Garden & Compost Consultations

  • Intentional Garden Design

    $80 • 60 minute session

    Guided by your goals and needs, a session can include:

    Learn Your Land: Get educated on what plants are already growing in your yard, and become familiar with your creative boundaries such as light patterns, animal footpaths, weed and pest pressures, and soil structure

    Garden Guidance: Discuss, plan and sketch out a garden system that works with your goals, time constraints, physical and mental boundaries, and aesthetic

    Become an Earthtender: Empower yourself by learning to follow each season's shifts and grow food for your family, pollinators, birds, and other critters around you!

    Additional Services:

    Soil Testing: Not available when the ground is frozen. Receive hands-on assistance with collecting soil samples, sending it in for testing at UMN’s Soil Lab, and interpreting the results together, which will better inform you what natural fertilizers and methods are best for you • $45+

    Landscape Mapping: Receive a detailed map of your yard including plant names, current structures, future projects, and intended changes discussed during a session • $40

  • Compost System Design

    $80 • 60 minute session

    Guided by your goals and needs, a session can include:

    Know Your Options: Learn about all of the composting options available to you, indoors and outdoors, all seasons of the year

    Grow Your Soil: Receive tailored guidance on a composting plan and system that is realistic and achievable for you

    Troubleshooting: Be prepared to tackle the ups and downs of the composting process, and work together through the toughest barriers and challenge

    Additional Services:

    Bokashi Composting Starter Kit: Receive all the materials you need to set up your indoor bokashi compost system, which allows you to “pre-compost” food scraps throughout the winter months and enhance your outdoor compost quality • $40

Ongoing Mentorship

$80 • 60 minute session

Seasonal Support: Continue working through challenges as they arise during the season, with advice, support, and direction on how to overcome whatever happens. Please note: landscape installation/maintenance services are not available.

Continued Compost Care: Receive hands-on assistance with building a new compost pile, physically turning/mixing an existing pile, or rehabilitating a pile that has gotten a little out of control. Please note: this is a hands-on maintenance service.

Each session includes applicable lists and guides, secondary resources, and educational materials to give you a richer understanding of the garden and compost work you are undertaking.

Coaching Sessions Through the Seasons

  • EARLY SPRING

    Make plans for planting and building new garden beds. Learn the basics of composting, and get prepared for seed starting indoors. Work with indoor composting methods.

  • MID-SPRING

    Hands-on demonstration of seed starting, spring pruning, transplanting. Continue to make and follow a planting plan. Build new compost piles, and rehab or turn existing piles.

  • LATE SPRING

    Guided plant identification and hands-on demonstration of weeding, thinning, transplanting, and cultivation. Build new compost piles, and rehab or turn existing piles.

  • EARLY SUMMER

    Guided plant identification and hands-on demonstration of weeding, thinning, harvesting, and storing vegetables for best keeping. Continue building new piles and turning heaps as needed.

  • MID/LATE SUMMER

    It’s not too late to start your garden! Learn about what your options are with your current setup and dream about the future to prepare for next spring. Continue building new compost piles and turning heaps as needed.

  • AUTUMN

    Prepare the garden for the turn of the season by harvesting what’s left, planting overwintering crops, and cover the beds. Consider what was learned this year to incorporate it into your planning for next year. Turn compost heaps one last time before the freeze comes.

  • WINTER

    Make a plan for seed starting, planting, and building new garden beds. Dream about new garden designs. Learn about your composting options and get started with indoors methods and collect materials for the spring.