While obtaining a degree is useful for learning the basics, one cannot rely on a "piece of paper" for their success. To some degree you will need to learn a great deal on your own. It's hard to say, based on your long term goals, exactly what you should do, but I think it will become clearer to you, if you get started. Sometimes, one cannot see what "step B" is until after they are well along in accomplishing "step A." If you wished to pursue large scale commercial projects, you'd pretty much need to obtain a bachelor of Landscape Architecture as this aspect of the work is locked up with a complex system of regulations. With anything else, you would probably do fine with the associates degree. Much will depend on how you perform and who you come in contact with along your career path. In general, I credit personal zeal more greatly than "book learnin.'" If you begin the career path with less formal study and greater personal study, you can always add to the formal study later on if you decide it's necessary.

Here's how I hire designers: show me a problem you solved, explain how you identified the problem, how you solved it, and pics of the result (ideally, because real world examples > made-up student projects. Seriously, design the front yard of a Habitat house or something). I don't really give a crap about credentials because I'm not credentialed.

If you're thinking about an online degree, just withdraw the money, put it in an envelope, and find a family living in their car to give it to. Your career will advance by the same amount, but at least you've made a positive difference in someone's life versus letting some scummy CEO buy another boat.

It sounds to me like you already have some great skills and knowledge you can trade on. Between working for good designers or companies with good designers, taking community college courses, finding every awesome workshop you can, and just devouring info you can cobble together a rocking education.

Is relocating an option?

Marcinde, once again, you made me crack up out loud. Hee hee!

Seems we both value skill and ability over formal education.

Yard, the more lousy I feel and frustrated I am, the more I tell it like it is.

There's definitely a place for education, and it can give you a leg up on getting a job. But if you want to be a landscape designer and your state allows you to hang a shingle as such, an education focused on other things is not so useful. I honesty think my interior design classes are what made me as good at space planning as I am.

Tell like it is, but don't feel lousy or frustrated! :-)

I think basic design skills transfer from one discipline to the other (though not the details, of course.) Interior d. would be very helpful.

I totally agree with marcinde and Yardvaark. Good advice.
I was a Landscape Designer for 35 years and not one customer asked me for my formal education credentials. Not one. I came recommended from friends of the customer and I gave good references that they were able to check out, both on the phone and site examination. A happy customer is the best advertisement there is.
My first job in landscaping was for a Japanese American landscape company in north Seattle. I swung a shovel and pushed a wheelbarrow and kept my eyes and ears open. On the weekends the foreman and I did jobs on the south side of Seattle so as not to compete with our employer. We both lived on the south side.
Then I went to work for a landscape nursery for a few years before breaking out on my own and haven't looked back since.
I've always been an avid reader and absorbed as much pertinent info as possible. Still am, even though I'm 70 and retired. The Internet sure makes it easier to get what I need to know.
Landscaping was a hobby, then it turned into a business, and now it's a hobby again. That's total immersion.
In college I studied geology and art, but didn't get a degree. Viet Nam got in the way and disrupted things.
I have two PHDs, but I can only work one post hole digger at a time.
Mike

Here is a link that might be useful: Pictures of my garden...mostly.

"I have two PHDs, but I can only work one post hole digger at a time. " Too funny, Mike!!!

I'm going to be a devil's advocate and say that, the way thing are going (too much to explain) getting at least the associates degree from the community college would be a good idea. (do NOT get anything from a for-profit post-secondary like "University of Phoenix") Let's say there's another housing price crash and the home landscaping biz goes completely bust in your area. If you want to get a job with a local park doing grounds maintenance, you will have to have the degree.

I have a BLA and did what I needed to do so that I am a licensed LA. I agree with Marcinde in that it is all about experience. No one asks for credentials. What I learned through the process of getting my degree and doing time under professionals is that I was forced to do things that I otherwise would have avoided - some to get the license, some to get the degree, and many more to advance at the various places that I worked. So while no one asks about my credentials, many are referring me due to some specific skill sets that I gained through experiences that the journey took me to.

For every self taught successful landscape designer out there, there are probably 40 failures because the opportunities to gain the kinds of experience to make them successful were not open to them.

The fact of the matter is that being a good designer is probably only 30% of the skill set that you need to make it. This is the thing that no one tells you going into it. Everyone thinks that the better you are at design - the better you'll be in the profession. Some of the best designers can't get out of their own yard even if they want to. Some mediocre designers are extremely successful.

Some of it can be luck, but it is usually done by good observation of the opportunities, adaptation, positioning, and filling needs that others benefit from.

Based on what I read on message boards related to landscape architecture, I'd be very hesitant to recommend to anyone to take on a lot of debt to get a degree because there is still very little hiring going on - that includes low paying internships.

