“I feel really strongly about this idea that the plants just aren’t for us. The other animals that are in our backyard, they need them too. They need them actually more than us; It’s their food, it’s their shelter.”
Flora, how we love thee. Think of how boring our surroundings would be without the vibrant colors of flowers, the varied shapes of bushes, and the sheer majesty of trees. We’re so lucky to have nature around us all the time. Many of us even have yards right outside out house that we can go and enjoy any time we want. Nature is wild though, and sometimes that means having a crazy, unmanageable yard that doesn’t inspire very much love. It can be hard to tame nature into something both usable and beautiful. Luckily for us there are people like Linda that specialize in making this dichotomy come together.
“If you water it well enough and it has the proper nutrients it should do well. Plants want to live. Like all of life they want to continue living.”
“Even if you are a really skilled designer, if you can’t communicate effectively with your clients I don’t know if you’re going to succeed.”
Interview Contents
3:10 - The elements that make up landscape design.
3:30 - Problem solving.
5:00 - The elements that make a good yard.
9:00 - Considerations when placing plants next to each other.
13:00 - Keeping plants from taking over.
17:00 - Having clients that neglect their gardens.
18:00 - Weeds and their growth.
19:00 - The interview process with prospective clients.
23:00 - Steering your clients in the right direction.
25:30 - Maintenance work.
29:00 - Keeping plants healthy.
34:00 - Do native plants need to be watered?
36:45 - Linda’s top 3 plants.
43:20 - Cool butterfly facts.
44:10 - What made Linda get into landscape design?
48:40 - The most valuable lesson Linda has learned.
50:30 - Advice to become a landscape designer.
Links
Linda's Landscape Design Company and Blog
This episode was made with the support of
Brittany & Matt Marcotte
Michelle & Jim Wortner
Janelle Swanson
Jimmy Seymour
