This morning, sitting here wondering how to proceed in pursuing a job that has both meaning and a means of supporting myself, I found myself in an exercise, a conversation with a potential employer. I imagined this person to be the owner of a large local landscape company with which I, in reality, have sent a resume and have had an initial meeting with one his subordinates, the person that I would actually be working with.
In this conversation, I imagined the owner of this company (which in fact does both larger commercial jobs as well as high end residential properties) asking me what my philosophy is in landscaping. After clarifying that he was speaking about landscape installation (rather than landscape maintenance), I began with how I would present myself to the residential client.
I went into my first question which is generally, “how do you want to be able to use your yard”? Of course, the clients often may hem and haw about the actual purpose they have in mind for their yard (having not given it adequate thought. Other times, the clients are very definite about their intentions for this space. It’s not uncommon for the wife to have ideas (perhaps even more demonstrative ideas) of her vision for the yard. Very often they have at least basic ideas, though they either don’t fully grasp the process of implementation of their ideas or have ideas that need some structural guidance. From this initial conversation, being sure to address all of their wants, concerns, ideas and wishes, without totally shooting down some of the plain dumb ideas, or impracticalities, it is my job to guide them to a constructive conversation of what we/I can do to accomplish and enhance their landscape intentions.
Next, once the design is done and agreed upon, contract signed and all of that good stuff, comes the application of these ideas and here comes my overall approach and concept of an authentic landscape installation process.
My general philosophy in installing a landscape is that the larger boulders and accent pieces be installed in such a way as to appear “naturally occurring”. Work the soil in around them as it might over time, driven by wind and water. Install the plants in a manner to accent the rock work, which accents the plants. Any paths and walkways should be both functional, yet as subtle as possible, in keeping with the more “naturally occurring” theme. So overall, the landscape should look like it’s been an ongoing natural event that has always been there and somewhere along the line someone “stuck a house in there”. This, rather than the conventional method of it appearing that the landscape was worked in to accommodate the features of the house. This is what I consider a “natural landscape” in an otherwise urban environment. This philosophy especially works in a less than urban environment, where the idea of not living in town is to connect more with Nature (connecting with Nature, in my opinion, though that’s too often not the case with many of the affluent homeowners).
Upon revisiting my philosophy of the work which has been my career over 3 decades, I found myself once again becoming excited about the work I have done, the landscapes I have co-created. I haven’t witnessed this on any but a few occasions, in recent years. And, I realize the passion that is lacking in the work I have been doing of late.
What this memory and visualization has also stirred up is a growing passion within me that involves something altogether different, yet with a similar theme to the landscape work I have done over the years. Along with this is a rise in confidence over the knowledge and capabilities, the traits and gifts that I have brought to the landscape work I have done, and now to another line of work which continues to grow in inspiration. I don’t know just exactly what will come of all of this. I do know that I have gifts and talents in this lifetime, which are not meant to be kept to myself. Rather, they are meant to share with others, whether that be in a more practical application or a subtle exchange of energies in the humdrum of the daily experiences. I feel my approach to landscaping, my philosophy, is spriritually driven. And now, spirit is driving me to engage the same passion, bourne of my connection with the Trees and Gaia to a different line of “work”, though the exact nature of this is still to be revealed.
I’m finding it increasingly important to listen to that inner voice and that gut feeling that is driven by inspiration and passion. Too often we set these feelings, these energies aside, in order to maintain a living and source of income, as well as to set them aside in the struggles of this often mundane existence we live. Yet, the truly “successful” people in this world are so not because they are driven by the dollar, but because the work they do is their passion, and therefore doesn’t feel like work. That’s the way it used to be for me. Of late, this transition and sojourn that I’ve been traveling through has found me associating more without the inner knowing and peace driven by passion and Love. I have known the passion within me on a more sporadic basis.
This morning I felt that passion, again. I felt myself having this conversation in such a way as to know that I am no one’s subordinate. I have a great deal to offer in this lifetime and any work that I engage in. I know this! I need only to engage with the passion within, to know where next to head.
Walk with me.
Peter J Quandt