I recently received this request:"Could I request a post on finding and making first contact with a designer for those of us with gardens out of your jurisdiction so to speak? You’ve convinced me that outside help would be a good idea for my yard, but I don’t know where to go for it, and I don’t want to give the wrong first impression by not knowing the right terms."I thought about that a while (too long, since it is actually a fairly simple question). All clients, projects, and designers are different, but everything begins with the design program for the project. Without being too long-winded (I hope), here's some vocabulary that I hope will help:Design Program: This is a wish list. It can be super simple or fairly detailed, and may change during the course of the project. For example, the project (the client) wants a pool. In adding more detail, you might say that the pool needs to be suitable for lap swimming. Additionally, you might say that the pool should be suitable for lap swimming and parties of 15-20 people, but not have a diving board. There is no design yet. The program is something that the client and designer may (should) develop together during the conceptual and schematic phases to assist the client in making decisions.Survey: The project site, represented on a drawing that is to scale (measurable on the drawing) and accurate. This is not a doodle, and contains no new design work - it illustrates the location, size, and elevations of things like existing trees, structures, paths, or whatever else is requested. Before hiring someone to perform the surveying work, make sure that you have a list (good to work out this list with your designer) of items that you want to make sure are included. It is much easier to have this list before the survey is performed than to ask the surveyor to go back and get more information.Here's the tricky part. Design Drawings. These can range from napkin sketches to a complete set of technical drawings and documents. There may be a wide range of detail required depending on the needs of the project, the budget, and the abilities of the designer to meet those needs. The overriding concept is that these documents are a tool for communicating the design intent with everyone involved. One important thing to understand is that once the design work is underway and drawings are being generated, a change that seems simple may need to be adjusted in many places (which takes time). This is one reason I feel it is important to discuss the design intent thoroughly and make sure everyone is happy at every step of the way.Rendering: So much fun, this is where the designer takes the new design and adds some color and presents it to the client. It is so much easier to review drawings that aren't just black and white. Renderings aren't always done, and they're often abandoned once the client is comfortable with the design work to move on to more technical decisions.Demo (demolition) Plan: Illustrates what will be removed to make way for the installation of the new design, but does not show the new design work unless the project is simple enough to include demo notes on a Layout Plan. A Demo Plan should also indicate items to be saved and protected from damage. For example, there may be an additional drawing (usually on larger, more complex sites) called the Tree Protection Plan.Layout Plan: The new design! woo hoo! Finally some design work. These drawings show only the new design work with what remained of the previously existing items (things that were not demolished). If a structure remained, or a tree was saved, they're included as part of the new design and noted as "existing".Grading Plan: Grading includes slopes, drains, spot elevations (heights of things in relation to each other), and any earthwork. For instance, if you are planning for a new patio, there should be a slight slope on it so that the water either runs off or into a drain. Similarly, if there are new steps in the design, you need to know what elevation the bottom of the steps is vs. the top step, which also relates to the height of each riser.Construction Details: Several small drawings gathered together that show additional detail about how things will be built.Planting Plan and List: My favorite part! Some people put a lot of information into a planting plan, others very little. I like to tailor the level of detail in the planting plan to the needs of the client and the site (and include a lot of information). I expect to be at the project when the plants arrive and to personally count and approve or reject the plants. I move them around until they are in a configuration that I like when I am there. My Planting Plans include the scientific and common names of the plants to be used, the quantity of each and their size (at the very least). If there is a special note, like if a tree is already on hold at a nursery for the client, that is noted on the drawings. Other drawings: You may need a sheet for Lighting, Pool Layout, or Irrigation Design. There may be enlargement drawings or sections and elevations. All of this information is to communicate the design intent, so the needs of the project determine the level of detail to be designed and drafted. I hope this helps, and thanks again for the request!