CHAD NORRIS
2017 Masters of the Southwest Award Winner
In every profession, there are those individuals for whom the work seems effortless, as though they were born into their jobs. Landscape designer Desert Foothills Landscape is one of those people. Self-taught, Chad has an innate skill when it comes to desert plants and using them to create jaw-dropping environments that make homeowners want to live outdoors year-round.
The Valley native’s love for the land goes back to his childhood. His father owned a landscape business, and as a teenager, Chad would help him out by mowing lawns. “I have distant memories of being on job sites or seeing my dad install landscapes,” he says. “This work must have been ingrained in me.” As an adult, he went on to work at some of the larger landscape companies in the region; it was during this time that he met his mentor, landscape designer Mark Wdowiak of Desert Foothills Landscape in Cave Creek. “We clicked really well,” says Chad. “We think the same; we problem-solve the same. His way of design made a lot of sense to me.” When Wdowiak retired and sold his company, Chad took over as lead designer, as well as vice president of sales.
Chad’s ability to see plantings and elevations before they’re even in place allows him to work quickly and without drawing up design plans—a technique that can be intimidating to homeowners. But once they see the finished product, they’re sold on his style. Clients from five years ago still email to tell him how much they love their yards and to send him photos of his plantings’ latest blooms.
For his passion for plants and his unique way of using them to shape and complete our outdoor spaces, we at Phoenix Home & Garden name Chad a Masters of the Southwest award winner. Congratulations, Chad!
Phoenix Home & Garden
