When a Client Doesn't Like Your BEST Work

Lunch at jobsite, below, yesterday.

Met with clients, on site, initially to walk/talk their new garden.

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Drew the plan, and mailed it.
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Then, the phone call, "He doesn't like anything about the plan."
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It did not bother me, in the least.  She liked the plan, I listened to her descriptions of what he disliked about the plan, aside from everything.

3+ decades drawing gardens, I knew, deep within my bones, this is the best plan I've ever done.  Top of my game.  The prime of miss jean brodie, before she was aware it had passed.

Every garden has a lot of right answers, and wrong.

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His dislikes were within the realm of expectations.  He wanted meat & potatoes.  Instead, he was served the most incredible bottle of red wine Earth has produced, the tastiest asparagus, upon elegantly simple ironstone, antique subtle silver utensils, candles burning, and the meat/potatoes became so obscured by the fineness of the 'other', he lost site.  He did get what he wanted.

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How did he 'see' ?

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Confidence.  My work/skills are based upon history, decades studying historic landscapes across Europe.  Zero I create is 'new', zero.  My work is that of the best, done by others long dead, across continents & cultures.

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How could I be upset, he did not 'see' my work?  It was new to him.  I listened intently for her descriptions of his concerns.  Poof, voila.  Let's tweak here, and tweak this, and tweak that.

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The original plan was a 'concept' plan.  Changes were made to the final plan.

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He approved the final plan.  He was 'on board'.

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The new question, from him, and her, 'Did I like the new plan?"

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Seemingly changed, it still retained all the best of every bit I've learned over decades.

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I'm just as happy with the final plan as the concept plan.  However, this is THEIR garden.

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Confidence.  Sound of Music, I have confidence in confidence itself, type of confidence.

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This is still my best work.  And, now, he likes his meat/potatoes.

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Garden & Be Well,    XO Tara

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Pics taken at jobsite.  The story got a bit wilder.  They were only going to install the minimum for covering the red clay, and a few paths.  Instead, he said to install the entire plan.  Will post this garden when it's complete, and both the drawings.