Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Ornamental Designer

🎯 Role Definition

An Ornamental Designer is a specialist in the planning, specification and execution of planting schemes, floral compositions and softscape elements for residential, commercial and public projects. The role blends horticultural science with creative planting design to create resilient, seasonally-interesting, and maintenance-conscious landscapes. An Ornamental Designer develops plant palettes and planting plans, prepares technical specifications and schedules, coordinates with contractors and nurseries, and ensures successful implementation and post-installation performance of softscape elements.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Junior Landscape Designer or Assistant Landscape Designer
Horticultural Technician / Nursery Technician
Garden Designer or Floral Designer

Advancement To:

Senior Ornamental Designer / Lead Planting Designer
Landscape Architect or Design Manager
Head of Softscape / Planting Specification Lead

Lateral Moves:

Botanical Garden Curator / Horticultural Curator
Plant Procurement / Nursery Sourcing Manager
Landscape Maintenance Manager / Operations Lead

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead conceptual development and delivery of ornamental planting schemes for residential, commercial and public realm projects, producing clear design narratives, illustrated planting plans, and plant palettes that meet client briefs, budgets and site constraints.
Prepare detailed planting plans and scaled CAD drawings (AutoCAD, Vectorworks) and 3D visualizations (SketchUp, Rhino, or similar) that show plant locations, densities, planting depths and technical notes for contractors and stakeholders.
Compile comprehensive plant schedules and specification documents that include botanical names, common names, sizes, grades, quantities, root types, sourcing notes and contingency substitutions to ensure procurement clarity and installation success.
Develop maintenance specifications and seasonal maintenance schedules for contractors and clients, including pruning regimes, fertilization programs, mulching requirements and plant health monitoring to guarantee long-term landscape performance.
Coordinate with landscape architects, civil engineers, irrigation designers and lighting designers to integrate ornamental planting with grading, drainage, hardscape and irrigation systems, ensuring compatibility and constructability.
Source and liaise with nurseries, growers and plant suppliers to secure high-quality stock, lead times, availability confirmations and plant warranties; manage procurement queries and negotiate pricing when required.
Conduct detailed site assessments and soil/planting condition audits, including soil pH, structure, drainage, microclimate analysis and existing planting evaluation to inform planting design decisions and soil improvement strategies.
Produce cost estimates and quantity take-offs for planting and softscape packages to support tender documentation, budget control and value engineering exercises.
Prepare technical specification sections for planting, soil preparation, planting mixes, composts, anti-weed membranes and mulches to ensure installation follows best horticultural practice and project standards.
Provide regular onsite supervision during softscape installation and planting phases: monitor planting technique, verify plant placement and densities, inspect rootball conditioning, staking and irrigation hookup, and issue site instructions where necessary.
Deliver client presentations, stakeholder workshops and planting rationale documentation to communicate design intent, seasonal interest, plant behavior and maintenance expectations in accessible language.
Create seasonal color, perennial rotation and specimen planting strategies that optimize year-round interest, pollinator value and low-maintenance performance across the project lifecycle.
Lead mock-ups, trial beds or demonstration plantings for new or experimental species to evaluate establishment rates, aesthetic performance and maintenance needs before project-wide use.
Prepare health and safety, biosecurity and plant quarantine guidance for site teams, including safe handling of rootballed stock, use of PPE when handling soils and pest control precautions.
Set and monitor quality control benchmarks on plant establishment, issuing punch lists, defects reports and practical completion checks for softscape packages.
Research and specify climate-adaptive, drought-tolerant, native and low-input plant palettes to align projects with sustainability goals, water constraints and biodiversity objectives.
Advise on irrigation system zoning, plant water requirements and efficient irrigation strategies (drip, micro-spray, sub-surface) to ensure plants establish effectively and long-term water use is optimized.
Identify pests, diseases and physiological disorders in plants; recommend corrective treatments, cultural controls and integrated pest management strategies and liaise with plant health specialists as required.
Maintain updated knowledge of plant material availability, seasonality, botanical nomenclature and new cultivars; evaluate and trial new material for suitability in local climates and project specifications.
Prepare as-built planting documentation and maintenance handover packs including plant lists, warranties, schedules and care instructions to support successful client handover and warranty period performance.
Mentor and review work of junior designers and assistants, provide planting design guidance, drawing checks and horticultural training to build internal capability and quality standards.
Produce accessible specification language for operations and maintenance teams, translating technical horticultural aspects into practical, actionable tasks for grounds maintenance contractors.
Ensure planting compliance with local regulations, protected species guidance, street-tree requirements and planning consent conditions where relevant; prepare supporting documentation for planning authorities if required.

