RESOURCES FOR ASPIRING GARDEN DESIGNERS
As a self-taught garden designer, I know very well just how difficult finding reliable resources can be. Unfortunately, there is not a Landscape Architecture master’s degree program in Pittsburgh anymore, so I have had to find other ways to learn how to design. If you find yourself in that position, hopefully, these resources will help you navigate this tricky situation.
Formal Educational Resources
Online classes: Since the bulk of my design education (what I like to call my “mini masters degree”) has happened during Covid, most of my classes have been online. New York Botanic Garden transitioned a majority of their Landscape Design Certificate classes online and I was able to take classes on hand-drawn graphics, soil, design history, natives, and a lot more. They have a wide offering of classes and I highly recommend checking them out. The other two places I’ve found great online classes are Chicago Botanic Gardens and Longwood Gardens.
In-person classes: It seems like most large botanic gardens have adult education classes so I recommend looking locally to see what in-person classes are available. In Pittsburgh, Phipps Conservatory is where I take all my in-person classes to complete their Landscape & Garden Design Certificate. While not design-specific, there is a also Horticulture Technology program (for free!) through Bidwell.
Certifications: Every state seems to have a wide array of horticulture certifications available. In PA, I personally got my PA Certified Horticulturist certificate through the PLNA. Others I have looked into or have heard about from designers are the ISA Arborist Certification and APLD.
University degree: If you want to become a licensed Landscape Architect, check out the ASLA website.
Informal-ish Educational Resources
Books: My absolute favorite is So You Want to be a Garden Designer by Love Albrecht Howard. The title speaks for itself but I really loved reading this book at the beginning of my garden design education journey to see what being a garden designer entails.
Textbooks: My trick for finding books is to look up college or adult education courses and see what their required textbook is. You can usually find them at Amazon or a used bookstore like Half-Priced Books. Here are a few favorites I’ve found over the last few years that I reference often:
While it seems like most classes require Grant Reid’s Landscape Graphics book, I prefer Tony Bertauski’s Plan Graphics for the Landscape Designer for the thorough explanations. The newer editions are in color too, which helps.
Residential Landscape Architecture by Norman Booth is one of the textbooks you’ll see referenced everywhere. This is a good place to start as it covers the basics really well. Basically, it seems like landscape design 101.
I enjoyed Professional Planting Design by Scott Scarfone because it is planting-focused and doesn’t talk about hardscaping, etc.
I’m currently reading Elements of Planting Design by Richard Austin, again for the planting focus, but I’ll report back once I finish it!
Websites & online resources from other designers: One thing I love about the garden/landscape design industry is that everyone seems to be very willing to share their knowledge.
My very first introduction to design graphics was through Lisa Nunamaker’s Paper Garden Workshop. She is a university professor and offers an online course on graphics.
I also really enjoyed Amy Fedele at Pretty Purple Door’s resources and eBooks on garden design. They’re focused on designing your own home garden but they are definitely useful.
I also took Pearce B Design’s color rendering class and loved the techniques I picked up from it.
If you’re looking into what deliverables to include in your design process, Tina at Red Fern Landscape graciously shares a ton of details and images in her “In The Studio” blog posts. She also details her presentation process in this blog post.
Finally, since I listen to her podcast (more on that below) I thought I would mention landscape architect Kryssie Maybay’s Kismet Design courses on CAD, digital design, and more, but I haven’t taken any yet.
General websites about design I find myself referencing semi-often are Draftscapes and The Landscape Library. Otherwise, if I am looking for something very specific I tend to google “XYZ TOPIC interior design” since there seems to be 100x more content out there about running an interior design business, and usually our business models are fairly similar so I can get good ideas anyways.
Instagram accounts: My absolute favorite is @greenthumbSAM and I also like the rendering videos from @pearcebdesigns.
Podcasts: It’s REALLY hard to find a good podcast on landscape/garden design businesses (business-focused podcasts, not gardening podcasts). The only good one I have found is the aforementioned Kismet Design’s The Process Driven Designer. Otherwise, the best I have found are a few interior design podcasts that are similar enough business-wise. Those are A Well-Designed Business and Business of Design. The best general service-business podcast I listen to is BizChix.
YouTube: I haven’t found many but so far Design It Green has been handy for digital design. The most informative plant-related YT channel is Garden Answer.
If you have any other suggestions, I’d love to hear about them in the comments below or via email!