Help Her PLease!

[txlawnking]

My wife is wanting to get some formal education in landscape design and installation. She is wanting to get the education online or through correspondence, as we have three small children that prevent her from going to a school on a campus. She has looked at several different ones, but has found the PCDI(Professional Career Development Institute), to be to her liking. We were wondering what you guys thought of this school/course and if you know of a better school/formal training? If this is a bogus deal or something let us know please as she is wanting to really learn landscaping and do professional work to build that side of our business as I personally have no desire to formally study it. Please help guys!:D :D

[Lombardi]

There is no better education than getting out and physically doing the job with someone that knows the business. Learning through books and classes will help you to become knowledgeable with plant names but when it comes to installs you have to learn by being at the job site and actually doing the work yourself.
With installs every job has different variables that will dictate how you proceed with the installation. Some of these are drainage issues, soil type, slope, customer preference of plants, edging, etc.
Another option you could consider is getting one of the good design software programs. These were a big help for me.

[txlawnking]

I have never seen the software. She understands that she needs to be at a job, doing the work, but she needs to know more plant names, and how to look at a job and say "this goes here, or I think these plants would look good there". So is the software really good, what does it teach you?

[Lombardi]

To me the software was very well worth the money. I started with PUNCH and just this year invested in PRO. Horticopia also looks to be helpful.
They helped me by the fact that the software does a lot of the work for you. By entering your climate zone it will eliminate the plants you don't need. You can also narrow plant types down to height and sunlight requirements.
Another useful feature is the database that comes with each plant. It will tell you all details about the plant plus it shows what the plant looks like in full color 3-D view.
PUNCH is very affordable, $50-$70. PRO is expensive, $1295.00, but has a lot more features.

[NickN]

Another thing to do is have her go to your local Nursery and get a list (usually a wholesale price list) of all tha plants they carry.Come back home and look them up on the net.Get to know just those plants to start.

[txlawnking]

Good idea, Thanks.

[LIBERTY LAWNCARE 2]

txlawnking - Getting a list from your local wholesale nursery is a good idea, that's where I start before suggesting a plant to a client.

Also see if the nursery has a website with a plant list that she can download & start to study.

I use the Home Depot plant finder alot, for general info or a picture of the plant. Here's the link,

http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS/EN_US/diy_main/pg_diy.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0715862023.1088790781@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccddadcllkikkmlcgelceffdfgidgnj.0&CNTTYPE=PROD_META&CNTKEY=Know%20How/Garden%20Club&MID=9876&pos=n34&GCMemLoggedIn=0

I also got several books at BJ's (they were way less than the book store) that are encyclopedia's of plants. There are also some really good books about Landscaping design that I picked up a while ago. I got the ones geared for my zone, but they have them for several zones. I'll post the titles and authors when I get home.

[txlawnking]

Yeah, I've got her some plant encyclopedia's and she really digs em' , But she's wanting more than just horticultural plant knowledge, etc. She's wanting to learn how to do Everything from light hardscaping to drafting up plans etc. We know there are university classes for landscaping type work, but that's not an option right now as our Three kids are 4&3 respectivelly.. No time for class, or the big bux. She and I both strive to be professional, and I really want her to help me build our biz...

[Team Gopher]

Hi txlawnking,

Here (http://www.elearners.com/program/3409.htm)is an online education site I found that might be helpful.

[Lombardi]

txlawn,
I mean no disrespect by this but, if she doesn't have time for class nor the money to aid in learning, then she really has no time at this point in her life to learn what she wants. An on-line course will take time and money and most importantly time alone on the computer. She will not get either with kids at home. I know. I have 2 myself.
This also means she would not have time to work with experienced landscapers either. What you can learn in books is good, but what you can learn from hands on experience is invaluable.

[landproscapes]

PCDI is a waste of money.
See my post on 6-29-04 under Online Landscape Course

[jwingfield2k]

Buy her autocad. All I know is that Pro Landscape isnt all its cracked up to be. Sure, it works good for those home owners that want to see what the job will look like before it going in the dirt, but get real, the real landscape architects dont use that. My dad works with the biggest groups in north texas. SMR, Enviro, Grubbs Ramsey, Boyd and Hidrick, none of them use P.L. they ALL use AutoCad.

[Lombardi]

PRO and PUNCH is not just limited to 3-D plans. They also both have the 2-D feature utilizing the autocad features.
If I'm not mistaken Autocad is a program that cost $6-$7k and utilized mainly by large engineering and architectural firms.
There is also a big difference between a landscape architect and a landscape designer/installer. If you chose the architect field, plan on spending several years in college and a lot of money before you get a job.
By the way jwing, what programs have you used and how much experience do you have with them?

[stxkyboy]

By a quick look at his "gallery"....i would have to say none.

[Turf Medic]

txlawnking

We have looked at several home study programs and PCDI appears to have the best set up. They are also backed/affiiliated with a well known college. I think your wife will get a lot of good out of the program, if nothing more than a boost in confidence, after she takes the course she can also get certified with one of the grounds maintenance or landscaping organizations. When your customers ask if she has education or certification, she will ba able to answer YES, they are not going to ask where she got it.
Good Luck

[AGLA]

You have to ask what the goal of going through this is. I would expect that it is to out compete by having a professional that your client base is going to respect more than that of the next contractor.

Is a lot of certificates and diplomas on the wall going to do that? Not on their own.

Almost no one asks any landscaper IF they are educated or certified, so where she gets it does not matter. The important thing with education in landscape related subjects is that it helps you process what you gain through experience rather than be recognized by the diploma.

You are not going to be fluent and functional talking plants with a client after going to Harvard if you do not have hands on history with them. But, if you have school experience, you more quickly and easily understand why something happened or whatever you are experiencing. It is the same with design.

