We recently connected with Bryan Harris and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Bryan, thanks for joining us today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.
It’s not often that a creative adult realizes inside their true self is the child that survived. To never forget absolute joy is crucial when carving a niche as a passionate, unparalleled visionary leader of Landscape Architectural nestle nooks, party pockets, inviting outdoor rooms and living spaces. Throw in a passion for vinyl records and historic jazz, funk and soul which ameliorates the status quo of monotonous desert designs, the Mother Earth Embellisher was formed to brighten the grim and win through fantastic function, form, aesthetics and artistic arrangement of materials anyone can obtain. With that one of a kind wizards twist to make it effortless and impossible to imitate, the goal is also to wholeheartedly embrace the Sonoran Desert excellence and the flora that thrives in this sometimes drastically desolate dreamscape orchestrating songs of shrubs, cacti, succulents, block, steel, trees, wood, boulders, and of course all while staying conscious of water conservation. Triumphantly slowing, spreading and sinking water received on site as well as harnessing any run-off for a fully functioning botanical wonderland. The best part about starting from a blank sheet of paper, designing a space by hand and capturing all the clients goals, building that space to specification and the utmost standards, is walking away to let the growth and natural splendor engulf the volume of the space creating not only goosebumps from seeing a hummingbird flutter by your brow but from a shady micro-climate that only gets better and cooler with time. To quote Walter Hood, an Icon in the world of Landscape Architecture: “People are shaped by their environment,” he said. “Many residents here have grown accustomed to the bleakness of their landscape, so (they) feel little or no sense of neighborhood pride.” I’m here to fully flip the script on the Phoenix Landscape Architecture/Design + Build scene. 23 years strong in the industry. To the future. Save time, live bold.
Bryan, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I knew I wanted to be a part of the landscape early in my early childhood. One instance is around the age of 5, using a hose to carve canyons and spaces for my He-man action figures to have a place to live and cut certain plants from my mom’s garden act as trees & gathered all sorts of materials to make my first mini-landscape. From there we fast forward and the focus was to work with Architects and home builders (developers) to bridge the gap between mundane interior and exterior spaces as to not have the landscape thought of last, which is traditionally & historically the case. More opportunities and less constraints the better, but to really know how to problem solve with plants is the key to a good landscape designer as well as pairing/complementing vegetation with other modern or classic building materials for a unique and functional space. The creed or code I follow is guided by kindness and the passion for creating wondrous outdoor rooms, I dedicate my skills to the growing number of people who appreciate the incomparable richness of the Sonoran Desert and seek to have it become more a part of their daily environments. Practicing the ways of the native plant pioneer Steve Martino, I apply his passionate discipline to all kinds of land uses from private residences in remote desert settings to urbanized office complexes providing designs, documents and all angles necessary to build a savvy outdoor sanctuary. Harmonizing what once was disconnected to fill spaces with life and love.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
Honesty. Not pretending to be someone else.
Solid workmanship.
Integrity to design.
Trusting yourself.
Taking risks.
Word of mouth.
Thousands of hours of focus on your specific skill cultivating a one of a kind product.
Giving an extra 10% feels like 100% to your client. Thanks Gary.
Don’t fake the funk and thrive through patience.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
I built a company from the ground up for 14 years and out of the blue was let go and hung out to dry. I used the negative energy from that terrible situation to do good & instead of fighting for what I was owed, I pivoted and powered through with positivity to instantly create my own design+build company with my team that followed me. We are now flourishing and fully capable anything in the landscape and striving to help clients create a quality space for them to appreciate and enjoy without getting taken advantage of, which happens a lot in the landscape design + build world. Simple, savvy and sustainable Landscape Architecture with a twist of creativity & wonder for a custom unparalleled Sonoran Desert botanical plant pockets amidst artistic material arrangements. Thinking of the landscape like a sheet of music and using plants to create a living visual song for your eyes. The word “desert” need not be synonymous for “barren” when one not only has permitted vegetation to exist on a very restricted supply of water, but has also done so in a most sculptural and abundant manner knowing there is much to learn, and the rewards promise not only more environmentally responsible communities but a beauty which can be achieved in no other way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.motherearthembellisher.com/
- Instagram: @mother_earth_embellisher
Image Credits
Thanks to Jaina Mistry who captured my essence. All other photos, drawings and installations curated by Bryan Harris…