Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jess Lee. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Jess, thanks for joining us today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

Tulipa, Latin for the genus of Tulip, is a symbol of charity in the Victorian language of Flowers. The topic of that language has always been fascinating, to speak with flowers. The Latin name for plants is universal, meaning it can expand worldwide and reach everyone interested. It’s a big deal to embody the idea of charity in a name, and it’s even more significant to contribute to the land and give back to it. Creating a landscape, using plants as a canvas, to represent hope, forgiveness, grace, peace, and any other emotion desired by the landowner, is a great honor. As humans, we assign meaning to everything, and this is my way of attributing deep meaning to an art form that is starting to get lost among the standard, unoriginal forms of post-modern design. Tulipa Land is my way of giving back to the land and offering an expansive space for all art forms to collide in a creative bloom.

Jess, 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?

In the landscape design industry, there are several avenues to go down. The services I provide include residential and commercial design work, including small scale containers to and entire yard, as well as plant consultations. What sets me apart from other designers is my desire to remain “trend less”, meaning I aspire to create timeless pieces that also aren’t what one may see day to day with current post modern ideas. Think of rows of grasses and nuetral colors, and then imagine a circus rolls in with lights and layers and exciting smells and nostalgic songs. I want to create a feeling where memories can be made and the viewer can be inspired and leave feeling like their cup is full. There is deep meaning in every design, no matter the size, down to the texture of the foliage. I am proud of my ability to go against the grain and communicate with others to create their vision, their circus, their dream.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I started Tulipa Land as a side hustle in college to get experience. Four years flew by and I graduated but wanted to go after licensure as a landscape architect. A few months ago, I was working full time for a corporation as a landscape designer out of college. I gained a ton of experience and hoped to learn new techniques from my mentors. As I did learn a lot, my eyes were also opened to the blandness in the corporate world of design. The lack of feeling was overrun by the amount of money to be made, and I felt like I was slowly drinking the kool-aid. Long story short, I left everything I knew behind to pursue full time Tulipa Land. Full speed ahead, I’m ready to continue to bring spice, color, and love into the world of gardening and plants. I believe if you want to do something, you can make it happen. I had to sacrifice where I worked, lived, played etc to flip a 180 and land at the forefront of everything I’ve ever imagined.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Creating good designs, maintaining good installs, and paying close attention to detail. Good recommendations and word of mouth are everything.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @tulipaland