No one is going to come out of school and be as competent and confident as an experienced contractor when sitting down with a client to sell a landscape job or a design. The client is going to see the experience, knowledge, and history that the experienced one has and be much more secure in going with him/her.

The battlefield is tilted toward experience in the landscape world. Education is part of experience, but never replaces it. You have to see education as an add on to experience rather than a replacement. One thing that none of you that do not have any formal education can deny is that if you had it on top of your experience, you would be ahead of where you are now.

In the end, she has to go to the same people that have called other well experienced landscapers and demonstrate something that makes them choose her over them.

It is just like playing basketball. You have to have a certain amount of talent within you, you can be taught more from coaches, you gain more by playing more and more games, ... but in the end, it is the points on the board that matter. Not everyone that went to Duke is in the NBA, but few make it there the way Kobi did either.

Definitely don't bank on waving the diploma to get more work. Definitely do not expect the classes to make a difference over night. Definitely realize that it will get her where she wants to be much faster as long as she does not expect to get there by bypassing the trenches.

Design/sales is not something that is effectively done by someone who has not been out there building (or seeing it built) landscapes, who has not spent hours and hours selecting things at nurseries, who does not know the relative lengths of times or costs of various landscape things.

Many newer companies or expanding ones think they can hire a pure designer to get the job done. The truth is that aside from extremely basic design, you really need the most experienced person doing this job.

It is not a separate department of knowledge. It is all of the knowledge you can find focused on one task. If that knowledge is limited to school work in her case, she will be blown out of the water when competing with other contractors.

Make sure that she knows she has to follow through with a lot of site time or to be prepared for dissappointment.

[txlandscapequeen]

Well here is my outlook on this all. Since I am at home with 3 kids, I should have time to do school at home. I was going to school online with Phoenix, but quit because for the money that I would have to pay back on loans, that school sucked!!! I need to learn all that I can, and I need some insight by other experienced people. I think that PCDI looks really good. I do landscaping part time, when I get a call. This is part of my husband's business. He does lawn maintenance and I do landscaping, but I do not very much about it at all. I know how to plant things, dig holes, about weeds and how to get rid of them, and that is bascially it. I have somewhat an eye for knowing what should go where. I would love to do this more than anything, so I think that any education would not hurt.

[Turf Medic]

Congratulations on your decision to get some schooling, my daughter just started the pcdi course for landscaping. So far it seems like it is a good program, at least she has shown more interest in it than any other schooling she has tried. I think it takes a combination of both, experience and schooling, and it sounds like you are already doing some work, so you should only improve.

I'll probably get some heat for this, but IMO the majority of people here don't hold too much with "book larnin" they figure if you don't attend the school of hard knocks you won't succeed in business.

One of the local landscape companies hired a lady straight out of esign school, no experience and they are turning out some beautiful work. If your husband has the knowledge to get the plants in the ground, and you learn the artistic side of design, even if you don't have much pactical experience you should be able to turn out some nice work.

Good luck with the schooling and please let us know how it goes.

[txlawnking]

I apreciate the help, I too am kind of the school of though that I'd rather learn and get paid, than pay to learn. But she really want's to get some foraml schooling and I will support that decision if it's in her best interest. What I was really wondering was if the pcdi school was a scam or outright waste of money, and ya'll alleviated some of my fears.. Thanks again I guess it's a GO.:D

[Turf Medic]

If it is something she wants, and it will make her happy that's what counts. Even if she later decides to do nothing with it, it's still cheaper than a decent piece of jewelry, and this one is tax deductable :D.

[txlandscapequeen]

Thanks everyone for the info. I think that I have made the decision to take the PCDI course. I am also doing landscaping when I get the calls so I am getting the on hands training too. I feel that any training is good training as long as you are learning the correct way. I want to be really good at this, and I know I have a long way to go, but I know this is what I want and I feel that it would help our business tremendously. Thanks again.

[Turf Medic]

txlandscapequeen

sent you a pm, check your inbox

[jwingfield2k]

Originally posted by stxkyboy
By a quick look at his "gallery"....i would have to say none.
Hey now little boy. I don't draw the plans, and I do very little landscaping. If you could read, you'd see that I said MY DAD is the one that uses that program. ANd again, I will emphasize that professionals he works with use it as well. And anyone, who is anyone in the landscaping field uses it too. My dad draws all of the irrigation plans for Chili's Ramamo's Eckards, CVS, Walgreens, Wendys, all that stuff. ALl the malls and school and everything my dad pretty much does. And AAALLLLL of the landscape architechs that give him those plans draw their plans out with autocad. And autocad isnt that expensive. Get AutoCad LT for a thousand bucks or so.

I'm not in that field, but I do know thats what the pro's use, they dont use these dinky programs that are floating around here.

[Lombardi]

Couldn't have been said better than by a true professional teenager in the business who speaks out about subjects he has no experience in, and even admits it.

[Turf Medic]

Originally posted by jwingfield2k
Hey now little boy. I don't draw the plans, and I do very little landscaping. If you could read, you'd see that I said MY DAD is the one that uses that program. ANd again, I will emphasize that professionals he works with use it as well. And anyone, who is anyone in the landscaping field uses it too. My dad draws all of the irrigation plans for Chili's Ramamo's Eckards, CVS, Walgreens, Wendys, all that stuff. ALl the malls and school and everything my dad pretty much does. And AAALLLLL of the landscape architechs that give him those plans draw their plans out with autocad. And autocad isnt that expensive. Get AutoCad LT for a thousand bucks or so.

I'm not in that field, but I do know thats what the pro's use, they dont use these dinky programs that are floating around here.

But can your daddy beat up his daddy :D