Blake West
Design and project manager
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B.S. Botany, Minor Landscape Architecture 2017
M.S. Urban and Regional Planning 2021
University of Florida
ISA certified Arborist
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Blake West is the primary designer and owner of Zone 9 Design. He is an experienced landscape designer, arborist and botanist in coastal North Florida and in the mountains of Western North Carolina.
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"The first time I saw a landscape design I thought it was pure magic, the way paper and pencil could transform land. I learned the craft over several years of study and experience in two very distinct terrains, the coast and the mountains. This creation of beauty for people gives me a great sense of purpose and fulfillment, and it's a good life to live, always filling my mind with natural beauty and thinking about how to make it even more beautiful. With the modern landscape industry at an all time state of advancement with knowledge, machinery and materials, I believe this is the greatest time in history to be a landscape designer."
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About us!
"Zone 9" is the USDA hardiness zone of our operating region which serves as the standard for gardeners and landscapers when choosing plant species.
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Our specialties are residential landscapes and private gardens. Our services include but are not limited to: landscape design, planting, hardscaping, water features, meadows, specialty maintenance (not mow-blow), ecological consultation, food gardens, playgrounds, patios and pathways. We bring excellence and enthusiasm to every project we take on.
Our
Story
Zone 9 Design is owned and operated by Blake and Preston West, two brothers with a drive to create excellent landscapes and private gardens. We are born and raised Floridians who became gardeners in high school as our Dad launched a community garden out of our backyard. That garden, VISTA Gardens is now a thriving county park in Tampa, Florida with over 100 members.
Blake is the designer/project manager and Preston manages the crew.
Mission
The mission of Zone 9 Design is to enrich lives by creating landscapes for people. We create the venues where people develop greater appreciation for and connection to each other, nature and their landscape setting.
We strive to create excellent landscapes and so we keep our projects in line with these principles: (1) increase the value of the land (2) cultivate social connections (3) become ecologically positive (4) use modern techniques and materials (5) be maintained with ease or enjoyment. Especially, we make certain that each project integrates (rather than removes or destroys) higher order species richness like hummingbirds and songbirds.
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For designer Blake West, landscape design is a creative discipline of seeking and attaining a higher order culture by integrating knowledge from science, art, landscape architecture and direct experience of nature. Each project is theory and experience brought to life.
Hire us!
We have our processes down and systematized so that each client has a clear understanding of the work to be accomplished and a solid set of documents to formalize the work. Our contracts, warranties, workmanship standards and design process are strongly organized and clear so clients don't end up in any headache situations.
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Our tools and trailers are highly organized as well. We like good, smooth work flow.