We recently connected with Cari Tiller and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Cari , thanks for joining us today. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?

When I went off to college, I knew that I wanted to do something creative. I had an inner passion to create art, but wasn’t really sure how that would be expressed in a career.

At first, I took a college course to help students determine their major. The college course directed me to Broadcast Journalism and I thought I wanted to be a news broadcaster. Nope. I quickly learned that career was not something I really was interested in.

After receiving my degree in Advertising/Marketing, I was excited to start working at a large advertising agency in Dallas. I knew we would be creating advertising campaigns for clients like Pepsi-Cola and some other large companies. Naively, I thought I would be an integral part of the creative process for creating artwork for the campaigns with my team. That was not the case as an account manager. It was truly the creative director, art director and copywriter that brainstormed all of the ideas and created the artwork. I spent 16 years in Marketing and Advertising before I was able to quit that career and follow my heart. During that time, I finally understood I was happiest when I was using my creativity to make an impact in the world. I could express my creativity by marrying my passions for art, gardening and spending time outdoors in nature. I knew I wanted to become a landscape designer!

When I was a child, my parents and grandparents were always gardening and growing things. My parents even had a greenhouse. I wasn’t too interested in “digging in the dirt” back then but I was always around the garden and helping harvest and eat the veggies. I loved nature and flowers. I loved being outdoors. It just took me a while to connect the dots of how to create art in nature with plant choices–and not only provide a beautiful environment, but also provide food and shelter for wildlife and pollinators!.

First, I became a Tarrant County Master Gardener in 2016. I was surrounded by amazing gardeners and beautiful gardens all of the time and it brought me great joy as I learned everything I could about plants and growing plants. I was a sponge soaking it all in.

Second, I went back to college in 2016 to get my degree in Horticulture. I took every class I could to learn about plant propagation, plant pathology, soil science, soil fertility, landscape design, greenhouse management, landscape management, entomology, organic gardening, etc. I had so much fun and I wanted to be a student forever.

At last, I started my landscape design business in January 2019. My husband encouraged me to go ahead and get started and learn the business side of it along the way. I purchased my landscape design software and jumped in with both feet and never looked back.

I knew I would succeed as a landscape designer because I am truly passionate about plants and making the world a better place!. I get so excited to wake up and create beautiful spaces outdoors for families to enjoy together. Not only is it fun to create, but I get to problem solve with families and ensure they have functional outdoor space that brings them JOY!

Cari , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I became a landscape professional after intentionally going back to school to pursue and study for a Horticulture degree. Before that, I earned a BA in Marketing/Advertising and spent 16 years in the marketing field. Though I was captivated by the glitz and glamour of marketing and advertising, I repeatedly found myself digging in the dirt and finding peace among the plants, my garden and all of the amazing caterpillars, butterflies and creatures God created in nature.

My greatest joy is taking my passion for gardening, art and nature to make the world a better place, not only for people…but for wildlife, insects and the environment. We can all make a difference!

After an initial consultation with a client, I work with them to create a Master Landscape Design Plan for their outdoor space. This includes a CAD Ddrawing, color illustration and virtual mock-ups to help them visualize how their outdoor space will look upon maturity. Once the design is approved, I work with a landscape team to install the design and ensure it matches the original intended design. In the industry, everyone refers to this service as “Design-to-Build”—when you provide a comprehensive service from design/concepts to the real finished product.

I really take time to understand what is important to each client!. I ask a lot of questions to understand desires, likes and dislikes. I want to know a clients’ goals for their landscape and how they will use their space daily. Once I know my clients’ lifestyle and wish list, I can create a unique, functional and beautiful outdoor living environment customized just for their needs.

I love to focus on native plants that are well-suited for our climate, soil, lighting and wildlife.

My custom design process and presentation style is very visual. I provide conceptual photo mock-ups (along with CAD drawings) that allow my client to see the design installed. My design and presentation process allow the ideas and vision for their landscape to crystallize in their mind. There will be no doubt what the final product will be!

What do they say, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”? I provide pictures so my clients can SEE their dream yard. I truly think this extra step differentiates my client offering from the competition.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

My best resource for new clients is always a previous happy client. When I successfully complete a landscape design and installation for one client, they tend to refer their neighbors, friends and family too.

One of my clients lived on the corner of a busy street. After we completed her landscape installation, people started knocking on her door to ask who designed and installed her landscape design. She happily shared my information and we ended up working with several other neighbors in the same neighborhood—including the family directly across the street and diagonal to her house. A happy customer is the best referral!

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

Upon completion of a landscape project for a client, I send them a personalized thank you note in the mail along with some wildflower seeds to plant for pollinators. I also check in with them several times following the installation to see if they have questions or have any issues that need to be resolved. They receive detailed information from me on how to care for all of their newly installed plants–including a watering schedule and a pruning and maintenance schedule.

When it comes time for pruning (generally in late winter), I meet with them and walk their landscape with them to show them and tell them how to prune and care for each plant. I want my clients to feel confident in caring for every plant to ensure they succeed and find joy in their landscape! I feel like this is an educational journey and I want to teach each client how to properly care for their landscape long term!.

At Christmas, I mail each client a Christmas card with a personalized message. I keep the lines of communication open so they always feel welcome to ask me questions along the way. Their Success = Our Success! Their Success = Long term happiness and enjoyment of their landscape space.  WIN WIN.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.catatiller.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catatiller/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/catatiller
• Other: http://www.txsmartscape.com/resources/companies.php

Image Credits
Images courtesy of Gracie Ortiz Photography.