While working as a horticulture manager at Disneyland, Mari Landscaping’s David Brown learned how to design creative, imaginative landscapes. He also learned a few other things.
“I had to be organized so we could implement in an economical and efficient manner,” he says. “The landscape had to be maintained with an excruciating amount of detail. And we had very tight time schedules that required excellent time management.”
One recent project exemplifies Brown’s blend of creativity and organization: a 1.5 acre garden which had to contain an extraordinary variety of flowers. It could easily have been a mess. “The client’s love of every flower made it challenging,” says Brown. He ended up creating areas with annuals and higher maintenance flowerbeds that used a lot of detail with Mediterranean perennials around the center. “It displays a huge variety of flowers without sacrificing elegance,” he notes.
Knowing the characteristics of a wide variety of plant material means Brown can immediately help clients avoid costly mistakes. “Everyone who recently planted young tender Queen Palms in Paso are pulling them out,” he says. “But there are other palms with that look that are capable of handling the colder temperatures. For me, it’s about coming up with alternatives for my clients.”
Mari landscaping also provides hardscaping services, including bridges, patios, rock features, fountains and waterfalls. They will also help with garden art. And, says Brown, his background really pays off with large-scale projects.
Perhaps most of all, Brown prizes his company’s flexibility, not only in types of landscapes ("from desertscape to junglescape,” as he puts it), but also in his ability to work with his clients’ vision. “First we pay attention to what the client wants. Then we bring our creativity and imagination,” he says.
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