The Society of Garden and Landscape Designers is a professional body for the garden design industry, but no law requires a designer to belong to it. When you see letters such as MSGLD after a name, they tell you about that individual's standing with the Society rather than who will physically build the garden. The Society's search page is for registered garden designers and practices.
What the Society of Garden and Landscape Designers is
The Society of Garden and Landscape Designers describes itself as the only professional association for garden and landscape designers. The Society says it has championed excellence in garden design since 1981 and that its members come from the UK and beyond.
Its official about page lists the Society's values as Excellence, Community, Creativity and Transparency. Expanding on that final point, the organisation says, 'We believe in transparency, in being fully open and democratic in our decision-making.' That is the Society's own statement of its values.
Alongside these values, the Society also sets out a clear overarching goal for its work in the industry. It gives its mission as 'To inspire garden and landscape design that enriches homes, places and lives.' No law requires a garden designer to belong to the Society, and membership says nothing about who will build your garden.
Who does what in the garden
A garden project can involve three separate roles, and the letters after a designer's name relate only to the first of them.
A garden designer is the professional who produces the plan.
A landscaper, or landscape contractor, is the person who builds the garden. They take the designer's plan and build it.
A gardener is the person who maintains the garden. Once the garden is built, a gardener looks after it.
Pre-registered, Registered and Fellow
The Society uses three levels, and two of them carry letters after a name:
- Pre-registered Member, the level at which designers first join.
- Registered Member, who may use MSGLD, expanded on the Society's page as "Member of the Society of Garden and Landscape Designers".
- Fellow, who may use FSGLD, "Fellow of the Society of Garden and Landscape Designers".
When a garden designer decides to join the Society, they do not immediately become Registered Members. Designers first join as Pre-registered Members and then follow the Pathway to Registered Membership.
Designers who successfully pass the Society's accreditation process are awarded the status of Registered Member. They are then listed in the Society's online directory. Registered Members may use the letters MSGLD after their name. On the registered members page, this is expanded to mean 'Member of the Society of Garden and Landscape Designers'.
There is also Fellowship. Registered Members recognised for an exceptional contribution to the Society and the garden design profession can be awarded Fellowship. Those who hold this status are Fellows, and they may use the letters FSGLD after their name. This stands for 'Fellow of the Society of Garden and Landscape Designers'. The Society describes Fellowship as recognition of exceptional contribution to the Society and the profession, and it does not describe it as a guarantee of any particular project.
The route from Pre-registered to Registered Member can be read as a sequence:
- A designer joins as a Pre-registered Member.
- The designer follows the Pathway to Registered Membership.
- The designer submits three projects of differing character, size and scope, all completed in the previous five years.
- An assessment panel made up of three Registered Members and Fellows carries out the qualifying assessment.
- The result is one of three outcomes, with written feedback in each case: a pass, a referral, or not meeting the SGLD standard.
- A designer who passes becomes a Registered Member and is listed in the online directory.
These steps describe how a designer reaches Registered Membership.
What the Society says about Registered Members
The Society sets out clear expectations for anyone who wants to become a Registered Member. Successful applicants will generally have been in business for at least three years. Successful applicants will also generally hold professional indemnity insurance. The Society uses the word 'generally' for both of these points, so neither should be read as a rule without exceptions.
Once accredited, Registered Members commit to keeping up with continuing professional development, often referred to as CPD. They must also abide by the Society's Code of Conduct. The Society describes this membership as an endorsement of an individual's design work and an assurance of quality for potential clients.
That is the Society's own description of membership. It is a statement about the Society's view of the designer's work. It is not a guarantee for any particular garden, and the Society's pages describe no complaints route.
To reach this level, the accreditation involves what the Society calls a qualifying assessment. The assessment is carried out by a panel of three highly qualified Registered Members and Fellows. Candidates must submit three projects that vary in character, size and scope, and these projects must have been completed within the previous five years. Candidates must also show that the design decisions are their own.
