Landscape and Irrigation is read by decision makers throughout the landscape and irrigation markets — including contractors, landscape architects, professional grounds managers, and irrigation and water mgmt companies and reaches the entire spetrum.
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/316962
16 Landscape and Irrigation June 2014 www.landscapeirrigation.com Client Relations This gives Farmer clues about what plants might have emo- tional resonances for the clients. "A lot of times those plants with emotional connections for my clients are food plants, so I emphasize those in the designs," he said. To get at their taste in ornamentals, Farmer asks clients to show him a garden that inspires them. "If they pull out a book from England, I know I have to get them to walk around their neighborhood to get a more realistic feel for what grows here in South Carolina." The Bloom approach Liz Elkin is the proprietor of Bloom Landscape Design and Fine Gardening in New Paltz, N.Y. (bloomfinegardening. com), and is admired for her beautiful and smart installations in and around this college town. In addition to the kinds of questions Jenks Farmer and I described above, Elkin asks about the cli- ent's favorite colors in the context of the plants they are drawn to. Sometimes Elkin has to consider the cultural implications of color. "For example, I have a cli- ent from Korea who loves natural-looking wood- land gardens," she said. "These tend to have a lot of white flowering plants, especially when we are focusing on deer-resistant plants. In parts of Asia, like Korea, white flowers are commonly used for funerals, so it might not be the best color for my client to see throughout her landscape." Elkin asks if her clients have a Houzz and/ or Pinterest image collection. "Seeing a client's personalized image portfolio can be invaluable when designing their landscape," she added. "I also like to show them examples of current trends, like the wild meadow style, alongside a more traditional garden style, and ask which one they prefer. Sometimes, a client will be attracted to a combination of styles. Other times, a client will tell me a style that they want, but when they see a picture of it, they realize that that was not what they meant." Elkin asks about priority locations in the garden: What is the first thing the clients see when they come home from a long day? What is their view from their home office window? What do their guests see when sitting on the client's patio? "When a client feels overwhelmed by the endless options for their landscape, asking about their priority views can really help focus the entire project," she said. Finally, Elkin tackles irrigation. "Irrigation can be simple or very complicated, so it is important to get a feel for how hands- on a client wants to get with their own garden watering," she said. "Proper irrigation can make or break a garden, especially a freshly installed one. Asking early on about plans for watering can prevent headaches for everyone in the future." Bloom Landscape Design and Fine Gardening designed this pathway and garden to help the client "wow" her visitors on their way to the guesthouse. Photo by Liz Elkin A client loves roses, so Bloom Landscape Design and Fine Gardening designed this garden for him to view from his home office window. Photo by Liz Elkin "Proper irrigation can make or break a garden, especially a freshly installed one. Asking early on about plans for watering can prevent headaches for everyone in the future."