Landscape Designer vs. Landscaper in Nashville: What’s the Difference and Which Do You Actually Need?
I get this question more than almost any other. Someone will reach out through my website, tell me about their property in Brentwood or their new build in Wilson County, and somewhere in the message they’ll say something like: “We’re not really sure if we need a designer or just someone to come plant some things.”
It’s a fair question. The Nashville landscaping market is enormous, and if you’ve ever searched for help with your yard, you know how overwhelming it can be. There are crews on Lawnstarter who will mow for $29. There are full-service firms quoting $100,000 estate transformations. And then there’s everything in between. So where do you even start?
Here’s the short answer: a landscaper and a landscape designer do fundamentally different things, and hiring the wrong one for what you actually need will either waste your money or leave you disappointed. Let me explain what I mean.
What a Landscaper Does
A landscaper is focused on execution. They mow, edge, mulch, plant, install sod, build retaining walls, lay pavers, and handle the physical work of maintaining or improving your outdoor space. A great landscaper is worth their weight in gold — they know how to grade a slope, prep a bed, and get plant material in the ground the right way. Many of them have been doing this work for decades.
In Nashville, most landscaping companies offer some combination of lawn maintenance and installation services. They’ll come out, walk the property with you, and give you a quote for the work. Some will sketch out a rough plan. Many are excellent at what they do.
What a landscaper typically does not do: study your property’s light patterns across seasons, think about how the garden will look in January versus June, consider how the plantings relate to the architecture of your home, or develop a long-term vision for how the space will evolve over the next five to ten years. That’s not a criticism — it’s simply a different scope of work.
What a Landscape Designer Does
A landscape designer starts with the bigger picture. Before anything goes in the ground, we’re studying. We’re looking at sun exposure across the property, analyzing soil conditions, considering Nashville’s Zone 7a climate and the clay-heavy soils that are so common in Middle Tennessee. We’re thinking about drainage, about privacy, about how you actually live in your space — and how you want to feel when you walk outside.
A designer creates a plan. That plan might include custom planting palettes, hardscape layouts, outdoor living areas, lighting concepts, and irrigation strategies. It considers the architecture of your home, the topography of your land, and the relationship between every element in the landscape. The goal isn’t just a yard that looks nice on installation day. It’s a space that matures beautifully over years.
At The Grass Girl, I approach landscape design the way I approach art — because that’s what it is. I have a master’s degree in fine art, and while that might sound unrelated, it’s actually at the core of everything I do. Composition, contrast, rhythm, negative space — these aren’t just painting concepts. They’re garden design concepts. A well-designed landscape tells a story. It holds emotion. It changes with the seasons and the light, and it only gets more interesting over time.
So Which One Do You Need?
Here’s my honest answer, even though it sometimes means I’m not the right fit for someone:
You probably need a landscaper if…
Your yard is in generally good shape but needs maintenance — mowing, seasonal cleanups, mulching, pruning. Or you have a small, straightforward project like replacing some dead shrubs, laying sod in a bare patch, or adding a simple bed of annuals. You know exactly what you want, you just need someone skilled to execute it. In Nashville, there are a lot of excellent landscaping companies that handle this well.
You probably need a landscape designer if…
You’re building a new home and need to plan the entire landscape from scratch. You’re renovating or reimagining your outdoor space and want it to feel intentional and cohesive. You care about the details — how the front entry garden frames your door, how the backyard transitions from a dining area to a garden path to a quiet reading corner. You want a space that reflects who you are, not a copy of what’s trending on Pinterest. You’re investing in your property for the long term and want a plan that accounts for growth, seasons, and how the landscape will mature.
One thing I always tell prospective clients: if you’re building a new home or doing a major renovation in Nashville, bring in a landscape designer earlier than you think you need to. Ideally, before the foundation is poured. I’ve worked on projects in Williamson County where the builder graded the entire lot without any consideration for the landscape plan, and we had to engineer solutions after the fact that could have been avoided entirely with early coordination. Timing matters.
What About a Landscape Architect?
This is the third term that creates confusion. A landscape architect holds a professional license (similar to how an architect is licensed for building design). They’re trained in site engineering, grading, stormwater management, and large-scale site planning. If your project involves significant grading challenges, commercial development, public spaces, or major engineering considerations, a licensed landscape architect may be the right call.
For most residential projects in Nashville — even high-end estate properties — a skilled landscape designer with deep plant knowledge and design training is the right fit. The distinction matters, and I’m transparent about it. If a project comes to me that genuinely requires a licensed landscape architect, I’ll tell you.
The Question Behind the Question
When someone asks me “do I need a designer or a landscaper,” what they’re really asking is: “Is it worth the investment to plan this properly?”
And the answer, almost always, is yes.
Here’s why. Nashville’s real estate market is competitive. A thoughtfully designed landscape can increase your property’s value by 5 to 15 percent. But beyond the numbers, there’s something that’s harder to quantify: the difference between a yard that was installed and a garden that was designed. One is a series of individual decisions — some shrubs here, a patio there, maybe a tree because the nursery had a sale. The other is a composition, where every element relates to everything else, where the garden draws you through it, where there’s always something in bloom, something with texture, something catching the light.
I’m biased, obviously. But I’ve also spent enough time working in Nashville’s clay soil with my hands in the dirt to know that the difference between a planned landscape and an improvised one only becomes more obvious as the years go by.
How to Choose the Right Professional in Nashville
Whatever direction you go, here are a few things to look for:
Ask about their plant knowledge. Can they tell you which native perennials will thrive in your specific conditions? Do they know the difference between what works in full sun on a south-facing Williamson County hillside versus a shaded lot surrounded by trees in Wilson County? Nashville’s microclimates are real, and plant selection matters.
Ask about their process. A designer should have a clear, structured process — from an initial consultation through site analysis, concept development, planting plans, and installation oversight. If someone can’t explain their process, that’s a red flag.
And finally, trust your instinct. The person designing or building your landscape is going to be on your property, in your life, for weeks or months. You should feel comfortable with them. You should feel heard.
If you’re in Nashville or Middle Tennessee and you’re trying to figure out the right next step for your property, I’d love to hear from you. You can reach us through our contact page — tell us about your space, your vision, and where you are in the process. We’ll be honest about whether we’re the right fit. The Grass Girl serves Wilson, Williamson, Davidson, Sumner, and Cheatham counties, with select projects beyond on a case-by-case basis.