Today we’d like to introduce you to Carrie Dubberley.
Hi Carrie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started my landscape design journey in Estes Park, Co. while studying Horticulture at CSU in 1987. My first business was Rocky Mountain Plant Care focused on Interior Landscaping in Estes Park. After graduating, I worked with 2 large interior landscaping companies in Denver and Dallas.
Living on 10 acres year around for 5 years next to Rocky Mountain Park helped me see the need to have plants that nurture the environment, feed local wildlife and provide beauty. I spent 30 years going back to Estes Park and saw that climate change was changing the natural landscape as the glaciers were melting. I saw there was a real need to support the natural world.
I started my current landscaping business in 1996 doing design and consulting. I saw a need to have a reliable installation and seasonal maintenance subcontractor crew to fulfill my client’s dream. We have worked together for over 25 years. I also have help with from an accounting firm and a creative website/software individual.
At Dubberley Landscape we focus on native and well-adapted landscapes that few landscapers offer. We do not offer mow and blow lawn maintenance. And on the flip side, those kinds of companies can’t successfully do what we do.
Our specialty is sustainable landscaping: heat and drought-tolerant, waterwise, and low-maintenance. These elements come to life with native plantings, rain gardens, and wildlife habitats. Beauty and function is the goal.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, it has not been easy. But as the climate dries out and gets hotter, more people have come around to the idea that a using plants indigenous to our region are better suited. Whenever there are extreme weather events like droughts, we get busier.
At first, it was hard to find clients who wanted native plants, but the hardest part was finding native plants. Even now, it is hard to find enough variety and quantities of native plants.
Some forward-thinking nurseries are offering more native choices. There are some native nurseries that have gone out of business.
To build awareness, I joined the Native Plant Society, The Master Gardeners Assoc. and a few more. I started giving talks and taught continuing education classes at the community colleges for 9 years. I was trying to make people aware that there was a better option than traditional landscapes.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Dubberley Landscape works with residential in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex to create beautiful and sustainable outdoor environments. We are committed to helping people and communities work with natural landscapes. We were one of the first native landcape companies in DFW.
Landscape design is changing with the times and climate, creating opportunities for responsible and innovative solutions to drought and heat, water restrictions, and habitat loss. Our mission is to create beautiful outdoor environments and provide you with the best in ecological landscape solutions and design to meet the needs of our North Texas environment.
Our specialty is sustainable landscaping: heat and drought-tolerant, dry stream beds/rain gardens, waterwise, and low-maintenance. These elements come to life with native plantings, rain gardens, and wildlife habitats. Beauty and function is the goal.
I’m most proud of providing a service that is uniquely suited to helping clients who are interested in nature and saving the planet one garden at a time. Then we educate them on how to care for the native landscape by collecting rainwater within their gardens.
What matters most to you? Why?
I like my business model because I have the freedom to chose which clients I want to work with. I am not running a business with lots of employees. Furthermore, I’m focused on the individual client and the creative process. I’m seeing the process through from design to installation and seasonal maintenance.
That way, I know what works long term.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dubberleylandscape.com/
