[Kimberly]

Thanks! All great advice to consider. I really appreciate it!

[Kimberly]

Right now, I have something very similar called out in the plan, actually. I think it will look nice for the type of project it is. Thanks for sharing the picture so I can get a better idea of what it will look like!

[Kimberly]

Very pretty! Thanks for sharing! Anyone else have some pictures of borders from their own projects? I would love to see…

[Kimberly]

I didn’t mean to ignore your post and it was definitely a great help! Thanks for your detailed responses…I really appreciate the sharing of knowledge. I’ve just been so incredibly busy that I meant to respond and never got back to it. Life is a tad crazy right now.

I am definitely interested in trying the deep edge, but I just don’t know how the Bermuda grass handles it out here and my boss said he doesn’t like leaving off some sort of barrier. No doubt, with Rhizomes 2 feet deep, the Bermuda is bound to spread with a border or not, but a border seems to keep the maintenance down a bit more for the client.  That being said, I’m just not a huge fan of having any border around grass, which is why I like the look of steel because it is very clean. However, I do want safety to come first and since I don’t have a lot of practical experience, I’m glad to get all your feedback.  It sounds like there are some safety issues and that it probably isn’t the best solution for my current application. 

Thanks for all the awesome suggestions! I’m with you on the “Go Big or Go Home.” Unfortunately the design build clients aren’t always in that same mindset. I’d love it of there were.

[Kimberly]

Hi Jordan. Thanks for the advice! I really appreciate it. Can you tell me a little more about what the concrete bullets are? I talked to my boss again today and he suggested a concrete edge that is finished a little bit below the gravel. This is for another situation where the client wants dry set flagstone in an area that abuts the turf, but doesn’t want the turf to encroach on the flagstone area. They actually want to plant small ground covers between the flagstone.  The problem is, out here in Arizona we have bermuda grass which is much more voracious at spreading that grasses in more temperate climates. I think that an edged bed without any sort of border would just spread like crazy out here. Maybe I am wrong?

[Kimberly]

I have similar questions and am looking into this: http://www.borderconcepts.com/products/browse/steel-edge-iron-edge. Is it similar to what you have been using that has been producing sharp edges? 

I started a thread here because I’m trying to talk my boss into using steel edging on a project, but I’m concerned with safety and so is he. 

https://land8.com/forum/topics/steel-edging

[Kimberly]

If I had to do it all over again, I would seriously consider saving my money on school and trying to can get an internship or job with an LA firm or Design/Build firm instead (I had one before I started school, and they wanted me to stay…dang!). I’m finding that while a great experience, what I learned in school was so minimal compared to what I am learning in the “real world.” You can’t beat experience. But being $40,000 in debt for an education that really didn’t land me a job is pretty costly. I’ve actually found more success making a living from the graphic design skills I learned in school than the other skills related to Landscape Arch. Depending on what aspect of Landscape Architecture you like, you may want to look into a certificate program or maybe even a Master Gardener program just to help you get your foot in the door somwhere…but even MLA’s aren’t fining jobs. I think Landplanner gave some really solid advice.

[Kimberly]

Thanks so much! Great advice. Do you have any recommendations on suppliers? How thick would you go, 12ga? I’m in the desert southwest, so many people use the rusted steel here.

[Kimberly]

Thank you! Yes, I agree that the client should be the one to decide based on what they want. Hopefully, I can talk my boss into installing it if the client wants that.

[Kimberly]

Thanks for the help!  I’ve created a proposal that had all of the information Chris outlined and I also added a breakdown of each stage of the design process, how much estimated time each stage would take, and what is included in the deliverables.  I’m not registered yet, so I am working on residential projects and won’t have my license number on anything. 

 

What do you think is a reasonable percentage to charge for a retainer?  Also, do you require full payment before the plans are delivered?

[Kimberly]

Wow, that is so helpful.  Thank you!

[Kimberly]

Hi! I’m in my final year of my MLA at the University of Arizona. I am finishing up my master’s report on urban wildlife habitat and interpretation. Nice to meet all of you.
Kim

[Kimberly]

I am all for using food plants in designs and think it is an important step toward sustainability. It seems that some of the resistance might be due to a lack of understanding or misconceptions about the “beauty” of edible plants. Another might be a maintenance issue on the part of the client, or a desire for control of the design on the part of the designer. In some parts of the design sphere it seems like there is a desire to build a project that will always be this unchanging expression of the designers original intent, but what if the intention for evolution is built in? I think until we begin to look more at landscapes as dynamic systems that evolve and until we see human survival as part of the system, it will continue to be a fringe concept. I hope that the awareness of the benefits of edible landscapes will grow, and landscape architects are in the perfect position to spread the word…

[Author]

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