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Dialogue as a design principle: this is how Dabro works

02/02/2020 - 00:00

At TerraCottem, we believe every successful project starts with people. Behind every flourishing landscape or thriving green space, there’s a passionate landscaper, horticultural officer or visionary designer bringing ideas to life. Each of them has their own story, their own vision, and their own unique approach—and we’re proud to share and celebrate these journeys.

Meet Daan Broeckx, the driving force behind Dabro.

Daan’s passion for gardens began at an early age and has flourished with every square metre he’s cultivated. What started as a simple love for green spaces grew into an entrepreneurial venture - Dabro, a company dedicated to transforming outdoor environments through expert landscaping, thoughtful design, and precision paving.

We sat down with Daan to talk about his approach to projects, his favourite plants, and how he first came across TerraCottem.

Hi Daan, thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule. It’s always a pleasure to speak with satisfied TerraCottem users 😉.

My pleasure.

We first connected after seeing one of your Instagram posts, where you mentioned it was your first experience working with our soil conditioner - a detail that immediately caught our attention.

Yes, indeed. A first and pleasant introduction. Since then, I have been using TerraCottem regularly (laughs).

How did you first come across TerraCottem?

Luc Pauwels had your sample jars on display at his shop. Being the curious person that I am, I wanted to know what they were (laughs).

"I took a sample home and tried it out on two pennisetums: one with TerraCottem and one without.
They are here in my garden: you can really see the difference!"

Not long after, I worked on a larger garden where I applied TerraCottem beneath every plant. The results were outstanding - the garden remained lush much longer and showed remarkable resistance to drought, even without irrigation.

Good to hear. But let's first go back to the beginning: what is Dabro​?

You’ve mentioned that you caught the gardening bug at home. But in school, you actually chose quite a different path, didn’t you?

Yes, that’s right - I actually studied sports science (laughs). After finishing secondary school, I continued my studies for another six months, but it quickly became clear that it wasn’t the right path for me.

You see, I grew up surrounded by gardening equipment. My grandfather had a large greenhouse where I loved spending time, helping him in the garden and learning the trade firsthand.

Over time, I acquired several “regular customers” whose gardens I maintained during the weekends and the holidays. And then one day, I just took the plunge and became self-employed.

You didn't consider working for your grandfather and father?

No, because that shop no longer existed. When my grandfather retired 10 years ago, my father continued the business for a few more years but then stopped for personal reasons.

I read on your website that Dabro does more than just landscaping. A very nice website, by the way, a tip for our readers 😊.

Thank you. Yes, that's right. In addition to landscaping, we also do paving, fencing, etc. Basically, we do everything outside the four walls of your house (laughs).

Do you design gardens yourself?

For sure!

"That is what I prefer the most: to sit down with the client to hear what he or she wants. And then give my opinion and/or discuss what is and isn't possible."

Naturally, the budget plays an important role, but so does the choice of plants and other details. These discussions usually go back and forth a few times, as small adjustments are often needed along the way.

It’s always rewarding to see those ideas come to life in the end.

But we also have built gardens that were designed by a landscape architect.

You just said “we”: you don't work alone?

No. Dabro now consists of a team of three people. Tim, Lars and myself.

You handle everything from landscaping and hardscaping to design - that’s impressive! Where do you draw all your knowledge and skills from?

It comes mainly from experience, of course.

But I also like to visit nurseries to learn about plants.

And you can find lots of great ideas for gardens on Instagram.

I've also done a number of online courses.

And I've obtained my Professional Operator Certification.

Would you say your suppliers are also an important source of knowledge for you?

Yes, absolutely. I buy my materials, including TerraCottem, mainly from Luc Pauwels NV. In addition to the warehouse staff, who are all great people, I am also in direct contact with Xavier Puvrez. He used to be a landscaper who also did his own designs. I can always call him if I have any problems or questions.

Is it difficult to convince your clients of the added value of, for example, a soil conditioner? Because every extra product comes with an additional cost.

No, not really. When I talk to clients, I always try to be very clear and transparent. In the end, they trust me when I tell them something is necessary.

You adapt to each client’s needs and ideas - do you still have a signature style or personal touch that defines your work?

Hmm. It's difficult to say whether I really have my own style or not. Perhaps a rustic style. Nothing too fussy. Robust things, made from natural materials.

A bit like the landscape architecture of Carterre in Heist-op-den-Berg, my style is somewhat like that.

Are there certain plants that you often use or like to use?

I'm a fan of evergreens. But that's a very broad category, of course: all types of laurel, yew, holm oak, ilex, osmanthus, etc. I like to work with anything that stays green in winter.

I also like to use ornamental grasses such as pennisetum. And I think hydrangeas and rhododendrons are very beautiful.

What I find most important in a garden is its ability to change with time and the seasons. One plant blooms now, another later; ornamental grasses send up their plumes; and the garden continues to evolve, offering something new at every stage.

When it comes to choosing plants, is that something you decide together with the client?

Yes, usually. Some clients already have an idea of what they want.

"But I like to walk with them in the garden and then we discuss what should go where, which plant would look good in a certain place or not. Or would thrive or not."

Of course, there are also clients who don’t know much about plants (laughs). In those cases, I show them some photos and make a few sketches. We always manage to find a solution together.

Every client is different: some have existing gardens, others are starting from scratch with a new-build home. Some already have a clear vision, while others aren’t sure yet. What I really enjoy is engaging in dialogue with each of them to work towards the perfect end result.

Do you have any particular projects you'd like to highlight?

Yes, definitely!

We recently completed a large project at Texture Painting in Turnhout, in Belgium.

It's a special garden with lots of beige and dark green colours. We used a lot of ilex species there.

To shield the plants from drought and help them establish strong roots quickly, we applied TerraCottem throughout the garden.

I also completed a smaller project in Sint-Job, near Antwerp, where I once again used TerraCottem throughout.

That was only last summer, and already the plants have fully matured - they grew incredibly fast!

The client is so happy that they still send me photos of how the garden is doing now (laughs).

I’m particularly proud of this lawn in a private garden in Beerse.

We mixed TerraCottem into the soil to ensure the turf established quickly and successfully.

To complete the circle, let's return to social media: is it important to you in terms of brand awareness?

Well… to be honest, all my advertising comes through word of mouth. I don’t really advertise. I do have an Instagram account with around 400 followers, where I like to share nice photos - but I can’t really say it ‘pays off’ in terms of new clients.

It certainly helps. And you can always increase the reach of a post by tagging others. Like TerraCottem (laughs).

Daan, thank you very much for this pleasant conversation. Good luck with your future projects.

It was my pleasure.

Would you like more information about Dabro?

DABRO BV – Daan Broeckx
Parklaan 89
2300 Turnhout, Belgium

T: 0473 / 74 31 93
E: info@dabro.be
W: www.dabrobv.be

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