I'm not sure how well you can compete to get your foot in the door to work as a designer with only an associates degree when there are so many people looking for work with BLA,s, BSLA's, and MLA's.

It is not easy to gain experience without already having experience. While a degree is not actual experience, it is training in the skill sets needed to produce plans for others.

I'll touch on one subject that may not be spoken about much and that subject is networking.
I have a love -hate relationship with my formal education , but for all the expense, the long hours and lean living, it was the people who I met during those years that has made the greatest impact on my career.
I wouldn't trade that informal part of my formal education for anything. If you can manuever yourself into a good program that has wide reaching capabilities you will be amazed at the opportunities that will avail themselves to you. I strongly recommend the Horticultural and the GSD internship programs at Harvard, the Arnold Arboretum, the NY Bot garden and Filoli in Woodside.
CA.
I started young and traveling out of the area seemed undoable. It was the best thing I ever did.

Alex, questions such as yours are asked here from time to time. As I review my career noted is the fact that hindsight is one of life's best instructors, years delayed. Knowing what I do now, how would I approach starting a business during this present economic downturn? Within all this landscaping gloom and doom there are major upstart companies intent on the environment. An example would be the software company Epic located near Milwaukee, WI. Plan to visit it and take a tour. Slowly this type of project is influencing design concepts across the country. Yes, go after what education you can afford. But, let your design thoughts go beyond the backyard garden and toward future landscaping opportunities and efforts to work with the environment.

Suggest you follow the blog and writings of designer Thomas Rainer. A quick search will provide lots of information about him.

At the moment, as you ponder your career choices please note that you are in an important spot. You are talking to and advising the gardening public. This is a critical talent to develop in this complicated business. How the confused questioner is handled is bread and butter on your table.

As you work to find your way consider setting yourself up for a few years as a Garden Consultant. Set an hourly rate and advise DIY gardeners. No designing, just advice. Print some business cards. Study your area for clues as to where you could take this type of business. Roof top gardens? Advice on organic gardening? Small garden spaces. Patio gardening...etc. Often this type of consultation business, quiet and not 'pushy' will lead to requests for design plans. At the moment during the present economic situation this is a route to consider and one that is welcomed and supported by much of the gardening public.

Make sure you find out what your state wants to see, as far as credentials. In Washington state, there seem to be some requirements to be listed as an actual landscape designer.

School is great, as is experience. A balance between the two (like in most things) is probably ideal :)

If anyone wants to start handing out those envelopes, please tell me where you are and I'll camp out in my car overnight.....

In Washington state, there seem to be some requirements to be listed as an actual landscape designer

This is incorrect. There are no registration or certification requirements to be a landscape designer in WA state. AFAIK, there are few, if any, such requirements nationwide. The industry itself has initiated a national association with a certification process (APLD) but there are no requirements to be a member or become certified to practice as a landscape designer and membership is still very limited in many areas. In fact, the bulk of the membership in APLD is as an associate or uncertified member.

Can you do this successfully with only an Associates degree? Probably, but I wouldn't want to bet my life's income on it. This is a second career for me and fortunately my education and practical experience has expanded the various career paths I could take -- in addition to my design practice, I am a horticultural consultant, I teach horticulture at the college level and I have a pretty active speaking career. Never a great idea to put all one's eggs in one basket ;-))

Nandina, I think your advice is fantastic, and it rings true to me. I have been casually working at a quality greenhouse/nursery near me for the past 9 years. About 4 years ago, when my son started school, I decided I wanted to turn what was previously a hobby into my next career (I had my son at 40).

Not being sure where to begin, I started by getting my Master Gardener Certificate, which was a great program that I highly recommend. I learned a lot, made some great connections, and truly enjoy the volunteer work I do that is associated with keeping that certification.

With that, I did just as you suggested--became a Garden Consultant. I kept on working at the nursery, and did the consultant gigs on the side, and worked hard not to create a conflict of interest, since the nursery has a full-scale design operation. In addition, I have developed a pretty good business as a public speaker, giving presentations to local garden clubs on a regular basis.

The next step, after some research and reflection, I enrolled in the Horticulture/Garden Design Certificate program at the Chicago Botanic Gardens. My degree was in theater design, so I had a lot of the design background (ie. technical drawing, elevations, design concepts). I'm not done with that yet, but at the end of this year, the business I've been working for all this time invited me to join their Design group. I'm thrilled with that. I love that I will be working with an established business that has the crews, the equipment, and a full selection of plant material. If I were younger, maybe I'd be itching to set out on my own. But, for me, this is the perfect path.

Finally, I'll mention to the OP that one of the other options that was open to me was to work at the CBG, with pretty good prospects at working my way up to a Horticulturist position there, which is another great way to get some great hands-on experience and build some "street cred."

Thanks for this post, I've enjoyed reading everyone's advice!