Secondary Functions

Respond to site queries, warranty claims and client follow-ups during defects liability periods; provide technical guidance and remedial plans as needed.
Assist sales and business development teams with planting expertise for proposals, presentations, costings and client interviews.
Contribute to internal knowledge bases, plant libraries and specification templates to improve reuse and consistency across projects.
Monitor project timelines for plant procurement and installation windows; advise schedule adjustments based on seasonal constraints and nursery availability.
Support sustainability reporting by compiling planting-related metrics (native species counts, pollinator plant percentages, water-use reductions).
Support collaboration with landscape maintenance teams to analyze establishment success and refine future planting strategies based on operational feedback.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Expert knowledge of ornamental plants, trees, shrubs, perennials and grasses, including botanical nomenclature, growth habits and site suitability.
Proficiency producing planting plans and construction drawings in AutoCAD, Vectorworks, or similar CAD platforms.
Ability to create visualizations and presentations using SketchUp, Rhino, Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.
Experience preparing comprehensive plant schedules, material specifications and horticultural technical notes.
Strong understanding of soil science, soil amelioration techniques, planting mixes, rootball handling and organic matter management.
Competence in irrigation zoning, water requirement calculations and specification of irrigation components for softscape areas.
Familiarity with plant procurement processes, nursery sourcing, delivery logistics and plant quality assessment.
Ability to produce cost estimates, quantity take-offs and softscape tender documentation.
Knowledge of integrated pest management, plant pathology basics and remedial horticultural treatments.
Experience developing maintenance specifications, seasonal work programs and contractor schedules.
Understanding of sustainability principles, native planting strategies, biodiversity enhancement and low-maintenance design.
Competency in site supervision, issuing site instructions, quality control and as-built documentation.

Soft Skills

Strong verbal and written communication skills for client presentations, stakeholder coordination and clear specification writing.
Creative planting design thinking paired with practical, constructible solutions and a problem-solving mindset.
Client-focused approach with the ability to manage expectations and translate technical detail into accessible advice.
Time management and ability to prioritize tasks across multiple concurrent projects and seasonal constraints.
Collaborative team player who works effectively with architects, engineers, contractors and nursery partners.
Attention to detail and commitment to high standards in documentation, plant selection and installation oversight.
Mentoring and teaching capability to support junior staff development and knowledge transfer.
Adaptability and resilience in responding to site-based challenges, supply chain variability and changing project scopes.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Diploma, Associate degree or Bachelor's in Horticulture, Landscape Design, Plant Science, Botany, or related field. Equivalent hands-on experience in lieu of formal qualification may be accepted.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Landscape Architecture, Horticulture, Plant Science or related discipline; postgraduate or professional certification in planting design or landscape architecture is a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Horticulture
Landscape Architecture / Landscape Design
Plant Science / Botany
Environmental Design / Ecology

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

2–7 years of professional experience working in planting design, nursery sourcing, landscape construction or horticultural specification roles.

Preferred:

5+ years of proven experience delivering ornamental planting schemes across residential, commercial or public realm projects, with demonstrable experience in CAD drafting, plant specification and on-site supervision. Experience with native planting strategies, sustainability certifications or landscape maintenance handovers is highly desirable.