Spring is just around the corner, and this makes it the perfect time for planning out your garden, backyard and front lawn. If you’re working with plenty of space or you’re looking to investigate a little further into the potential of your property including growing your own vegetable and fruit garden, then you could be interested in working with a horticulturist. A horticulturist can help you plan and design a garden or recreational area with the idea of preserving natural resources.

So, if you’re set on working with one, this article will look at what a horticulturist will do as well as how many specific projects may set you back. Keep reading to find out all of the necessary information on this subject and you’ll be able to start planning for your spring project!

Working with a Horticulturist: Must-Know Facts

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What does a horticulturist do?

Horticulturists are interested in and deal mainly with the reproduction of plant life. They work to understand and manage the soil, landscaping, plants, flowers, vegetables, and fruits and offer insight regarding the best trajectory for you to make the most of your soil and your property. It’s common for people to confuse a horticulturist with a landscape architect, but these professions have fundamental differences that we’re going to lay out below.

A landscape architect is all about the design elements and will understand how to layout public spaces, gardens, parks or backyards. In contrast to this, a horticulturist understands the actual science behind how flowers, plants, and greenery interact and grow. Specifically, they will be trained and understand plant propagation, crop production, genetic engineering, plant physiology, and biochemistry while also conducting research in gardening and landscaping. The work of a horticulturist extends beyond regular garden plants and involves berries, fruits, nuts, vegetables, shrubs, trees, turf, and managing your soil.

Not only is their knowledge exceptionally wide-ranging, but they take on many different roles. They may work with private or educational institutions, the government or on residential projects.  Some examples of projects a horticulturist may take on:

Research: A horticulturist may engage in plant-based research, with a specialization or focus. This type of horticulturist may conduct controlled experiments in specific environments in order to better understand the plants they’re focusing on.

Landscaping: It’s common for a horticulturist to work as part of a team or contractors or a landscaping company to assist in the design and development of site-specific projects. As mentioned, they have the ability to cultivate flowers, trees, bushes, grass, and shrubs while advising you on the correct products to use when caring for them. They will also be well-versed in irrigation so that your plants remain alive and healthy. Since they understand the relationship between plants, they’ll be able to offer a well-rounded landscaping plan that could last a lifetime.

Consultant: A horticulturist can serve as a consultant, and this can work to maximize the landscape that you’re working with. They will advise on details such as planting, growing and harvesting techniques. They can also help with managing insect or parasite infestations.

Do these qualifications describe someone you’re looking for? If so, keep reading for some common prices when it comes to hiring a horticulturist!

Common Costs Associated with Working with a Horticulturist

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Now if you’ve made the decision that you’re hiring a horticulturist, there are many factors that will play into budgeting for this project. The specifics will come down to how large of a space you’re working with as well as which services you’re hoping for.

Hourly rate: $40- $150

If you’re working with a horticulturist who charges by the hour, you’re looking to pay between $40-$150 an hour, with anything over that being an extremely experienced or jack-of-all-trades horticulturist. Some will charge a flat rate for a consultation, while others will include the consultation, design plans and any revisions made all in the hourly rate. Make sure to check in with your horticulturist.

Flat rate: $2,000- $10,000

It’s difficult for us to lay out a specific flat rate you may be looking at for this project. However, you can expect to pay an average of $5,400 for a medium-sized property. Again, the price will be dependent on the number of hours invested in the project as well as the services you’re looking for from the horticulturist. Do bear in mind that a flat rate may only include the consultation and the plans, and may not include them actually carrying out the work with you.

Design plans: $200- $500

If you’re simply looking for blueprints or plans with detailed landscape designs and information about local plants, then you may be able to pay for these alone. In most cases, this will also involve a flat rate consultation fee on top of the projected costs.

Why is working with a horticulturist important?

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The green space around your home is important. Many environmental concerns are addressed when working with a horticulturist. Planting and maintaining the trees, plants, flowers, grass, as well as the fruits and vegetables native to your region will help to balance the ecology of the area including combating certain weather concerns such as erratic rainfall and overheating cities.

Not to mention, having the ability to grow and cultivate your own fresh fruits and vegetables has both a local and environmental impact. Being able to access locally grown fruits and vegetables mean that less food and plants will have to be freighted in and imported with high fuel costs. Further, running a small farm or garden impacts the accessibility to fresh produce within your community. Working with a horticulturist is a fertile investment with many long-term benefits. The costs upfront might seem high, but in the future, you will appreciate the expense.