We recently connected with Vincent Bellino and have shared our conversation below.

Vincent, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

We differ from the industry standard in the sense that we do not design our gardens with plants from all over the world. We limit our palate by only using plants that grow naturally in California. We put a massive emphasis on re-creating natural environments and attracting birds, bees and butterflies. The industry standard today (while going drought tolerant) is still stuck on the idea of making landscapes look fixed and finite. That is to say, they sort of look the same from the moment they’re installed and for years moving forward. They’re not focused on emulating the natural seasons and cycles of our unique and diverse Mediterranean climate. Our designs on the other hand, take inspiration from God’s design in nature. We think true California nature is some of the most beautiful landscapes in all the world and we want to pay homage to that by bringing a piece of it to your garden.

Vincent, 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?

It’s a pretty long and detailed story, but to make it simple.. I got into this industry through 1.) a passion for gardening and growing plants and 2.) a genuine desire to make the world a better place. Around 2012 or so, when the internet made its way into our pockets, I became completely obsessed with the news headlines that humans were destroying everything and that we need to make cosmic changes if we want to avoid the next great extinction. I started to prepare by growing food and harvesting rain water. We had a lawn that was useless and I wanted to grow a vegetable garden out front, but my parents weren’t fond of that idea. So we applied for a turf rebate and decided to plant natives instead! They would attract pollinators to our garden out back and reduce water usage! I also wanted to do my part to help save the world by restoring natural habitat that was being destroyed by over development. I soon started planting native plants where ever I could. I became a radical activist for it.. In short, it became a religion for me. A sort of idolatry and my sacrament for favor with the earth god was to plant plants. Since then, things have changed and I no longer worry about the earth being destroyed. Now I see an opportunity to do good work, serve others, and provide beautiful spaces for people to spend time outdoors!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One majorly lesson I had to unlearn is the idea that “everything is relative.” While there is some truth to this, there is also objective standards of beauty and design principles that one must incorporate if they want to create a beautiful garden. When I first started landscaping, the entire idea was to make a landscape look completely random, just like nature. However, this didn’t sit well with neighbors, or my parents. So reluctantly, I began to change my scope. I started to incorporate principles of landscape design like “right plant right spot” or “measure how big it will be full size” or “try to prevent the plants from touching” or “start low to high.” All of these design principles took my designs to the next level and I started getting calls from neighbors for me to redo their yards!

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

My partner in crime is actually my brother! I am so blessed to have him by my side. He has always agreed with the mission of our business and has been helpful and supportive throughout the growth of the business. He is airways there to get his hands dirty with me. He also does most of the computer work side of the business which is my least favorite. With him there I can spend more time outside gardening, researching and experimenting!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.restoringcalifornia.com
• Instagram: @restoringcalifornia

Image Credits
Peter Ronchetti