My husband wants to be a landscape designer. He has a lot of skills but no formal training. He does not want to go to school for 4 years. What options does he have?
2006-09-27 13:17:38 · 3 answers · asked by lost in translation 3 in Home & Garden ➔ Garden & Landscape
Good question because that is exactly the same dilemma that I am in. Since we are now down to 1 income in our family, I don't have the option of going to college and next year is also out of the question because my daughter graduates and she plans on going to college. Anyway, what I will be doing is taking the State Extension Service "Master Gardener" course and will be then certified as a Master Gardener. This course covers a lot about gardening and some about landscape design. Next, I have designed my own gardens in my backyard and by word of mouth and from pictures and people seeing the yard, I have received 2 requests from friends to design their yard. As soon as those jobs are complete, hopefully be word of mouth, I can get more jobs. I am taking it slow, and maybe your husband does not want to take it as slow as I am, but for me, this is a start! Good luck to your husband!
2006-09-27 16:55:04 · answer #1 · answered by Penny 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My wife became a landscape designer two years ago by attending a landscape design program at a local community college (it happened to be the Gwinnett Technical College in North Atlanta, GA). The program consists of 8-10 subjects depending on how deep you want to go first. She had four semester a year and studied one or two subjects at a time, attending evening classes. This way she was done in 16 months while working for a nursery at the same time. Her official title is landscape design technician and she works as a designer since then and she is loving it! Good luck!!!
2006-09-27 13:56:27 · answer #2 · answered by tiringer 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Have a nice looking truck, ( look successful). deliver flyer's, mail out flyer's, announcing, Landscaping business new to the area. Drive around in new additions, stop and offer your services. Keep your eye open for businesses that could benefit from your skill, design something and try to sell them on it.
You probably don't have to be licensed, but it looks good. Go to city hall and see if you can purchase one. If you incorporate (a do it yourself incorporation), you can limit your liability if you goof something up. If you contact a bonding company (not a bail bondsman) and get bonded, that is a selling point also. Licensed and bonded (or insured) sounds good! You can add the cost of renting equipment when bidding a job, until you can buy.
2006-09-27 13:34:06 · answer #3 · answered by T C 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