Shifting Gears

[Candace Dorsey]

So I am a recent graduate from a BLA program and would like to move to another part of the country to gain work experience, but the problem is that in order to work somewhere else you have to know the vegetation of that particular region. Of course with all design jobs, site analysis/context is crucial but how can I make an easy change over from one part of the country to the next without a formal knowledge of site specifics (in this case vegetation)?

[mauiBob]

Aloha! This is harsh but truthful. From my personal experience with entry level positions:

Forget the “formal knowledge” of regional vegetation. You’re not gonna do the plant design anyway and certainly won’t select it for use. You will learn on the job as you do the redline or setup the production work in autocad. Site analysis? Are you kidding? I didn’t even do my first “SA” until my third year as a designer.

I hope that helps. Good luck out there!

[Andrew Garulay, RLA]

   Whats up? (that is the Massachusetts version of Aloha).

I agree with Bob about not needing to be fluent in regional plants in an entry level position. In a bigger firm, you’ll likely follow Bob’s description, but in a very small office you’ll do a little of everything and learn a lot more ….. if little offices were hiring. 

[Jeffrey Trojanowski,]

True to both posts.  “IF” you do a planting design, the palette will already be chosen, and you will be drafting a hand drawn planting plan. 

 

Also, don’t come to So Cal, I don’t need anymore competition for jobs.  Just kidding; it is almost harder looking for a PM or a Lead LA position to open up in this economy.

[Candace Dorsey]

Thanks everyone for the advice – takes the pressure off a bit but we’ll see.

[Anonymous]

If you’re fresh out of school, most employers would not expect you to have a whole lot of plant knowledge. It takes most LAs years to develop their plant palette. I agree with the previous posts. Chances are you’ll be living in AutoCADland (where nothing grows) for the next couple of years unless you go to a small office.

[mauiBob]

Hey hey, is this Andrew from U of I? The former Vandal. How are things? Have you heard from any of our classmates? Jen G is the only one I know of that is still in landscape architecture, well sort of anyway. Everyone else disappeared.

Yes…I’m still waiting for the Chargers to win a Superbowl…maybe forever waiting!

[Tanya Olson]

I went from MN to CA with no problem – I just visited nurseries, walked around looking at plants and asked a lot of questions. Once you learn how to learn about plants it just gets easier and easier to learn new ecoregions. Plus there is so much plant traffic from east to west, overseas to the US you will probably be at least passingly familiar with most of them….now if you’re thinking of moving to China or India it might be another story entirely! Good Luck!

[Cal]

 

A very uncoventional route…

I got a crash course in local plants by working one short season at a nursery that specialized in native plants.  Also joined the local Master Gardener program in order to begin making friends/contacts and getting hands on with plants.

No money in either, of course, but I learned a lot fast and had fun.      

[Thomas J. Johnson]

That’s what books / software are for. You can’t memorize every plant out there and if you stick only with what you know you’ll have a pretty boring pallet. Plus, most firms have a standard, tried and true plant list they deal with. You can just look at past planting schedules.

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