Scott Bradley, a local landscaper serving Sonoma County since 1991, is the owner of Details Landscape Art. This is Scott’s second career. He began his adult working life as a CPA and morphed into being a local landscaper during a midlife crisis.
Scott majored in accounting at the University of North Carolina, passed the CPA exam as a senior in college, and graduated with a BSBA in Business Administration in 1967.
For the next twenty-two years there were accounting jobs with CPA firms and positions in private industry for a variety of corporations. But Scott was an empty suit. Sitting indoors behind a desk, keeping score for other people’s businesses, and reporting to bosses and supervisors was not his cup of tea.
Then in 1986, upon purchasing a brand new home, Scott proceeded to landscape the front and back yard. With absolutely no training or experience, there were lots of mistakes: poor design, poor plant selection, poor irrigation techniques, and poor hardscape material choices. There was a lot of time and money wasted changing plants and reworking different areas of the garden.
Certain elements and missing skill sets required that Scott hire subcontractors. But he watched carefully.
He hired a talented carpenter for a deck and an arbor, and learned fine craftsmanship and woodworking skills.
Local landscaper learns fine woodworking skills
He learned drainage and irrigation by watching professionals work on parts of his backyard. A concrete contractor installed a patio and walkway, and he learned what he liked and what didn’t work.
First exposed aggregate walkway for local landscaper
Finally everything came together, and it looked gorgeous.
Local landscaper pulls this garden together!
A neighbor saw how beautiful it turned out and hired Scott to landscape their yard. Upon successful completion of this project, the neighbor’s sister wanted her yard done. And before he knew it…he was in business.
After being laid off from a corporate accounting job in 1991, and there being an extremely tight job market, Scott said, “The hell with it,” and took a leap of faith.
He placed an ad in a local newspaper—these were the days before the internet—received a few calls, and Details Landscape Art was born.
Local landscaper and his trusty sidekick
Over the years, Details has advertised less and less in print media and increased its online presence through a website. But most of the work has always come through referrals. One fine garden from a local landscaper leads to others.
Local Landscaper Learns the Trade
During this early period Scott studied for and passed his California State License Board C-27 examination and became a duly licensed landscape contractor.
He acquired liability and Workers’ Compensation insurance, set up a payroll for his employees, and they were off and running.
To fill in a few gaps in his skill set, Scott took courses at Santa Rosa Junior College, specifically in Landscape Design and Landscape Irrigation.
He continued to use highly skilled concrete contractors for specialty hardscape work and for ponds and waterfalls.
Gardens for Life
Details Landscape Art has developed into a premier local landscaper in Sonoma County.
Today the company continues to install fine gardens in Petaluma, Santa Rosa, Cotati, Penngrove, Sebastopol, Windsor, Healdsburg, Sonoma, Napa, Novato, and throughout the North Bay.
After more than thirty-five years, Scott still enjoys creating beautiful landscapes and helping homeowners transform their outdoor spaces into gardens for life.