Weekly Online Course Allows Space to Learn & Explore
Assignments to Immediately Integrate Course Content into Your Design Practice
Peer Collaboration for Support & Insight
Accelerate The Learning Curve
Starting and building a landscape design business can feel overwhelming!
Where do you go for expert help?
This online course gives you expert guidance, advice, and resources — plus all of Mardi's insider tips for running a successful landscape design business.
The Foundations of a Landscape Design Business is your roadmap for building, growing, and nourishing a sustainable, profitable practice.
It's also approved for 12 CEU hours by APLD and LA CES, so you can earn continuing education credits while creating the business you've been dreaming of.
Learn the Tools Mardi Used to Build a Profitable Business
The Foundations of a Landscape Design Business course is taught by industry expert Mardi Dover. She’s an award-winning, certified landscape designer with a thriving practice – Gardens by Mardi – in Asheville, North Carolina.
The Foundations course is not a generic business course but one created specifically for landscape designers. Many business courses focus on "what to do"—handing you templates, scripts, or one-size-fits-all solutions. But in a creative field like landscape design, where no two businesses (or clients) are the same, you don't need cookie-cutter advice.
What you need is guidance to help you:
Think strategically about your business decisions.
Build systems that fit YOUR style of working.
Communicate confidently with clients, contractors, and vendors.
Create a framework the evolves as your business grows.
8 core modules with recorded lessons with over 8 hours of instruction, plus participate in a weekly group workshops. By the end of this course, you’ll have basic tools to design a business that reflects who you are, supports your creativity, and grows with you over time. This is about building a business you love – one that works for YOU!
BONUS:
Graduates of this course are offered exclusive membership in The Community Exchange,
an online coaching community that meets monthly and shares on an online forum, to learn new content and share ideas!
How This Course Helped Students Just Like You
"This course gave me the opportunity to take a look at my business holistically, as well as enough specific information to drill down deep enough to make significant changes that will guide my future decisions to create a practice that is fulfilling and realistic.””
“A lot of great information in the course that would have been extremely helpful to me earlier on in my business. Foundation of a Landscape Design Business is the perfect course to offer guidance as you begin or build your business. Mardi is a great instructor with years of experience and valuable guidance. Her class notes and resources help you implement the topics of the course.”
"If you are thinking of starting a business, or you need a tune-up in your landscape/garden design business, then this class is for you! It's packed full of useful and practical information, and it's fun to meet fellow landscape designers from around the country that share their stories. You will feel better prepared and know where to go and what to do to make your business a success.”
“This course provided space and prompts to allow me to pause my status quo and redirect my efforts in more specific, helpful, efficient, and thoughtful ways which I am confident will improve my business exponentially.”
“The office hours were an absolute gift to be able to get into the nitty gritty about things I really needed and to learn from classmate's questions as well."
“Mardi’s extensive experience as a landscape designer and former contractor means she has dealt with the specific challenges of our industry. Her systems for improving your business have been developed and tested over many years. We highly recommend."
“The course work provided an opportunity to reflect and get specific about changes I want to make, gaps in my current business structure, and the type of business I want to have in a way that expanded my thinking and addressed how I was limiting myself."
“All of the practical information is so helpful, but the 10,000 foot view, helped me reassess my business approach!"
RELY ON SOMEONE WHO’S BEEN THERE
Building a Landscape Design Business You Love Doesn’t Have to Be Hard
Are you ready to build a business that feels as thoughtfully designed as the outdoor spaces you create?
Hi, I’m Mardi! Let me help you transform your landscape design business!
Running a successful landscape design business requires more than talent and creativity. It takes clear systems, a sustainable workflow, and the confidence to adapt as your business evolves. In this course, you’ll learn how to think strategically about all the moving parts of your practice – from your business model and proposals, to managing your time and client relationships.
This course isn’t about handing you a boilerplate template or one-size-fits-all solution. It’s about helping you develop your own unique business framework – one that aligns with your values, vision, and the way you want to work.
By the end of this course, you’ll have tools to design a business that reflects who you are, supports your creativity, and grows with you over time. This is about building a business you love – one that works for YOU.
My signature annual live course, The Foundations of a Landscape Design Business, starts on January 13, 2026!
Why struggle through the business side of things when you can learn from an expert and get results faster?
Here is what we'll cover in this course:
Week 1- Defining your Core Values: How they impact your business model.
Week 2 - Creating Processes: Systems that will save you.
Week 3 - Defining your Business: The what, who, how, where and why?
Week 4 - The Workday: Schedules, time blocks, tracking work.
Week 5 - The Design Proposal: What to include, determining pricing, invoicing.
Week 6 - Clients: Evaluating fit, maintaining engagement, red flags.
Week 7 - Business Framework: Structure, licenses certification, insurance, accounting.
Week 8 - Creativity: Making time for design work and inspiration, staying motivated, dealing with overwhelm.
You will also receive a digital Course Workbook, templates and bonus content that you can integrate immediately into your business. Progress faster to a more profitable and enjoyable landscape design practice!
IN 3 SIMPLE STEPS
Design Your Business So You Can Do More of What You Love
1.
Register for the upcoming 8-week course.
2.
Watch recorded lessons and join the weekly workshops
3.
Have the foundations in place for a thriving business.
Be as confident running your business as you are designing a gorgeous garden.
Sign up for the next session of The Foundations of a Landscape Design Business
How is This Course Structured?
• 8 core modules with recorded lessons with over 8 hours of instruction
• Mardi’s 100-page workbook with templates & worksheets
• Eight 1.5-hour weekly workshops to apply content immediately
• Direct feedback & 24/7 online Community Forum
• Connection with fellow designers
• Community Exchange invitation (first month free)
• 1-hour individual coaching session with Mardi
• 10% off any digital resource on MardiDover.com
Is This Course for Me?
Specifically designed for the landscape design industry, you’ll get practical advice and actionable tools for setting your business up for success from the start.
This class is perfect for:
• Landscape architects, designers, and garden professionals seeking to build or elevate a business
• Ready to think strategically about the business side of their practice
• Committed to reflection, implementation, & the application of new ideas in real time
If you’re launching a landscape design business, this course is a must!
Mardi Dover | LA CES & APLD Approved Education Provider
"Many thanks, Mardi, for taking on this course and helping so many of us bring into focus a path to bring our dreams to fruition. I really appreciate your time and attention to detail, and relaying real practical experience."
A.F. Maryland
Bonus:
A Special Invitation to The Community Exchange
Graduates of The Foundations of a Landscape Design Business course are offered exclusive membership in The Community Exchange, an online coaching community.
Everyone who completes the live course can continue to apply everything they learned with the added bonus of ongoing accountability and education.
With 24/7 access to the online forum, you can:
● Stay connected to your classmates.
● Get peer support and accountability.
● Ask questions and interact with Mardi.
● Access bonus content, worksheets and resources.
● Hear from guest speakers on such topics as insurance, marketing and finances.
● Incorporate the course content into your design business.
● Learn from other creative design professionals.
Register for the next 8-week live course, The Foundations of a Landscape Design Business, beginning in January. Then, keep the support, connection and accountability going in The Community Exchange.
Remember, only those who complete the live course are invited to participate in the high-level conversations and additional trainings available in the forum.