David Barmon

After eight years as a flight attendant, David traded the friendly skies for a life closer to the ground – much closer. The Portland native was introduced to, and nudged toward, permaculture design. Drawn to its philosophy of interconnectedness and its intuitive nature, David knew he was on to something. With a lifelong interest in ornithology and the natural sciences, David turned his attention to Northwest native plants and their ethnobotanical uses.  His volunteer efforts at heading up The Mabelville Garden Project, where he mobilized neighbors to turn a two-block right-of-way into landscaped bioswales, reinforced his love of plants and desire to draw people out of their homes and into their communities.

After working with other landscape companies, David decided to link up with business partner, Mark Parisien, who shared his vision of interdependent communities built around the garden, in all its guises. Fiddlehead is the result of that partnership.

David lives in Southeast Portland with his wife Masumi, and their two children. When not designing or building other people’s landscapes, he tinkers around in his own garden. The self-confessed garden addict will also pick up the guitar and harmonica on occasion, and his reading list tips toward politics, economics and history.

Mark Parisien

Mark hails from St. Paul, Minnesota, but has made Portland his home for the past seven years. With a degree in anthropology from the University of Wisconsin, Mark took to traveling and discovered permaculture in Guatemala, took part in establishing an ecovillage in Iowa, and volunteered on organic farms across New Zealand. Mark was inspired by communities that were directly connected to their sources of food, water and energy.

Mark has never veered far from the plant world and a several-year stint at Portland Nursery afforded him the opportunity to increase his knowledge of plants from around the world. After working for a few seasons with a local landscape contractor, Mark was inspired to branch out and form his own company with David, where he enjoys the artistic expression involved in observing a space and creating something unique and valuable for his clients.

When not traveling to far-flung locations, Mark sticks close to home, surrounding himself with a cadre of close friends and family, sharing good food and wine on a regular basis.