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It is much easier to sell residential as a flat rate backed up by a high hourly rate for things outside of the contract. You can base that flat rate on your anticipated amout of hours times that high rate, if you think it can fly. It is very difficult to get someone to commit to pouring out $100 per hour without an end in sight.

High rates are…[Read more]

I agree that $100/hour seems right however since this is a side job can you make due with less. You need to charge enough so you don’t feel you sold yourself short. Figure out how many hours you think it will take, figure out what a fair price would be. Add on 10-15%. What does the hourly rate come out to be? Will you be happy with that? Also jobs…[Read more]

I agree with Rick. No straight answer really. I also believe 100 to be the minimum per hour (based on your years in practice), but i would never charge that for a off the street project. If the project was small, i.e. taking some measurements and drawing up a planting plan and one to two basic details, 300 would be my very bottom (ive done that…[Read more]

don’t forget the rake-patterned exposed hard dirt – it is certainly in the arts-and-crafts handiworks tradition..
; )

Wow, the $64K question that has no simple answer. LAs are worth at least $100 an hour. Use that figure and scare the home landscape design market away, at least here. The ironic thing is that this same market may pay high hourly rates for services performed by those with far less skill/knowledge. I don’t use hourly rates. I start by proclaiming a…[Read more]

Just wanted to thank everyone for all the great responses. Some really nice points made.

It’s interesting that a lot of the responses assume that the opposite of groundcovers are a meadow. I certainly don’t think meadows are the only alternatives. I defined groundcovers in the traditional horticultural sense of the word–evergreen, spreading…[Read more]

This is a blog of design students and professors at the University of Kentucky:
http://themetacogblog.blogspot.com/

This is my work blog and items in the Louisville, KY area:
http://verdantky.posterous.com/

I highly recommend http://posterous.com/ if you are looking to set up a blog. You send new blog entries via email and the enclosures come up…[Read more]

There is a civil engineering firm that my firm does a lot of work with and the Principal of the firm does a lot of work in Montana. I can give you his contact info and you can see where that takes you?

Interesting article and great site Thomas.
However I think we owe groundcovers credit for setting the tone for contemporary and ‘naturalistic’ aesthetics. In many situations gcs act as a gateway drug for the horticultural community and those weary of an untamed nature, as some see in a restored prairie or meadow. As a gateway drug, it starts with…[Read more]

I pretty strongly agree with Andrew, it’s actually a fact that really bothers me sometimes… even in the academic world. I recently had a project involving a stream reclamation near Boise. The so-called creek is heavily channelized, with banks largely in excess of 1:1 slopes, in gravelly, sandy soil prone to high salinity. Nasty. Our objective…[Read more]

http://shiftncsu.wordpress.com

NCSU Student ASLA

I think there is always a tendency for any of us to project the problems in the regions we work in to all others. A problem in one place is a solution in another. This is most commonly applied by people in low rainfall areas deciding that everywhere else needs to act like there is no water for some reason.

What is invasive in one region is not…[Read more]

tom et al., u have a valid argument especially on the invasive characters of groundcovers in general. but so do others. and as jason pointed out there are those that can be used unrestrained. and personally im sure that groundcovers have their own merits when we take a closer look. to me, some groundcovers are actually good when it comes to…[Read more]

Ditto. The natural order of things has ground covers. While I do agree with your argument for careful species selections, groundcovers provide a much needed aesthetic and natural function in the designed landscape. For the commercial work that I do, groundcovers are a must. Mostly for erosion control and aesthetic values (maintain site lines), as…[Read more]

hmmm, i enjoy good ground cover too… almost anything can be considered invasive, rarely is there a balance, somethings win, somethings lose, it is a matter of the quality of care.
Nature has its own way (ie your meadow and forest)… but we landscape architects don’t re-create nature… we ultimately design for humans, with nature in mind,…[Read more]

I agree with Zach. While often over used, groundcovers have a practical application in many situations as well as having aesthetic uses. Why not decide that shrubs are outdated since they are so widely used. To be against ALL groundcover use sounds like imposing a personal bias rather than a practical reason.

Many are invasive, but not all. Huge…[Read more]

Maybe I’m the only one here, but I personally enjoy the groundcovers. While they are not the solution for ever situation to rule them out completely is disregarding an entire branch of the design tree.