What You Need to Know About Garden Design
Site Assessment
Every garden design starts with understanding what your site offers and what it demands. We evaluate sun exposure throughout the day, soil type and drainage, existing trees and root zones, microclimates created by buildings and fences, and how you want to use and experience the space. A garden bed on the south side of your house has completely different conditions than one under a mature oak on the north side. We design for your specific conditions, not generic plant lists.
Plant Selection
We select plants proven to perform in the Twin Cities climate--native perennials, cold-hardy shrubs, ornamental grasses, and specimen trees that handle our winters and summers. Our designs consider bloom sequence (so something is always in flower from May through October), mature size (so plants do not outgrow their space in three years), and maintenance level. We use Minnesota native species where possible for their resilience and ecological value, supplemented with reliable cultivars that add color and structure.
Pricing
Garden design pricing depends on the scope of the project--a single foundation bed refresh costs less than a full property planting plan. Costs include the design itself, plant material, soil amendments, mulch, edging, and installation labor. Larger plants and specimen trees add to the investment but deliver immediate visual impact. We provide detailed estimates with plant quantities and sizes specified so you know exactly what you are getting.
Installation
Proper planting technique matters as much as plant selection. We amend soil with compost to improve structure and drainage in Minnesota clay, dig planting holes to the correct depth and width, and set root flares at grade--not buried. Every plant gets the right amount of space to reach its mature size. We install root barriers where needed, lay drip irrigation when specified, and finish beds with 3 inches of shredded hardwood mulch for moisture retention and weed suppression. Edging defines bed lines with clean, lasting borders.
Designed to Grow, Built to Last
We design gardens with a three-year vision--knowing how plants will fill in, which will spread, and where the garden will peak at maturity. That long-term thinking is what separates a professional garden from a weekend planting project. Our crew handles the physical work with care, protecting existing landscape features, keeping your property clean, and planting everything with the precision that gives your garden the best start possible.
Garden Styles We Design
Foundation Plantings
The beds along your home set the tone for your entire property. We design foundation gardens with layered shrubs, perennials, and ornamental grasses that frame the house, soften hard edges, and provide year-round interest--including winter structure from evergreens and ornamental bark.
Perennial Gardens
Layered perennial beds designed for continuous bloom from spring through fall. We sequence coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, daylilies, sedums, and ornamental grasses so color shifts through the seasons. Low-maintenance once established and increasingly beautiful each year as plants mature and fill in.
Native and Pollinator Gardens
Designed with Minnesota native species that support bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Prairie dropseed, wild bergamot, liatris, and milkweed create a naturalistic landscape that is ecologically valuable and increasingly popular with homeowners who want beauty with purpose. Native gardens are exceptionally low-maintenance once established.
Shade Gardens
Many Twin Cities properties have mature trees that create deep shade--a challenge for most plants but an opportunity for a beautiful shade garden. We use hostas, ferns, astilbe, coral bells, and native woodland species to create lush, textured beds under tree canopies. These gardens thrive in conditions where sun-loving plants struggle.
Recent garden design from our crews
How we build it
