Will Dickinson of Green Bay takes his artistry to designing natural landscapes

Will Dickinson of Green Bay is an artist. His creative bent was obvious from an early age while growing up in Alexandria, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Encouraged by family and instructors, he pursued art degrees at the University of Pennsylvania and Glasgow School of Art.

Following that, he studied figurative drawing in Philadelphia and was a guest artist in Umbria, Italy, for several years. Inspired by those experiences, he continued to excel in art and became an art instructor. He painted, drew, and taught art classes at the Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Artisan and Business Center in Green Bay and UW-Green Bay Marinette .

Knowing that, what comes next is unexpected. A person might expect to hear that the next part of his journey would be an extension of his career in the arts. And it is in a way. It is the canvas that has changed as Dickinson has taken art to the outdoors with a business that designs natural landscapes.

The business, Wild Inspired Landscapes ( wildinspiredlandscapes.com ), combines his love of art with a love of nature. He attributes his first experiences with horticulture and floriculture to his family.

“I grew up going to The Huntington (Library, Art Museum and Botanic Gardens in San Marino, California) when visiting my grandparents," Dickinson said. "My grandmother was a docent in the gardens and I always loved being outside and had an interest in what it took to design and select plants and flowers.”

During those visits, Dickinson also learned from his grandfather, a successful entrepreneur who had a business in the arts field.

As he juggled his growing interests, he tested out other fields like architecture. When that didn’t feel right, he spent two years as an environmental volunteer in the Peace Corps. He returned home and worked in a variety of careers (but always continued his artistic endeavors) before taking the teaching positions.

“During that time, I began to design a philosophy of landscaping. A landscaper may have five or six tricks in their box and that’s how to create landscaping that’s easy to maintain,” he said. “I don’t think that most have explored native plants. You don’t have to use turf grass, herbicides, plastics mats, and beds with river rock.”

As he considered how the regular practice of landscaping could be improved, he connected with Justin Kroening, owner of Stone Silo Prairie Gardens in De Pere, in 2021.

“I worked for him for awhile and he was transitioning the business to focus on growing plants," Dickinson said. "He encouraged me to start this business. I asked him why the other landscape companies weren’t interested in doing this type of natural landscaping and he said they were more focused on cost efficiency.”

That led to Dickinson’s first project — a pollinator garden at the Green Bay Botanical Garden . He has been managing it now for two years in cooperation with Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, the botanical garden and Stone Silo.

“I wasn’t involved in the initial planning," he said. "There was an outgoing manager who pushed it ahead, but the project was a big learning experience for me in learning how to manage it; how to space plants, and all about the hundreds of species that have been planted together in the garden.”

Inspired by the experience, Dickinson’s business structure began to develop. To help with the details, he sought advice from Green Bay SCORE mentors, who along with Kroening, answered questions and encouraged him to move forward. One of the areas that Kroening suggested was to look for contracted work so that he would have some stable income.

That led to other projects including maintenance of the planters in the On Broadway District.

In 2023, Dickinson formed an LLC for Wild Inspired Landscape, a name that he found fitting.

“My name is Will (the first letters of the business name) so I thought the words were powerful, and it’s wild so it can be less predictable, inspired and different,” he said.

As he continues to develop his business model, Dickinson also works to correct misconceptions about the creation of pollinator areas.

He said, “People point to a pollinator garden and think it’s a weed thing because it’s so different. But, when it comes to wild landscapes, I say, ‘Wouldn’t you like more butterflies, birds, and plants interacting within your garden?’”

Those are just some of the advantages he points to as he educates clients. He says the benefits of a pollinator area include bringing life to otherwise neglected parts of properties with lively perennial growth and flowering plants, and creating beautiful visual elements to otherwise sterile landscapes.

It also gives clients an opportunity to learn about plants and plant families and what does well in a particular planting area. For those who are not familiar with plant life, he is happy to help with a free consultation.

“When I visit a location, I look at several factors,” he said. “I look at the soil conditions, including the prevalence of sand or clay to determine drainage potential, the distance from objects, such as trees, buildings, and water sources; the direction or slope of the grounds and sun exposure. Based on the responses, I create a plan.”

The plan, made in conjunction with the client’s preferences in regard to maintenance and how quickly the garden will take shape, includes plants that work in the given conditions. When crafted well, the habitats and gardens will only require management on an annual basis to prevent crowding.

For Dickinson, every garden is a mission driven by his concern about and love for the environment. He believes in going beyond traditional landscape design and seeing things from a different, unique perspective.

Now, he works to get the word out. One of the suggestions he received from SCORE mentors is to contact area landscape companies and let them know they can subcontract with him if they have customers interested in having a least part of their yard designed as a natural landscape. And, Kroening is helping with client recommendations.

Dickinson has been so inspired by the gardens that he says he needs to make sure he is following a plan.

“I have been running around and haven’t been thinking big picture,” he said. “Now that I have a few seasons behind me, I am going to do that. It’s a process. This kind of fell into my lap, and it feels like everything has aligned to make it happen.”

And while he says he does have some anxiety as the business is established, he is motivated to continue.

“To go back to nature over and over again, gives me a sense of belonging,” he said. “I’ve always been concerned about the environment so maybe this is mission driven. Predictability isn’t something you always need.”

Tina Dettman-Bielefeldt is co-owner of DB Commercial Real Estate in Green Bay and past district director for SCORE, Wisconsin.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Will Dickinson of Green Bay takes his artistry to designing natural landscapes