The Society says on its pathway page that "typically the process can take roughly three to five years". The Society lists these among the benefits of membership:
- Their own profile on the Society's website
- Photos and information about their business
- Entry to the SGLD Awards
- Use of the MSGLD or FSGLD suffix
What membership proves and what it does not
The letters MSGLD or FSGLD after a name show a designer's standing with the Society, not who will build the garden. The Society's home page says anyone working in or studying the field can join, and people with an interest can become Friends of the Society. Because there are different ways to be involved without passing an assessment, a simple link to the Society does not automatically mean a person is fully accredited.
In practice, a designer who says they belong to the Society could be a Registered Member, a Fellow or a Pre-registered Member, or could simply be someone who works in or studies the field, or a Friend. The letters MSGLD and FSGLD are the ones the Society ties to Registered Members and Fellows.
Membership is not the same as a guarantee. The Society's pages describe no complaints route and no guarantee, so none should be claimed.
The table below sets out exactly what Registered Membership proves and what it does not prove.
|
What membership proves |
What membership does not prove |
|---|---|
|
The designer passed the Society's accreditation |
That the designer physically builds the garden |
|
The designer is listed in the official directory |
A fixed price for the design work |
|
The designer follows the Code of Conduct |
A guarantee or a complaints route |
|
The designer committed to continuing professional development |
That anyone with a Society link is a Registered Member |
Read the rows as follows. Passing the accreditation means passing the qualifying assessment described above. Being listed in the directory is what happens after a designer becomes a Registered Member. Following the Code of Conduct is a commitment Registered Members make. The right-hand column covers the things people often assume: that the designer builds the garden, that a price is fixed, that a guarantee exists, and that anyone with a Society link is a Registered Member. The Society's pages do not say any of these.
For fees, read our guide to how much a garden designer costs in the UK.
How to check a garden designer in the directory
The designer search page says: 'Use our search tool to find a registered garden designer or practice.' It also states: 'Find the right designer for your special project.'
The search page is specifically designed for finding registered designers and practices. To use the directory, follow these numbered steps:
- Open the Find a designer page on the official Society website.
- Look for the 'Your location' dropdown menu, which starts with the default option of 'Any location'.
- Pick a location from the list. The tool lets visitors filter by location, with a UK list of counties and regions including Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and an Overseas list.
- Click the Search button to generate the results for your chosen area.
- Scroll through the list and look for the name of the designer or practice you are researching.
- Check the post-nominals printed next to the designer's name in the search results.
When you look at the results, you will see that designer names carry post-nominals such as MSGLD and FSGLD. The search page itself does not explain what they mean, but as covered earlier, they indicate Registered Member or Fellow status.
Common questions
What do MSGLD and FSGLD stand for?
Registered Members may use MSGLD after their name, and Fellows may use FSGLD. The Society's registered members page expands them as "Member of the Society of Garden and Landscape Designers" and "Fellow of the Society of Garden and Landscape Designers". The designer search page shows the letters beside names and does not explain them.
What happens if an accreditation application does not pass?
An accreditation result may be a pass, a referral for further work, or failing to meet the SGLD standard. Written feedback is provided either way. Referred candidates must "submit further material within six months", and decisions can be appealed.
Can a garden design firm be a member of the Society?
Yes, Registered Practice Membership is open to Registered Members who run a practice. For a firm to hold this specific status, the lead designers must sign a declaration stating that all practice design work is under their personal supervision.
How long does accreditation take?
The pathway page gives a rough guide: "Typically the process can take roughly three to five years".
Who can join the Society?
People who work in the field or study it can join, and anyone with an interest can become a Friend of the Society. Becoming a Friend is a different thing from passing the accreditation process that leads to Registered Member status.
Can a garden designer help with a small garden?
The Society's home page says a designer can help with a garden of any size, in any location.
Does the accreditation look at construction knowledge?
The Society's pathway page says candidates must have "a thorough knowledge of the project from survey through to construction", and that they must show the design decisions are their own. It does not say that the designer builds the garden.
Points to take away
- Joining the Society is optional for a garden designer, and the Society is a professional body.
- MSGLD and FSGLD describe a designer's standing with the Society. They do not say who will build your garden or what it will cost.
- Applicants who succeed will generally have three years in business behind them and will generally hold professional indemnity insurance.
- A search result shows that a name appears on the Society's search page and carries the post-nominals shown there.
- No complaints route or guarantee appears in the Society's pages, so neither should be claimed on its behalf.
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