IS LANDSCAPE DESIGN?) is both time consuming and exacting. It requires skill, creativity, and the ability to communicate effectively with others using several different types of media. A professional landscape designer asks questions about the site and the client that an untrained person might not think to ask. These questions are the basis of the design process, and the key to the development of a good landscape is the design process. If a person has the education, experience, talent, and creativity of a professional landscape designer combined with the installation, construction, and maintenance experience of a veteran field supervisor, then they don't need to hire a landscape designer; they can and should design and build their own landscape.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DESIGN AND CONSULTATION?

DESIGN is an information gathering and problem solving "process" which is intended to culminate in a plan of attack for completing a project (see WHAT IS LANDSCAPE DESIGN?).

CONSULTATION is the act or process of giving expert or professional advice.

The primary distinction between design work and consultation lies with the intended outcome or objectives of the endeavor. The objective of the design process is to arrive at a plan of attack for completing a desired project. The objective of consultation is simply to provide expertise and advice on specific issues.

The main difference between a designer and a consultant is the degree to which they are involved in a project. The designer has overall responsibility for conducting the entire design process. A consultant only provides expertise and advice on specific issues. A consultant can give valuable advice throughout a project without fully understanding the overall scope and objectives of the project. Such is not the case with a designer. The designer must understand everything about the project; how everything fits together. By definition, a designer is a consultant, but a consultant is not necessarily a designer.

At Wayside, we normally rebate design fees when our crews complete a project (see LANDSCAPE DESIGN / CONSULTATION CONTRACT for details). However, consultation fees are usually not rebated, because there is rarely any crew work associated with advice given outside of the design process.

WHAT IF I LIKE THE PLAN, BUT INSTALLATION COSTS FAR EXCEED MY BUDGET,
DO I STILL OWE YOU FOR THE PLAN EVEN IF I'M NOT GOING TO USE IT?

Sometimes a landscape plan is produced that a client cannot afford to install. This can happen for a number of reasons. The client may have withheld accurate budgetary information from the designer. The designer may not have paid attention to the budgetary information provided by the client. The client may have requested, or demanded, specific features which were inherently expensive and beyond their means. The client may have wanted a designer to put together a "dream" landscape regardless of cost just to see if it's affordable. Since pricing a project is about the last step in the design process, it is very easy to be over budget without knowing it until the very end. Such a situation does not negate the honest efforts of the designer any more than a dry well would negate the efforts of well drillers.

Obviously, one of the objectives of the design process is to try to develop a landscape that the customer can afford. Sometimes this is not possible. Unfortunately, some people want more than they can afford. The good news is that the design process eventually points this out, and can prevent a customer from starting a project they cannot complete. The design fee is a small price to pay to avoid a much bigger problem.

When a client enters into a design or consultation contract with Wayside, they are agreeing to pay for the designer's time and expenses? (see LANDSCAPE DESIGN / CONSULTATION CONTRACT). If the designer produces a plan in accordance with the needs and wants of the client, then the client is obligated to pay for the designer's time and incurred expenses at the previously agreed upon rates. If the designer fails to pay attention to the desires of the client, then the client is not obligated to pay for design services.

The important thing to note is that the client must be honest and up front with the designer about their finances. It is often uncomfortable or awkward discussing budgets early in the design process. For some it's like putting the cart before the horse. But a successful landscape plan demands realistic budgetary figures from the clients early on. Many clients give mixed signals. For instance, a client may request a swimming pool, gardens, deck extension, and a split-rail fence around their yard and then tell the designer they have a ten thousand dollar budget. This is unrealistic; they know it and the designer knows it. If the design process moves beyond this point it is with the understanding that such a project will cost far more than ten thousand dollars.

There are other ways to handle over-budget projects. One way is to phase the project. Most projects can be separated into distinct parts. These parts can be completed when the client can afford to do so. Another way to handle an over-budget project is to change it. Sometimes this can be as simple as using smaller plants or less expensive varieties. Less expensive construction elements can also be substituted for those originally specified. Rarely is a project so far out of line that it can't be salvaged; the design process simply won't allow it.

WHEN THE LANDSCAPE PROJECT IS COMPLETED, WILL I GET A FINISHED PLAN DRAWN ON PAPER?

