Great points from both sides of the fence. I especially think cutntrim is right on to call design/build firms to task for over-planting and using too many varieties.
Clients want maximum color and low-maintenance and providing both is a real challenge. Too often I think we give in on the first request, cramming as many different plants as we can into way too small a space, and the client, who can't tell good from bad, throws up their hands in confusion and it all goes to pot.
Follow-up maintenance in the first few months after an install will make a huge difference in a garden/landscape's success. We come in, disturb the soil, bringing new weed seeds to the surface, amend and fertilize to create a perfect medium for weed germination and establishment, then water like mad to insure a bumper crop of pests, but never come back to pluck the weeds that we caused to grow???
In our twelve years as landscapers we have always included three follow-up maintenance visits to insure the garden is properly weeded during establishment, that plants are adequately watered, and that our product looks its best while the clients and neighbors still remember our name. It's a great way to keep your foot in the door, as well as control quality. The expense is nominal, and I think the guys appreciate going back and seeing how the fruits of their labor are maturing.
This year I have grown pretty self-critical of my perennial work, feeling like it is too busy and complex for anyone but the avid-gardener to appreciate and maintain. I am trying to transition, with Spiderlilly's guidance, to a simpler style, that is based on plant communities versus the color maximization principle...
Finally, I think the nursery industry contributes to the design flaws and client pressure with a steady stream of supposedly new and improved plants, while in fact, to quote Roy Diblik of Northwind Perennial Farm,
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We don't need more new plants; we need to learn how to use the ones we have.
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