Lessons learned from pioneers who pushed beyond the status quo in landscaping

By Arricca Elin SanSone

Landscape designers, architects and contractors share a common appreciation for the natural world and the creative ways it can be shaped to suit our needs and desires. But, there are many, many ways to do it, as is evident when considering the following industry professionals who represent diverse landscape design, installation and maintenance backgrounds.

W.Gary Smith uses his artistic abilitiy— above, in a rendering of his ASLA award-winning design for Peirce’s Woods— to help clients “find new ways to see things.”

What makes these individuals interesting is that they carved niches with the force of their personalities and principles and chose to do things a different way—even when it didn’t make much sense to anyone else at the time. Some had formal business training; others learned strictly by the seat of their pants. More often than not, there were lean years. Sometimes, simply not acknowledging they could fail was their greatest business asset. But each has persevered and become a pioneer and positive force in the landscaping industry.

If you’re pondering your professional goals and looking for ways to grow your business or creative inspiration, there’s something to learn from each of these entrepreneurs who turned passion into reality.

Native Plants, Prairie Restoration and Construction

Long before “native plants” was a common term in landscaping, Neil Diboll was preaching the merits of indigenous species. He credits his parents for his calling in life. “We grew up camping, backpacking and taking wildflower and nature walks,” he says. “I was exposed to the beauties of the earth from a young age. And they always encouraged us to follow our hearts.”

Praries Nursery designed the seed mix for this installation at a Wisconsin Promega technology center.

While at school at the University of Wisconsin, Diboll fell in love with the prairie and its amazing diversity and productive ability. After graduating in 1978 with a degree in environmental science, he worked for the park service in Virginia and Colorado before securing a job at his alma mater’s arboretum. On weekends, he educated himself on prairie ecology by reading articles on prairie root structure, soils and management.

When the recession of the early 1980s hit, Diboll couldn’t find a job, so he decided to start his own business. He says his motto was: “I got no business being in business.” He had no business background and no capital, so he borrowed from family and friends to buy a Wisconsin nursery from Bob Smith, who had been collecting native plant seeds since 1965.