A love of the outdoors is one essential quality of landscape designers. However, they also have an extensive knowledge of botany and excellent communication skills. Whether designing for a business, a residence, or a city, landscape designers can look forward to a career that will challenge their creativity with plants and natural materials as well as their aptitude for business. Readers will be interested to learn about landscape design computer software, college programs, and internship opportunities. They'll also find out what they can do right now to prepare themselves for a future in this creative enterprise.

What is a landscape designer? -- Types of landscape designers: Landscape architects at work -- Municipal landscape design -- Residential and commercial -- Nursery work -- Disign -build firms -- Working for yourself -- Related careers -- The work: Drawings -- Drafting tools -- Kinds of projects -- A day in the life of a landscape designer -- How to become a landscape designer: Education -- Internship programs -- Design portfolio -- Learning from the masters -- How landscaping has evolved -- You can be a landscape designer.