Follow The Money

Friends and associates have urged me to Blog more often. That's probably a good idea. I'll continue to post copies of our e-newsletter, but will try to post other items of interest (?) too.

I'll start here with what I think is one of the biggest challenges in the Green Industry. It's getting reliable information. Information is easy to get. Knowing whether you can trust it is tricky though.

Here's what I mean. I'm not going to pick on any specific manufacturer, but you know who they are. Let's say you want information about the best way to design/install/specify paving. Who provides that information? Usually, the most readily available source is a manufacturer who sells a specific product. Is the information he/she provides reliable? Maybe. Maybe not. You can rest assured, though, that whatever they tell you will show their product in a good light. In fact, they may even present their product as the ONLY option.

So let's go one more step down the chain: The installer. After all, these are the guys who work with the products, deal with the suppliers and have firsthand knowledge of the product. They should know, right? Well, they SHOULD know. The question I have is, do they get incentives from the manufacturer to use their product over another? It's a good bet they do. Also, maybe they choose one product over another, not because it's better, but because their margins are better on it.

As a designer, and my client's advocate, my interest is not in my contractor's profit, though I do want him to make money. My interest is in making sure my project is as good as it can be and that my client is getting the best he/she can get.

I used paving as an example, but the same is true with other landscape elements like irrigation, lighting and even plants.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that suppliers, manufacturers and contractors as a whole are unreliable and intending to deceive. I'm also not saying that just because someone has a bias toward one product doesn't truly believe it to be the best option. I'm only saying that, as a designer, it's important to follow the money. It's always wise to verify with a neutral source, if you can find one.

Trust everyone, but cut the cards. (Finley Peter Dunne)