Be Seen as the Professional Landscape Designer You Are…Earn your Certified Landscape Designer Designation Right Away!
The Landscape Design Group, newly formed under the administration of Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association, founded the Certified Landscape Designer (CLD) designation as a way to establish a high standard of excellence for the landscape design profession. It provides landscape designers with a valid way to communicate their professional status to their clients.
In 2004, the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA) agreed to administer and market this certification designation nationally, continuing the standards set by the Landscape Ontario Design Commodity Group.
Why is a CLD Designation Right for Me?
A Certified Landscape Designer (CLD) designation will provide you with a means of proving to your clients you not only have the necessary education and industry experience, but you’ve also written and passed an industry examination proving a high degree of proficiency as a landscape designer.
Why Should I Certify and Why Now?
While the current popularity of gardening has been a boon to all segments of the industry, landscape designers find it increasingly difficult in today's market- place to position themselves as professionals with a high degree of competence and knowledge. A certification procedure to verify the skill of qualified individuals will elevate the value of the landscape design process and the professional stature of landscape designers.
What Do I Need to Qualify?
Certified Landscape Designerdesignation is available only to those individuals who have achieved a minimum standard of education and industry experience, at which time they will be eligible to present a portfolio to a panel of industry judges and write an industry exam to test their knowledge in the areas of grading, horticulture, plant identification, construction details and design skill.
What are the Steps to Certification…
To qualify to write the CLD exam, you must meet these three requirements…
- You must first have seven years of combined academic and industry experience. For example…
- You’re a graduate of a two to four year recognized post secondary horticultural program, plus have an additional three-to-five years of practical experience, totaling seven years
or
- You have seven years of practical, industry-specific experience.
- You have completed a written exam, testing your knowledge of grading, drainage, layout, plant material use, professional practices, regulations, structural/construction/paving details, and quantity take-offs, with a minimum of a 70% score.
- The final step to certification is to submit a portfolio containing samples of your design work, along with at least three references. Your portfolio will be judged by a jury of between three-and-five-persons, consisting of academic, design/build members of CNLA or CSLA, and a representative of the regional CLD group.
This is an Opportunity for Your Professional Future!
The day you become a Certified Landscape Designer is the day you enjoy even greater pride, recognition and success in your chosen field.
