Artisans Landscape

Elliot Goliger: Second Nature

By Matt Solis, Editor

Elliot Goliger may have entered the landscaping industry by chance, but it didn’t take long for him to realize it was a perfect fit. “While attending college, I was looking for some side work and started working for a landscaping company in Greenwich, Connecticut,” he remembers. “I pursued other occupations after that, but I realized that I liked working outside and being around gardeners, so I decided to move into landscape design and construction. I took a botany class in Santa Fe, New Mexico and ultimately ended up at City College of San Francisco. I worked as an arborist after I graduated, but I eventually moved back into landscaping work as my primary occupation.”

Elliot established Artisans Landscape in 1994 after noticing a lack of professionalism in some of the companies he had been working for. “I just felt like I had the training and skills to do a better job than the people I was working with,” he explains. “I felt like a lot of landscaping wasn’t well-done or creatively inspired, so it seemed like there was an opportunity for success if I just did what I knew how to do. People responded positively to my designs, so I stuck with it and kept refining my skills. Over the years, I’ve honed my techniques and secured a nice group of people to work with.”

Today, Elliot says his favorite part of his job is the inherently challenging nature of the work. “Every project is like a unique puzzle that needs to be solved—especially in San Francisco, where the limited space requires careful optimization. I enjoy the challenge of working within certain parameters and coming up with creative solutions. I also like doing work that transforms spaces in a relatively short amount of time. Unlike other trades where your work is underground or hidden inside pipes, I’m able to make dramatic changes to people’s environments and give them sources of relaxation.”

Elliot was born and raised in New York, but he has called the Bay Area home for nearly 40 years. As a longtime resident of San Francisco, he says he appreciates the city’s incomparable beauty and thriving social scene. “I really like seeing live music and living in the city is great for that—I go to concerts at least twice a week.” Elliot also enjoys biking, mushroom hunting and spending time with his 23-year-old son.

When it comes to a personal or professional philosophy, Elliot ascribes to John Perry Barlow’s “25 Principles of Adult Behavior,” a list that includes thoughtful adages such as, “Expand your sense of the possible,” “Tolerate ambiguity” and “Become less suspicious of joy.” “I think following [those principals] is just a good way to live,” he affirms. “They mean something different to every person, so once you read them, you’ll understand what they mean to you.”

Ask Me Anything!

Q: If you could immediately master a musical instrument, what would you choose?

A: Guitar.

Q: Do you prefer being in cold weather or hot weather?

A: Cold weather. I love to ski and it’s always a good time whenever I’m in the snow.

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
A: Portugal and Spain.

Q: What’s your favorite thing to do on a rainy day?

A: Go on a hike and look for mushrooms. That’s usually when they pop out.

Q: What’s your favorite fruit?

A: Dragon fruit.