The Japanese have an interesting concept called ‘shokunin’, which is directly translatable to English as ‘craftsman’ or ‘artisan’. The literal translation doesn’t tell the full story, however – shokunin means not only having the technical skills in the craft, but also implies an attitude and social consciousness, where the shokunin has a social obligation to work his or her best for the general welfare of the people. The obligation is both spiritual and material, in that no matter what it is, the shokunin’s responsibility is to fulfill the requirement.

That description comes from Tasio Orate, and in essence, it means a spiritual dedication to the perfection of one’s craft in service to their community. One can’t just be an excellent chef, carpenter or stonemason to be shokunin, one must dedicate themselves to elevating the profession beyond expectations to lay claim to the title.

Few people can claim to be shokunin, especially outside of Japan, where a certain spirit in the people has lead to the creation of the concept in the first place. To find shokunin here, in the United States, is to find a firm or organization that has managed to turn their work into veritable art, elevating the industry.

We believe we’ve found one such firm in southern California – Torrey Pines Landscaping Company – that has turned many a plain and uninteresting yard into something truly spectacular. The company manages to blend the owner’s personality with the contours of their properties, designing truly unique pieces of landscaping that reflect both the psychology of the owner and the skill of the craftsmen designing it. The firm has won multiple awards for its Encinitas landscape designs, among many others.

Their clients certainly seem impressed with their work – just take a look at some of the reviews they’ve left on Houzz or Yelp to get a taste of the glowing testimonials left by appreciative property owners:

We bought a home in the Crosby in Rancho Santa Fe, and it was an ugly mess of landscaping with a design that made the front look short and covered the back golf course view.  It needed a major beautification. 

We knew we needed Torrey Pines Landscaping, and their wonderful team lead by the humble Harry Thompson.  Harry has a servant’s heart plus a special talent for landscape design. 

Torrey Pines Landscaping transformed the ugly landscaping to an awarding winning design that ended up on the cover of San Diego Home/Garden. 

If you really appreciate great design, beautiful flowers and nature, and quality work, Torrey Pines Landscaping is the only choice!

(Ryan S.)

Last fall we contacted Harry Thompson to redo our backyard.  After considering a few other companies, we decided to go with TP Landscape Co.  Harry was thorough, knowledgeable and listened to all our concerns/requests.  I must say this was a big investment for us, but definitely worthwhile. 

In the end, we were very pleased with the overall outcome, and just in time for Thanksgiving!   His crew was respectful, hard-working and cleaned up at the end of each day.  Dave, his project supervisor, was great to work with.  You can tell he has a nice working relationship with the crew and clear communication with them. 

Thank you TP Landscape Company for our new beautiful, tropical oasis!  We look forward to firing up our built-in BBQ and fire pit.  Also, it’s nice to know that you guys check up on us periodically to make sure things (sprinklers/timers/etc) are working as they should.

(Gina L.)

If you are interested in a yard crafted by those artisans that are spiritually invested in the honing of their craft, check out Torrey Pines Landscaping. The yard will never look or feel the same.

Torrey Pines Landscaping Company

(858) 454-1433

5560 Eastgate Mall, San Diego, CA 92121