Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Saxonberg.
Hi Sara, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Growing up in the rocky mountains of Colorado, my childhood was spent climbing rocks and trees, digging in the Earth, creating miniature homes for my imaginary friends out of grasses, flowers, and whatever natural elements I could find in the forest that was my backyard. Days were filled with imagination and freedom. Seasons were defined by changing leaves, blankets of snow, brave flowers emerging from the snow in Spring – irises and daffodils – welcoming warmer weather and longer days ahead, and the promise of summer afternoon rain showers.
At the age of seven, my childhood suddenly split off into a new chapter in Los Angeles near the coast. This shift rattled me to my core, and my mom often reminded me of what I said when we first arrived as I tried to make sense of everything. “Mom, I just don’t know how to play here?” My imagination was originally stumped by that flat lawn and all the houses and properties that looked so similar.
We do have seasons (and so many incredible plants and ecosystems) in Los Angeles, but they are much more subtle and accessible in different ways than I was used to in Colorado. This all began to be revealed to me through my first long-term career, which I LOVED – cooking Farm to Table ingredients over a citrus and oak wood fire at AOC and other fine dining restaurants in Los Angeles. On Wednesdays, we would shop at the Santa Monica farmers market, and my mentor, Javier, would teach me about the unique ingredients each season would bring. I experienced the colorful, fragrant produce shifting from season to season. Learning the nuances of the market and how the slight weather changes impacted harvest and flavor inspired me to begin growing my own food. Growing food brought opportunities to learn and to wonder about Nature again. I got my fingers into the soil, and my bare toes connected back with the Earth. The more seeds I planted and the more I learned, the more I personally began to bloom. Pachamama Inspired was born alongside my son as an effort for me to find a career that would offer me the freedom to be the present parent I wanted to be and provide services that supported my greatest passion- caring for our earth. Since then, so many seeds have been planted, and the Pachamama team has grown.
Recently, I was overcome walking a client’s property as I was flashed back to memories of my childhood in Colorado. I realized how strongly those experiences influence my work today. It is so rewarding to be able to support my clients and their families here in urban sprawling Los Angeles in creating the freedom and gifts of uninhibited imagination that Wild Nature provides.
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?
A big challenge for me has been to maintain my connection to the majesty and inspiration nature provides while also living in this massive city where the birdsongs compete with construction trucks and the stars compete with landscape lighting. Since this is constantly on my mind, I am always searching out new ways to create and maintain these connections. As we become rooted back into the Earth, we begin to remember who we really are and always have been. When we rediscover Nature, we find parts of ourselves that we may have been missing for a very long time without consciously knowing they were missing. Maybe a client is not that interested in sustainability or regenerative gardening, and they just want to have a pretty place to come home to. That’s absolutely fine. If I can introduce one client to the joy that nature brings and get them outside of their house noticing some butterflies or birds that maybe weren’t there before, we could be planting the seeds of change that will ultimately cause them to fall madly in love with nature again! We all start in different places, come from different backgrounds, and are inspired by different things. I’ve learned that if I can meet my clients where they are, no matter where that is on the climate action spectrum, we can make incremental continuous improvements that will ultimately result in monumental change.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Pachamama Inspired?
Our mission is to co-create inspiring outdoor spaces(no matter how big or small) that foster an intimate connection with nature, building soil health, creating urban habitat by welcoming back pollinators and optimizing water use. Through intentional design, we aim to create spaces where our clients can step outside their homes to a space where all senses become engaged with the magical sights, sounds, and fragrances Nature offers. Many clients also choose to include gardens with edible elements such as herbs and vegetables and/or fruit trees. Creating beautiful and well-planned spaces is our top priority, and our designs result in resilient spaces that will support not only our clients but also future generations.
My mission as both a mother and a business owner has evolved over time. I owe it to my son to prioritize our mission of fostering climate action through regenerative garden education and design. I think an equally important aspect of our mission is connecting our community back with Nature. Possibly, one of the most impactful things we can do to shift the trajectory of climate change as individuals is by sharing the realization that we can re-wild Los Angeles and then supporting people with the tools to do so in a responsible and effective way.
Pachamama – Mother Earth – is the ultimate source of inspiration in all our endeavors. It is our greatest hope that by supporting our clients in finding inspiration and fulfillment alongside Nature, we can help shift the trajectory of Climate Change one garden at a time ♥️
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
The landscape and garden industry has an opportunity over the next decade to lead the way in inspiring and teaching communities how to make their open space a source of contribution towards greater overall wellness. As land and resources become even more scarce and subject to swings in weather and climate disasters, this industry will need to adapt to extremes. We will need to focus on designing and implementing outdoor spaces that are multifunctional, supporting not only the homeowners but the community at large. The best part about these regenerative garden spaces is that they are often much more beautiful and interactive than traditional landscaping and really inspire people to get involved outside. A lot of food and water can be harvested off of a standard-sized city lot.
Our industry must make the shift to design multifunctional spaces that wear many hats! They need to be waterwise gardens that use appropriate selections of plants adapted to local climates. With these increased episodes of drought followed by flooding storms, we need to be sure our gardens are planned to capture, sink, filter and then store water onsite instead of channeling out into the ocean. These same gardens can offer food for pollinators and declining species, as well as being spaces to grow our own fruit, herbs, and vegetables that we can share with our neighbors. These beautiful spaces will become welcoming oases where the community feels compelled to gather, eat garden-to-table meals together, and enjoy discourse and social wellness.
Trees, plants, and even sometimes lawns can do SO much to cool our neighborhoods. We have to be careful about how we respond to these extremes such as water scarcity. As we make these huge landscaping changes, we must think of the heat impact of our choices. Feel the difference on a hot day of a space where lawns have been replaced with artificial grass, gravel, and zero life vs. native plant garden (or even a traditional lawn.) The temperature of the xeriscape property with no living plants will be significantly hotter than a xeriscape property with native plants or even traditional lawns. We not only need waterwise gardens but gardens that will do the heavy lifting for us for cooling our communities and filtering carbon out of the air.
Designing, installing, and stewarding climate-resilient landscapes is no longer a choice for our industry, and therefore, it can’t just be a fad or a trend. Regenerative landscaping must be the future if our communities are to thrive and if our client’s gardens are to survive! We are so grateful to have an incredible team here at Pachamama Inspired leading our clients down this inspiring path to a better future.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://pachamamainspired.com/
- Other: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/pachamama-inspired-llc-pfvwus-pf~506861432
Image Credits
“Flowers on my Head” – Mud Baron
