Today we’d like to introduce you to Timothy Watkins.
Hi Timothy, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My wife and I met while working at ECHO, a Fort Myers based non-profit dedicated to alleviating hunger globally through sustainable agriculture. After serving there for many years, and growing to be a family with four kids, we ventured out in 2021 by starting a landscaping business focused on creating ecologically healthy edible and native landscapes for residents in Southwest Florida. We felt like there was enough of a demand for design help and practical experience with edible plants and gardens that we could build a business with a focus on edible landscaping. We started very small, with a pickup truck and some tools, hiring friends and working on weekends as a family. We were fortunate to find some great clients that wanted the skills and experience that we had to offer and their business helped us to get our dream off the ground. We are still small, but we now have a solid crew for install and garden maintenance work, and a steady flow of new projects and clients looking for landscapes that are beautiful as well as bountiful. We combine elements of permaculture and agroforestry with practical knowledge and real experience of growing and caring for edible and native plants for nearly 2 decades in SWFL conditions. We believe that good design is the key to a successful edible garden or food forest.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The last five years has been an adventure, complete with both obstacles and challenges along the way. Neither of us had managed a business before, so we had to learn all of the accounting, HR, licensing, and tax stuff from scratch. We also didn’t have much capital or start up funds to work with beyond some IOUs from close friends and family to buy some tools and a trailer to get started. We also had no idea how disruptive hurricanes can be to a small business. We’ve experienced both the economic fallout and subsequent boom from these storms. What has been overwhelmingly positive and encouraging along the way has been our clients. We have been so grateful for all of the amazing people that we have worked with over these past few years. We have found almost invariably that the people who are concerned about creating a healthy landscape, growing wholesome food, and creating beauty are wonderful, generous and gracious people by nature. We have very rarely had moments of disillusionment or disappointment, largely due to the amazing people we have encountered through the business.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am mostly a horticulturalist at heart, and somewhat by training. I have a Biology degree, and later took a variety of horticulture and agriculture graduate courses before working with ECHO as Nursery Manager for about 5 years. I enjoy plant propagation and grafting tropical fruit trees as well as many other edible and native plants. At ECHO, I moved into a role in which I helped to oversee all of the agricultural activities on the campus, which somewhat resembles a small botanical garden of edible food crops from all around the world. I was responsible for many projects to redesign and improve the edible gardens and agricultural displays for ECHO’s public tour areas. This often looked much like landscape design and installation projects. I really enjoyed the practical, hands on ‘doing’ and implementing the design, ‘making it come to life’ aspect of my role at ECHO. I carry this into our current work with Ecovision, where I love to be a part of creating something beautiful and unique through a client’s landscape, and bring their design to life. I think our clients recognize that it is unique for the designers to do the installation work themselves, instead of handing it off to a crew of installers. At Ecovision we try to hire for and cultivate the value of understanding of the purpose and goals behind the design and implementing the design with the success of the client in mind. I hope to be known for doing what is ultimately going to lead to the success and flourishing of our clients and their land.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
In terms of Ecovision and the journey of starting and growing this business, I think that one very important lesson is related to developing something of value and doing it with enthusiasm and sincerity. And ideally, this is something that you enjoy doing and find a lot of satisfaction in it. People recognize that you have something of value when you put your heart and soul into your work. That kind of enthusiasm is contagious and can create a lot of positive momentum.
Pricing:
- Our full landscape designs for a 1/4 acre property begin at around $1200-1500
- A full landscape design for 1/2 to 1 acre properties range from $1800 to $2400
- We also offer design services for larger property and acreage, depending on the area being considered in the design. Cost can range from $500 to $750/acre for large properties.
- Our on site consultations cost $100/hour plus drive time from Fort Myers.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ecovisiondesign.com
Image Credits
Timothy Watkins
