We’re very pleased to introduce the newest member of the Our Land Organics team!
Jacob Thompson is our new Lead Designer and a huge source of inspiration within our ecological landscape design studio. Below, Jacob shares a bit about his approach to native landscape design as well as some thoughtful reflections about nature’s teachings.
Our Land Organic’s new Lead Designer, Jacob Thompson
“Every element in the garden has an energetic weight, and the feeling that comes from looking at a perfectly “weighted garden” creates a sense of inner peace.”
How would you describe your approach to native landscape design?
As much as possible, I look to nature first—the natural zones like open savannah, prairie, forest, and most importantly, the edges between each. The patterns that humans have developed over time are pretty awesome, too. The variety of garden styles and the place lawns have held through history are all beautiful in their own way. I like to pull from all of them in my approach.
Take the Japanese garden, for example. A point I draw from them is energetic balance. Every element in the garden has an energetic weight, and the feeling that comes from looking at a perfectly “weighted garden” creates a sense of inner peace.
Another style would be the cottage garden. The pictures I have in my mind when I think about these are where natives really come into play. I see massings of colors and textures flowing together, and our native palette fits perfectly with this.
Another is the epic scale and form of formal English castle gardens. The geometry and structure can balance wildness when combined with other styles.
The last that I like to draw from is permaculture design. This body of knowledge can bring ecological interconnectedness to an entire yard when applied as a layer of the design process. It also brings an interactive nature to a landscape by encouraging edible and productive plants and systems in the design.
An Our Land Organics formal native landscape design & installation
What is your background as a designer? How long have you been doing this work, and how have you developed your skill set over time?
I began going down this path in 2010. I was in my early to mid-twenties and actively looking for what I wanted to do for work. It mattered to me a lot, because we give so much of our lives to work—it seemed pretty important to love it.
Since 2010, the vast majority of weeks, Monday has been my favorite day because there is a fresh week set out in front of me.
My education has largely come from on-the-job training. I’ve mentored under several native landscape designers, taken courses on a wide range of topics, worked on unique projects in half a dozen states, and stayed curious the whole time.
An Our Land Organics pollinator meadow design & installation
“Within nature is an ecosystem of symbiotic relationships where one good act can ripple out into waves of goodness.”
What drew you to native landscaping?
It’s been a long, winding road that started with overhearing someone talk about mycelium being the internet of the forest. From that conversation, I dropped out of college and started studying permaculture.
That deep dive led to looking at everything differently, bringing up more questions than answers. The baseline question being: How are we supposed to live on this earth? What really belongs—in the ground and in our bodies?
These questions led me to the true teacher—nature herself.
Within nature is an ecosystem of symbiotic relationships where one good act can ripple out into waves of goodness. At the same time, an act of harm can have the same ripple effect. This has led me to my lifelong passion of working to answer the question: How do we interact with land—in our wild spaces, landscapes, and farms?
Landscaping with native plants has been one core aspect of this passion that gets me out of bed every morning.
An Our Land Organics landscape design & installation that integrates native and edible plants
What are some of your favorite native landscape design tips?
I often start by thinking about how it will look in winter, and then visualize each season from there. It’s easier to put a design together that looks great when lots of things are blooming.
Our area changes a lot from season to season, and there is something amazing to see in nature every day of the year. I would like to attempt to mimic that. There can be totally different scenes each season created within one landscape.
There are also longer time horizons to play with. The ultimate for me is setting something in motion that continues to mature for the next millennia. That’s also what makes landscaping the coolest art form on earth to me—you have all the elements, plus time beyond your lifetime, to create with.
If I could encourage anything, it would be to look at your whole space as a garden. The traditional landscape layout is a fantastic art form, but you can make the entire yard a wonderland—something that can be a delight every day of the year.
A bumblee gathering pollen in an Our Land Organics pollinator meadow
“There is so much life here — despite our best efforts, we can’t hold it back.”
What’s something you’ve learned about native landscaping that delights you?
I would say just how absolutely spectacular our native ecosystem is. There is so much life here—despite our best efforts, we can’t hold it back.
Why did you choose to join the Our Land Organics team?
I chose to join the OLO team because it offered a challenge for me to deepen my abilities with native landscape design.
Since joining the OLO team, what is something that has surprised you?
I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the overall quality of the team. I feel like I have to be on my game to keep up with everyone, and that is a feeling that fuels me.
An Our Land Organics native landscape design & installation