Exploring Skilled Trades: Landscape Construction
Landscape Construction Supervisor Sean Petteway leads the sales, design, and construction of projects for Tree Trust Landscape Services. He works with clients to transform yards into usable outdoor spaces that fit each home’s unique aesthetic. First, he listens; then he creates. He incorporates clients’ desired elements to give purpose to their yards, creating an outdoor oasis to escape from the bustle of daily routines to connect with family and host friends. Sean’s love of the outdoors and eye for balance and rhythm resonate through each patio, deck, firepit, and garden as he harmonizes the project elements for each home. His career path is a natural progression of his love of the outdoors and desire to build things. Sean shares about his journey into the skilled trades, with a focus on landscape construction.
Landscape Construction supervisor Sean Petteway offers insight on his creative process
Please explain how you utilize principals of design – balance, rhythm, pattern, emphasis, contrast, unity, and movement – to transform landscapes and fulfill client expectations?
“The main thing that I try to do when I’m meeting with a client is to figure out what they want to do outside and then go with it from there. I go to a place to see what clients want and then work with them to create a balanced expression of that. You want to try and balance as many elements as possible to create this outdoor room feel. To create a space that feels like it has enough borders and walls to be a sanctuary without feeling like you are in a box.”
Which Tree Trust projects are you most proud of?
“I’m proud of this one project in Prior Lake, Minnesota. We transformed the client space from a ditch to this huge meeting area where we sunk a patio with stairs leading down to it. The client was thinking of inviting his daughter to get married on his patio. That is exactly the transformation I’m talking about, when you go from a ditch to one of your kids getting married there.”
What are some of your favorite mediums to work with?
“One of my favorites, honestly, is clay-fired bricks. It’s super simple, but they look amazing and add a huge splash of color. I also like to work with wood – wooden fencing and trellises and stuff like that. Wood has a soft quality, so I like that.”
What’s trending in Landscape Construction right now?
“In general, people want to be outside more and they want to have less impact on the environment. People are considering permeable pavers or a garden that can be a habitat or provide for pollinators. I think people are trying to harmonize their crazy lives with a space that’s calming and useful.”
What are some of your favorite projects to design?
“My favorite project has a little bit of everything. A patio with cedar steps out to the patio, because most houses need some type of steps. A couple wood screens and a plant palette that we can come up with and do a garden design. That’s a project we want to do consistently.”
Please share your career journey into Landscape Construction. Was there a particular moment or project that inspired you to take that path?
“I’ve always been a person who just wakes up and goes outside. Even in the cold or heat my natural course of the day is wanting to get up and go outside, so it’s a natural fit. I’ve always had an interest in building things. I used to be a skateboarder, so I would build my own ramps and stuff like that. There’s something where it doesn’t feel like as much work when it’s outdoors. Even if it is raining, at least I’m not inside!”
What are some of the most important skills needed to succeed in Landscape Construction?
“Patience, because everything takes a long time. I have a gallon of work and I complete a teaspoon at a time. You have to have an appreciation for being outside, for creating that space.”
Do you have any advice for young people considering Landscape Construction as a career?
“Everywhere is hiring. Just get a job, get started, and check it out. Give it a chance too. Don’t quit after a week. The seasonality of it is really cool because your job is dependent on what season it is. It’s kind of like being a farmer except in the cities.”
Transform your yard into an outdoor oasis
Tree Trust Landscape Services is our social enterprise that provides professional tree care and landscaping services and supports our programs. If you are dreaming of creating your own outdoor sanctuary, contact our Landscape Services team today to make your dream project a reality. We are now hiring! Click here to see open positions and take the next step in your career.
