Lisa Bellora: New to the game and already at the helm

Posted on June 24, 2014

Lisa Bellora
2014 San Diego District President

I have been gardening since I was a child; first with my father and Italian grandparents in the vegetable garden, and then learning from my artist mother with perennial gardens. After working as a research chemist for a large agricultural company for nearly a decade, I decided to be a stay at home mom.

As my two daughters grew, I enjoyed being in my garden as I had time. I joined the local horticultural society in Holland, Michigan and applied to be a Master Gardener. Just then, we were called to move to California (I always say from Zone 5 to Zone 11 was a shock!). I devoured gardening books, joined the San Diego Horticultural Society, and experimented in our small rental yard. I had planned on starting a gardening business when my girls were much older but our realtor asked me to refresh her yard. Upon finishing that project in 2006, neighbors called, I got referrals….well, you get the picture! So Ornamental Gardens by Lisa was born.

After doing Garden Design and small installations, I decided to become a Landscape Designer and went back to school. I recently received my A.S. in Landscape Design from Cuyamaca College, a wonderful program with many dedicated professionals. I currently do landscape design, garden consultation, irrigation design, and garden care plans. In addition, I am working as a Project Manager for Landscape Logic, a landscape contracting company here in San Diego.

My favorite style of garden design used to be cottage. Coming from the Midwest, this is a common style. However, I am beginning to really like mid-century modern. Some of my favorite designers are Debra Carl, Ryan Prange, Kendra Berger, and Michael Buckner.

I discovered APLD several years ago, before the San Diego district was born. I was excited at what was going on at APLD but could not go to meetings in L.A. A few years later, I attended a meeting in San Diego. Amelia Lima was gracious and inviting and I was immediately drawn into this group of designers.

I have loved every minute of being an APLD member and am currently serving as President of the San Diego District. The members in San Diego have done amazing things and have really gotten the word out regarding who APLD is.

I believe that my strengths in landscape design lie in the details. Having a science background and working for a large company have helped me to be comfortable dealing with clients, solving problems, and understanding the big picture in creating a landscape.

I love being part of APLD because I get to meet designers that have strengths in other areas, such as the artistic side of design. I really enjoy learning from others and appreciating their strengths. One great example of this is, just after joining APLD, I met a designer (my current Vice-President Kimberly Alexander), with whom I established a friendship with. She is really gifted in the use of color and materials. We decided to partner together and create a large display for the Garden Masters at the 2013 San Diego Spring Home/Garden show. For me, this was the first time doing anything like this. We not only had great fun creating the display, but we received numerous ribbons including Second place, Best in Show. This is the kind of thing that APLD fosters, great partnerships and friendships.

I am excited about our upcoming Mentoring program. I am really passionate about helping people new to the field of design. I remember not long ago when I started working and feeling quite alone and wishing I could learn from a seasoned designer. I am hoping that our mentoring program will nurture and teach new designers, as well as giving them the confidence they need to run their businesses.

Landscape Design is a wonderful field. We get to help people “do it right” the first time. We get to create beautiful spaces for people to relax, which is really important in this frazzled, fast-paced world we live in. We get to educate people on how to nurture the environment around them, to help bring in wildlife, retain and save water, and reduce their carbon footprint on the world. I wouldn’t want to be in any other profession.

I am reminded of the verse in the book of Genesis where it talks about God creating trees that were “pleasing to the eye and good for food”. We get to design beautiful landscapes using these plants and the earth’s materials! This gives me joy.

Editor’s note: In direct contrast to last month’s featured member, Debby Ruskin, Lisa is newly arrived on the scene of landscape design and APLD. She was a student member until a little over a year ago. The fact that Lisa was willing to step up to lead the San Diego District shows courage and fortitude. By her own admission, she has grown significantly from the connections and friendships she has aquired through her involvement with APLD. Lisa shows that good leaders are not just the ones who have a lot to teach, but who also have a lot to learn. Her willingness to step into a role traditionally filled by “seasoned veterans” is inspiring to me, and, I hope, to others who read this.

By Lisa Bellora
Ornamental Gardens by Lisa
San Diego, CA
SanDiegoGardenDesign.com