Interview with Terra Bella Landscape

Terra Bella Landscaping is in possession of one very powerful thing which is lacking among so many soulless construction corporations in this country: heart. Talk to anyone from Terra Bella for five minutes, and you’ll see just how much they love making the exteriors of homes into artistic masterpieces.

This screaming passion can be fully attributed to the founder of Terra Bella, Jason Jarvis. Originally in the world of finance, Jarvis took a terrifying leap and threw away his white collar job to follow his heart into the world of landscaping, and he’s never looked back. "It’s really important in life to find your passion," Jarvis said, enthusiasm coloring his voice and lighting his face. "When I was a money manager, I would literally drive through nurseries on the weekend, looking at trees, plants and flowers. I love the way they make you feel."

Thus Terra Bella Landscaping was born. Terra Bella is a pool and landscaping company that has taken San Diego by storm since 2005. The company provides pool, landscape design and construction services all over Southern California, including Rancho Santa Fe, La Jolla, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach and even Palm Springs. They currently have two divisions: Design and Build—which is responsible for the actual landscaping process—and Maintenance. The Maintenance division helps to service about 600 homes throughout North County, which is truly remarkable, considering that most of these families are repeat customers. "9 out of 10 people use us for their [ongoing] maintenance after we finish their landscaping, so it’s a sign of good customer service throughout the process," Jarvis explained. "Afterwards, we maintain their home: cutting grass, trimming trees, fertilizing, stuff like that. We tell people we want to be their landscaper for life." 

And Terra Bella very well can be; in addition to landscaping and designing beautiful backyards from the ground up, Terra Bella is also in the business of remodeling old landscaping designs and updating them, though remodeling does come with its own set of challenges—namely, demolition. People are often reluctant to completely tear out their dilapidated pool or the crazy concrete slab taking up most of their yard, but according to Jarvis, when it comes to remodeling old landscaping, committing to full demolition is absolutely worth it. "We try to start with a fresh slate. Then we can really do our magic, which is space management, different elevations and center lines."

The need for a clean slate is especially relevant for a myriad of North County homes. Many homes developed in the last 15 to 20 years were built like cookie–cutters, so that each house looks exactly the same as the next. It’s hard for your home to stand out when your neighbor’s abode looks exactly the same; a well–designed yard can change that. "A lot of design in the last 10 years—in most of these track homes—there’s not a lot of thought put into them," Jarvis explained, sincerity brimming in his voice. "Whereas we truly care. We’re only as good as our last job, as we say in our business. What’s really important to us is that we leave each job better than the one we did before."

It’s their strong passion for perfectionism that sets Terra Bella apart. The company takes pride in everything they do, and they aim to create gorgeous designs tailored precisely to the client. "It’s a conversation between the designer and the client, talking about needs, lifestyle, family and what they like to do," Jarvis explained. From there, the work typically takes about two to six months.

So what landscaping is trendy in San Diego right now? According to Jarvis, it’s not palm trees. "Palm trees are typically frowned upon here in Rancho [Santa Fe]," Jarvis chuckled. In regards to plants and greenery,Terra Bella uses a lot of olive trees, agaves and aloes. These plants are very succulent and drought– tolerant; they thrive in chaparral environments like San Diego, which get very little rain. Terra Bella also receives a lot of very specific requests for outdoor fixtures. "A big trend right now is pizza ovens, fireplaces and outdoor TVs. Outdoor aquariums are big right now too, in covered areas with minimal sunlight."

It’s easy to decide you want a fireplace or pizza oven, but how do you choose the perfect plants and greenery? For clients without a degree in botany or a deep knowledge of plants and trees, Terra Bella will still find a way to make sure you get exactly what you want. During the design process, Jarvis asks clients to literally bring their likes to the table. "Show me a picture of what you like, and we can discern what that is," Jarvis explained. "Is it an olive tree? Is it a patio tree rosebush? Is it a giant bird of paradise? And then we can determine what kind of look the client likes."

From there, Terra Bella finds plants and trees that match your desired style. It’s an easy, seamless process; no wonder 90% of Terra Bella’s customers come back for more. Because it’s hard to find anyone else who loves their job as much as Jason Jarvis loves his, and that’s what makes Terra Bella a business unlike any other.