Today we’d like to introduce you to Colin Dunleavy.
Hi Colin, 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?
I was really looking for some way to root into the earth. Came from heroin addiction, felony arrest, probation, punk rock growing up ~ the short story of it all~ 18 years ago.
Found my place with California fauna. Wandering the plant communities.
Got my start working at Tree of life nursery in SJC & progressed into owning my own landscape design company~ Live Forever Landscape which I started 6 years ago.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I started so early with using California native plants that there was a lot of freedom to it. I rolled with the synchronicities & developed my skill set through experience.
The business aspect was another story. I took a few courses at community college & learned as I went along.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in and only use California fauna in the landscape. Occasionally with fruit trees & edible plants, which I find very important for communities & home owners to connect with the earth.
I am proud of the beautiful, habitat driven landscapes I have created over the years with variable design aspects.
All my design work in hand drawn on vellum.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Kahlil Gibran, Rumi…
Wildflowers of Orange County & the Santa Ana mountains by Robert Allen & Fred Robert’s.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.liveforeverlandacape.com
- Instagram: @liveforeverlandacape
Image Credits
All photos are of my work and taken by me~ Colin Dunleavy
