Re: Pre-Design Survey

At 12:06 PM 10/9/2002, susannah@cyber-dyne.com wrote:
Thank you so much, Sean, for writing this. I found it all very interesting and helpful -- the idea of having clients do the base drawing is a terrific one! There was one passage I was confused by:

Seán O. wrote:
I find it very important to flush out all of the clients pre-conceived notions of their landscape challenges, as well as their desired end result. I've worked over the years to 'test' their statements to help me understand their assumptions (instead of making my own assumptions about what they are saying) - similar to the way a therapist helps their client fully expose the issues at hand. ;-)
If you have time, would you care to elaborate?
-- Susannah
Susannah -

Here is perhaps a good example - I recently consulted with a client who gave me as examples of what he desired for his garden picture of various well-clipped knot gardens. He kept returning to this 'knot-garden' idea when discussing the 'look' he wanted for his garden. We got somewhat confused with each other when I explained the high-maintenance aspect of knot-gardening in general, he countering by saying he understood this and was not talking about tightly clipped hedges, etc. !!!!!???

FINALLY, after some conversation, I was able to pull out of him that it was the mounding character of the plants in these gardens and their contrasting colors and textures that had caught his eye!! I.E. he'd prefer not to have plants that naturally weave in and out or each other, but instead stay somewhat separate and distinct in their habit.

Now, as part of my extended consultation, I am creating a list of plant appropriate to his very sloping property (and therefore completely unsuited to a knot-garden!) that tend to produce a compact, mounding habit, with various contrasting foliage colors/textures. This is interesting to me because it is a new approach to choosing plant material! I might have even declined to continue with this client if I did not completely uncover these concepts. Fun!

Does this help explain?
Regards,
Seán O.

h o r t u l u s a p t u s - 'a garden suited to its purpose'
Seán A. O'Hara fax (707) 667-1173 sean@support.net
710 Jean Street, Oakland, CA 94610-1459, U.S.A.

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