Before answering this question, let's define a few terms. A landscape PLAN is a communication device (it can be written, verbal, graphic, computer generated, etc.), which attempts to translate the results of the design process into a set of instructions for completing a project. A DRAWING is an assemblage of lines on some type of surface; the surface can be almost anything, including paper, sand, blackboard, stone, leather, etc. It is important to note that although paper drawings are common components of contemporary landscape plans, they don't have to be components at all. Many excellent landscapes have been developed using other forms of communication.

Normally, at the end of the design process, we submit a proposal to the client for development of the landscape. This proposal contains whatever written specifications and drawings are necessary for completion of the work by one of our crews. These can be extensive or minimal depending on the nature and size of the job, and the instructions of the client. Usually, however, in an effort to keep design costs as low as possible, we only generate documents in the number and quality necessary for completion of a project by one of our crews. If we were preparing plans for unknown parties, they would have to be much more detailed than those we would prepare for our own crews. As a general rule we do not get involved in design-only situations.

During the course of most projects, changes are made to the original plans; these are made for a multitude of reasons and always with the knowledge and consent of the client. Original drawings are almost never completely revised at the end of a project to reflect all of the changes that were made. This would be time-consuming for a designer and therefore costly for the client. About the only time we completely revise original drawings is when we submit a project for award consideration, and the drawings must match up exactly with our finished photographs. Nevertheless, if a client wants a finished plan drawn on paper we will provide it. The cost would be based on the designer's time to produce it at normal design / consultation rates (see LANDSCAPE DESIGN / CONSULTATION CONTRACT).

CAN I HIRE SUBCONTRACTORS TO DO SOME OF THE WORK INSTEAD OF YOUR COMPANY?

It depends. We are a licensed General Contractor, and usually insist on hiring our own subcontractors, if needed, so we can control the overall quality of the project. However, there are times when we welcome a client's help and participation in the role of contractor. This might happen if the client has a previously established relationship with a particular subcontractor, or is for some reason in a better position than we are to coordinate the work of a subcontractor. Such instances are rare, but they do happen.

Wayside is a design / build landscape company. We believe that the best landscapes are designed and built by the same responsible party. We think this continuity is important. Our entire company is set up to manage a project from beginning to end. We generally do not provide design-only services for people who want to complete the project themselves, or with the help of subcontractors.

CAN I VISIT PREVIOUS CLIENTS TO LOOK AT YOUR WORK FIRSTHAND?

If, after thoroughly visiting our Internet web site and meeting with us at our office and facilities, you still need convincing that we are the landscape contractor for you, then we can arrange visits to some of our job sites.

However, our Internet web site and office landscape have been carefully designed to make it easy for potential customers to evaluate our work without the need for lengthy and inconvenient field trips. The Internet and modern photography allow us to bring our jobs to you in your own home, or in the pleasant surroundings of our office.

HOW DOES YOUR DESIGN-PURCHASE REBATE WORK? WHY DO YOU GIVE A REBATE?

We feel so strongly about the importance of the design process in the development of a landscape that we rebate our design fees when we complete the job. This is a win-win situation for the customer and us, and is done to remove the concern over design fees from the decision whether or not to employ a professional landscape designer.

Details of the DESIGN-PURCHASE REBATE are spelled out in the LANDSCAPE DESIGN / CONSULTATION CONTRACT, which is available on this web site. After thoroughly reading this contract, the following example will make things clearer.

Example: Mr. and Mrs. John Doe hire Wayside to help them design their landscape. They do this by signing a LANDSCAPE DESIGN / CONSULTATION CONTRACT and paying a $700.00 retainer. One of Wayside's designers spends twenty hours working for the Does; it is an average size job for Wayside. The designer has outside expenses totaling thirty dollars related to the work. The total design bill for the Doe project is $1,730.00 (20 hours @ $85.00 = $1,700.00, plus $30.00 for outside expenses); this bill is due at the conclusion of the design work. Of the total design bill, $1,700.00 is eligible for rebate, because outside expenses are not rebated. Wayside's price for completing the Doe landscape project is $35,000.00. Wayside intends to use a subcontractor for $10,000.00 of the work; Wayside crews will do the rest of the work. Because the rebate is not applied to subcontractor fees, only $25,000.00 of the total project cost is used as the basis for calculating the rebate. The maximum rebate the Does are eligible for is $1,250.00 (5% of $25,000.00). The Does want to phase the work, doing half this year and the other half two years later. Wayside invoices the Does for $17,500.00 after completing phase one of the project. Of this amount, $10,000.00 was subcontracted. This leaves $7,500.00 as the base amount to be used for calculating the rebate. $375.00 (5% of $7,500.00) of the $1,500.00 design fee is rebated in the form of a credit on the last invoice for Phase One. Because the Does are not going to complete the project within the next twelve months, they will not be eligible for any further design-purchase rebates on this project. If, however, they change their minds and want to complete the project during the first year, then they will be eligible for an additional $875.00 rebate (5% of $17,500.00) in the form of a credit on the final project invoice. In this case, 82% of all design fees would be rebated. As you can see, the amount of the rebate depends on many factors. For many, if not most, of our projects, the design fee is completely rebated.

