Longevity & Loyalty

Exploring a New Mexico Secret Garden With George Ocampo

In the less-than-affluent parts of the American Southwest, a commitment to excellence in landscaping services feels irrevocably rare. Sourcing materials that last, developing a heartfelt understanding of a client’s needs and researching best practices—these pursuits are often perceived as opportunity costs to businesses in a perpetually rocky state. To George Ocampo, founder and lead designer at GO Designs in El Paso, Texas, holding tight to their values despite everything is the most empowering secret behind the company’s success.

“I opened GO Designs because there was nobody I could find that shared my appreciation for the fact that clients work hard to earn their money,” says George. “If they hire us, they should get what they pay for. At least in our neck of the woods, the mindset is people get what they get and should not throw a fit. That is just not right.”

"Clients should get the best, &
the best is what we bring to the table.
Our service is what sets us apart."

After 20 years in the industry, George’s love for his work has reached unmeasurable heights. He wakes up every morning eager to solve problems for clients like Chris McPeak, the owner of this home in Doña Ana County, New Mexico.

“My partner, Pete Lugo, and I visited Chris to talk about her needs, and at some point, she realized we were speaking her language,” says George. “That’s when we were able to move forward with the design. If I recall correctly, we made nine design revisions total in that process, which is more than we typically do, but she was wonderful to work with. She was and is just our type of client.”

The first phase of GO Design’s long-lasting involvement on the property would begin with the courtyard and the sunset balcony—now accessible with an ornate spiral staircase. Chris wanted the courtyard, viewable from her kitchen, to feel like an ethereal garden escape, not unlike the one described in the beloved novel The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. A charming oak door, three planter fountains, a repurposed brick pathway, flowering plants, a menagerie of tree types and a stone fireplace with a hearth where Chris could read with her daughter all contributed to this vision. The pièce de résistance, however, is a remarkable 45-year-old Ascolana olive tree thriving in a desert environment.   

“Watching the crane bring the olive tree in, it felt spiritual,” says George. “We were all out there, imaginary music in the background. The tree was 14 feet tall and 10 to 14 feet wide. It was scary because we knew there was a risk the tree could go into shock, and it was expensive. I told her beforehand, ‘You can do this for around $600-$1,000 or you can do this for a lot more.’ She asked what I would do, and I said I would do the 30-gallon tree, but this was important to her. We almost had tears in our eyes when that mature tree finally came in.”

When Chris’ tree started to show signs of stress, George immediately contacted the supplier to investigate what went wrong. Considering the location, the team had given the tree extra water in anticipation of the precarious first few weeks on site. Once it became clear that the tree had been over-watered, irrigation wiz Pete was quick to fix the issue.

“We valved everything—grass, perennials, trees and desert plants—separately with multiple files in our automated system,” says George. “With this technology, it is easy to make adjustments from our phones or computers. We let the olive tree dry out and tweaked the irrigation settings until the leaves returned to their former glory. If you don’t have irrigation designed by Pete, I say you don’t have irrigation period. He cares about everything he does.”

Between creating a new microclimate for the vegetation, adding proper irrigation, addressing water runoff from the nearby mountains, dealing with logistics and pandemic supply-chain issues, and terracing the nine-foot drop from Chris’ entrance to her mailbox, this multi-phase project was no walk in the park. Even so, George was determined to maximize longevity in every way possible.

"My mindset is that I only want to add what
will last forever, or at least as long as it can."

“It’s about thinking about subsurfaces, drainage, material selection and the sustainability of everything. We do not take shortcuts or use subpar materials. And it is hard. You know, we are not in a wealthy area. The reclaimed brick is not the cheapest option. Same with the pine tongue and groove and cedar beams. On top of that, usually nothing we want is in town. We order materials from all over the U.S. Still, a handful of people are looking for what we offer, and we build strong relationships with those folks.”

Over the years, George has developed quite a knack for selecting long-lasting products for projects like this. The permeable hardscaping system with dry stack limestone blocks, the seal and stain for the cedar, the mulch and the automatic lighting system are a few examples. The Ocampo family backyard has become a testing lab for products like these.

Besides his unmistakable landscaping expertise, perhaps what makes hearing George speak about his work so captivating is how he describes the future. Take, for instance, this excerpt about the courtyard garden.

“The idea is that eventually, everything in [Chris’ garden] grows together like a forest,” says George. “We were careful not to overdo it, but the trees we picked, we placed them in a position to extend outward. Being there will one day feel like being at the edge of a grove where the walls seem to disappear.”

When you set foot in a yard, what are you thinking about? Longevity, logistics, unread emails, payroll? Becoming caught up in day-to-day hurdles as a business owner is challenging to avoid. Even so, if you, like George, believe that every client is always entitled to your best work, off days are not an excuse to leave clients unhappy when projects wrap up. Because of the team’s integrity, George tells us Chris views this place as her forever home.

GET IN TOUCH WITH...

George  &  Lori  Ocampo
Founders & Lead Designers of GO Designs
Phone: (915) 400–8984
Email: george@godesignsep.com
www.godesignsep.com