Home Sweet Home Genesis Land & Waterscapes

by Joy Martin

Chad White walks the clients’ property upon an initial visit to get a feel for the environment. The owner of Genesis Land & Waterscapes, White considers if there’s a water source nearby, the angle of the sun in different seasons, drainage courses, and which direction the wind tends to blow. He talks extensively with clients to define their vision and how they imagine themselves living in the landscape. Then he gets to work.

“We try to create a natural foundation around the home,” White said. “The trick is naturally blending a landscape with Mother Nature. I’m looking for that seamless transition from nature into the more refined elements of a backyard.”

White began his landscaping education on a sod farm in Michigan as a young man. He deepened his expertise by working on tree farms and plant nurseries, and in landscape construction while taking on leadership positions and establishing a reliable reputation. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in environmental conservation at Northern Michigan University to better understand how to work with the earth while building beautiful, long-lasting features.

Drawn by the mountains, rivers, and wildlands of southwest Colorado, White moved to Durango in 1999 and further developed his knowledge of landscaping in the Southwest while working with Southwest Land Services and other mentors in the region. In 2003, he started Genesis Land & Waterscapes. For 20 years, he’s orchestrated various projects, from small backyard oases to large commercial installations. While many of his favorite masterpieces flourish in gated communities and tucked-away neighborhoods, White said he’s equally proud of his landscaping and waterscaping at Mercy Hospital, located for all to enjoy. He also performed the original excavation and boulder placement for the Durango Botanical Society’s library garden.

“I love connecting with folks who want a landscape that serves as an extension of their home. And building environments that everyone gets to enjoy, and share, can be equally rewarding,” White said.

He added that La Plata County boasts a variety of microclimates, so what works well in one place may not work well a short distance from there. White adopts a xeric planting philosophy to determine what to plant, focusing on native and droughtresistant plants. He works closely with local businesses, such as Durango Nursery

& Supply. White also partners with local horticulture consultant and plant savant Lisa Bourey, owner of Passion Flower Bouquet Farm. White said Bourey plays a pivotal role in the flora selections of his landscape designs.

“My priority is to provide the client with the best possible product to meet their design and budget goals,” White said. “When people in the community like Lisa have more knowledge and expertise than me, I’m more than happy to pull them into the planning and installation process because it helps everybody and the final product.”

Bourey and White share an understanding that plant selections must be appropriate for the dry climate. While there are plenty of places in La Plata County with abundant water, there are just as many places where the water budget requirements deem certain plants unreasonable. The water budget measures water loss through evapotranspiration, which captures the combined processes of water moving from the earth’s surface into the atmosphere. Evaporation is the movement of water directly from soil or water into the air, and transpiration involves the movement of water from soil through roots onto leaves and finally into the air.

“We’re trying to create a beautiful landscape with a reasonable water budget for the client and location,” White said.

Besides choosing how many deciduous or coniferous trees to plant or deciding if succulents are more fitting, White enjoys integrating the element of water features if the water budget is sustainable or a property has water rights or natural water flowing through it. These features use recirculated water.

“When we’re in an arid site, usually I talk [the client] out of creating a water feature,” White said. “But water features are a fabulous way to create habitat for wildlife as well as personal pleasure.”

From mimicking the natural upthrust of rocks to finding an effortless intersection for a bridge crossing over a meandering stream, White never stops thinking about how the landscape integrates with the greater environment and the people who enjoy it. At every step, he’s looking for opportunities to apply simple tricks learned over many years that serve to enhance the overall project quality.

“I always want to create a wellconstructed product that’s going to endure the test of time,” White said. “It’s big-picture, puzzle-piecing, problemsolving. There are lots of materials and installation techniques to consider when matching a client’s landscape goals. All sites are different, with their own unique challenges. Finding what works best is the fun part of the job for me.”