Today we’d like to introduce you to James Hiestand.
Thanks for sharing your story with us James. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I have been designing and installing magical landscapes for 25 years, since 1992. I was studying Psychology at Sonoma State University when I became interested in landscaping. I felt like I needed to do something physical, constructive and outside. So I took time off of my studies and started at the bottom of the landscape ladder, raking lawns and doing yard clean ups. It wasn’t long before my skill set began to grow rapidly. Soon, I was doing soil preparation, planting, irrigation, stone masonry, drainage, lighting, carpentry and concrete work. There was no project I was not willing to take on, because I loved learning new skills.
I quickly settled into the landscape lifestyle and really began to love it. Since I was a child, I have always loved nature. When I became a boy scout, I was introduced into deep nature on our hikes. So, it was a ‘natural’ progression for me to want to work with nature…
As the years went by, I improved at landscaping every day until I found out about water features. It was love at first site! I immediately noticed how a well designed & created waterfall did more to change the energy of a yard than anything else. At first, I created my water features out of concrete.
Eventually, I became proficient at creating naturalistic water features using epdm rubber liners and fish safe foam to lock in the rocks. Now a days, I am in bliss when creating a water feature, because my crew are very skilled and we all really enjoy the process of creating living nature!
Great, 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?
My challenge is that I love to work on my projects but simultaneously, I have to run my business. I am extremely detailed oriented, so it takes a lot of focus for me to keep on top of every detail of my projects while also communicating with prospective clients and designing projects. It basically results in a lot of 12-15 hour days.
DreamScapes – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We are simply the best landscape & water feature company in Southern California! Our prices are super competitive, our quality is top notch, our experience is thorough and our energy is excited!
That’s right, we have fun when we are working and the projects show it! There is a magic energy that we infuse all of our projects with. One client told me that I “Sprinkle my landscapes and water features with magic fairy dust”.
We specialize in creating naturalistic ponds, streams and water features, along with their surrounding environments. DreamScapes is known for the highly realistic natural beauty that our landscapes and water features display. We are also known for the extreme attention to detail that we pour into every aspect of our projects. We are serious about perfection, while not taking ourselves too seriously…
What sets us apart is simply our experience & energy. We bring positivity to all of our projects, and after we are long gone, the good energy remains in the outdoor living space we have created.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
When I completed my giant 3 projects at the Mirman School. We brought @400,000 lbs. of boulders & stone onto a hillside to create 2 – 90′ streams, a 15′ pond, and another 100′ pond less waterfall stream after that. Then, at the top of the project, we constructed a 40-student amphitheater using 100% indigenous local stone! We also created an outdoor classroom for the students to use. It was the hardest project we have ever done, for sure…but it was totally worth the effort.
Contact Info:
- Address: 16060 ventura blvd.
Suite 170 Encino, CA 91436 - Website: www.DreamScapesComeTrue.com
- Phone: 818 955 5371
- Email: [email protected]
- Facebook: James “Seamus” Hiestand
- Yelp: DreamScapes Landscape & Water Features