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CAN YOU DO THE WORK IN STAGES / PHASES IF I AM UNABLE TO AFFORD IT ALL AT ONE TIME? WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE FIRST?

Phasing the work is a great way to develop a landscape, especially the larger, more complex and expensive projects. At Wayside, we are glad to phase projects for those customers that request it; in fact, we often encourage customers to phase their projects. However, phasing does add to the overall cost of a project due to extra mobilization costs and other work related inefficiencies. Depending upon the phasing time frame, it can also affect the eligibility for a DESIGN-PURCHASE REBATE (see answer to question HOW DOES YOUR DESIGN-PURCHASE REBATE WORK?). Despite the extra costs, sometimes phasing a project is the only way a client can afford it, much the same as a car loan makes it possible to purchase a new vehicle.

Phasing a project cannot be done haphazardly. It must be done in such a manner that work completed in an earlier phase is not affected by work done in later phases. Compare the phasing of a landscape with painting the floor of a room having only one exit; you must start at the furthest point and work towards the exit, otherwise you will be trapped, or ruin your work trying to get out. In general, construction work (i.e., hardscapes) must be done before planting work.

Each project is unique and has its own logical phasing scheme. Once a landscape plan is developed, it is easy for the designer to define a phasing plan to suit the needs of the client. It is important to note that often the landscape element the client wants most, or that is the main focal point, cannot be included in the first phase, because doing so would make completion of later phases impossible or prohibitively expensive. Phasing requires patience.

WHY DO I NEED TO SIGN A CONTRACT BEFORE YOU WILL VISIT MY HOME OR BUSINESS?

Although every landscape project is unique, the process (i.e., design process) used to develop landscape plans is the same for all. For a more complete discussion of the landscape design process, see the answer to the question, WHAT IS LANDSCAPE DESIGN?

One of the most important parts of the design process is the initial site visit by the designer. The designer's first impressions are most important. In order for the designer to take advantage of these first impressions, he/she must be mentally and physically prepared when they visit the site for the first time. Part of the mental preparedness is knowing that their time and efforts will not be wasted. This is accomplished by means of the LANDSCAPE DESIGN / CONSULTATION CONTRACT.

Many people think that a designer has to visit their site as the first step in the development of their landscape. This is not the case. Many very important questions need to be asked and answered before the designer makes the initial site visit (see LANDSCAPE DESIGN QUESTIONNAIRE). These questions and answers are the backbone of the design process. A good designer will gather a great deal of information about the client's needs and wants, as well as the site, before the first visit. This information makes the initial visit all the more productive. The information the designer collects must come from the client for the most part, and the willingness and cooperation of the client in providing this information is crucial to the success of the design process. The client must be confident in the designer's abilities before they begin working together. At Wayside, we try to instill this confidence by showing potential clients how we have developed other, perhaps similar, landscapes. We do this best by holding a free consultation at our office where we have abundant resources available for this purpose. This consultation takes place before we make our initial site visit. By showing how we have successfully handled other landscape challenges, we feel the potential client receives the best information for making a hiring decision. Once we are hired, then we can confidently put a total effort into the project.

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO CONTACT WAYSIDE REGARDING A LANDSCAPE PROJECT
IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE COMPLETED BY A DESIRED DATE?

It is never too soon to begin the design process; the earlier, the better. The problem is not starting too early, it is starting too late. The design process takes time, usually from weeks to months. If you would like work to begin in the spring, contact us the prior fall or early winter at the latest; if you would like work to begin in the fall, contact us the prior spring or early summer. If you contact us during the busy seasons (spring and fall), it may be difficult for us to give you immediate attention. Sometimes we can accommodate last minute projects, but it would be wise not to count on it.