We recently connected with Isaac & Emilie Navarro and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Isaac & Emilie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard.

Our landscape designs differ from the industry standard because we prioritize working with nature, rather than creating landscapes that require tedious maintenance. We ensure that at least 80% of the plants in our designs serve an edible or medicinal purpose, while also including plants that help sustain local wildlife. We don’t just create beautiful spaces; we create self-sustaining ecosystems that reflect how nature functions within its climate. Just as forests thrive without human intervention, our designs integrate plants that support each other, reducing the need for external inputs like fertilizers or excessive watering.

We also factor in a range of considerations, such as sun trajectory, sound reduction, wind passification, defensibility, foot traffic, and utilizing slopes for passive rainwater harvesting.

Nature has been the oldest, most persistent system long before human civilization. By working with these proven systems, rather than against them, we achieve the truest concept of ‘sustainability.’ This allows us to create landscapes that are resilient, low-maintenance, and contribute to both personal security and the health of the local environment.

Isaac & Emilie, 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?

Isaac – Well, I helped plant my first tree at age 2 with my late grandad, Norman Skinner. Some years later, as an adult, I gave up pursuing a career in the medical field. It was entirely too stressful, and I have great respect for anyone who can navigate the medical industrial complex, balance people’s lives, and make a faithful difference. When I left that path, I was under incredible amounts of stress with no clear direction, but amidst the crushing disappointment and confusion, I felt compelled deep within myself to “just plant”—two words that I followed to unlock great mysteries in life even to this day. I planted things, and some would die, but some would live, and as the plants were growing, so was I.

It was my girlfriend at the time, now my wife and business co-owner, Emilie, who encouraged me to take horticulture classes since I loved it so much. She stood by me as I worked and studied horticulture trades, and I even earned two permaculture certifications. I’ve always strived to help heal and reenchant life—I believe it’s my calling.

Emilie – I grew up in as a first generation American with an immigrant father from Croatia who grew up on a farm in a village named Srednjak, which boasted rolling hills of vineyards. My dad and grandmother brought their knowledge and traditions to my childhood backyard, where they grew a variety of vegetables, fruit trees and several grape vines. I remember helping in the garden as early as age 5, and always enjoyed well designed gardens. I have a background in interior design and business management, so Isaac and my skills put together bring a unique experience to our clients.

Our business – Together, we offer self-sustaining landscape designs which not only focus on sustainability but also regenerate the land, providing free food and medicine for the owner while giving back to local wildlife. Our designs require minimal maintenance input but yield maximum resource output. Beyond sustainability, we holistically address our clients’ needs, including noise reduction in busy neighborhoods, fire resistance for high-risk areas, thorn barriers for added security, wind pacification, passive cooling to reduce air conditioning costs, and passive water harvesting to lower irrigation expenses.

We also carefully consider the layout to ensure plants mature in a way that doesn’t obstruct or endanger foot traffic. Aesthetic appeal is equally important, and we take pride in designing landscapes that match any theme, from desert gardens to forests of Pacific Northwest-inspired .

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

We actually started The Friendly Fern as an online plant shop in June 2022 with the intention of shipping unique house plants and ceramic pots straight to your home. Our family and friends were our biggest supporters, and it led to requests of wanting their yards designed and landscaping consultations. After a year of business, we realized the logistics and effort of capturing one or two clients a month was significantly easier than selling product to hundreds of customers and decided this was the right pivot and growth direction for our business. We’re also open to how our business will evolve as time goes on. There’s a huge interest in the education realm- teaching students how to successfully grow food forests.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Well, as professing Christians, we believe God created man from soil and His breath; Designed to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever. He began this by creating Adam to rule over the earth as a microcosm of God’s rule over the universe—Earth is like God’s terrarium. Sadly, when Adam sinned in the garden, it triggered a long and confused human history of sinning against God, each other, and even against nature. Jesus, who is also referred to as “the second Adam,” came and fulfilled His sinless role—something neither Adam nor any of us could do. In a way Jesus redeemed His Father’s art project. We believe our sins are paid for and that one day the earth will be entirely restored. But in the meantime, we seek to live holy/holistic lives as worship. Our goal is to help redeem the soil and reenchant our fellow man to what we were made for. The natural order and placement of plants in the landscape is a byproduct of this truth.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thefriendlyferndesigns.com/
• Instagram: @TheFriendlyFernDesigns
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61567987525194
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-friendly-fern-designs
• Twitter: @_FRIENDLY_FERN_
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheFriendlyFernDesigns
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-friendly-fern-los-angeles