Minneapolis, MN · Native Plants · Design-Build · Est. 2011
We design and build landscapes for Minneapolis yards using native perennials and natural stone. Nothing we plant needs coaxing by mid-June of year two.
Our Approach
Fieldstone was founded in 2011 by two landscape architects who kept watching clients struggle to maintain gardens that were beautiful at install and half-dead by August. The problem, almost every time, was the plants.
We work exclusively with species native to the Upper Midwest: prairie dropseed, little bluestem, ironweed, baptisia, native columbine. These plants evolved here. They know what a Minnesota winter is. By the second growing season, most of what we install is self-sustaining.
Hardscape is the other half of what we do. Reclaimed limestone, locally quarried granite, and dry-stack stone walls. We source regionally whenever the project allows it. We do not use concrete pavers as a default.
A well-planted garden in September looks better than anything you can put in during spring install. We design for that.
Selected Projects
Front gardenKingfield neighborhood, Minneapolis · Summer 2024
A front yard that was mostly compacted clay lawn became a layered rain garden with a flagstone path. Wild ginger and blue wild indigo anchor the shaded north border. The drainage problem that flooded the neighbor's basement every spring has not recurred.
Pool surroundLinden Hills, Minneapolis · Fall 2023
Stone coping in reclaimed limestone, a narrow perennial border in sun-tolerant natives, and a dry-stack retaining wall to absorb the 18-inch grade change. No irrigation. The pool owner wanted the yard to look tended without requiring weekly maintenance.
Boulevard and parkwayMacalester-Groveland, St. Paul · Spring 2024
A 60-foot boulevard strip converted from turfgrass to a low prairie planting. Purple coneflower, black-eyed Susan, prairie dropseed. Approved by the City of St. Paul boulevard permit process. Mowed once in November, nothing else.
Full backyardEdina · Summer 2023
A 1,200 square foot backyard reorganized into three zones: a bluestone dining terrace, a fire pit area with decomposed granite and a ring of ornamental grasses, and a perennial border running the fence line that peaks in late August.
Shade and slopeSt. Louis Park · Fall 2023
A heavily wooded lot with an existing canopy of silver maple. Hostas replaced with a mix of native ferns, bloodroot, Jacob's ladder, and native sedge. Stone steps replaced an eroding wood staircase on the north slope.
Edible landscapeNortheast Minneapolis · Spring 2024
A food production garden integrated into a formal front yard design. Raised cedar beds for vegetables, an espalier apple against the south fence, a fruit tree guild in the rear corner. Aesthetics first, harvest second.
What We Do
Starting at $350
A 90-minute site visit followed by a written findings summary covering plant suitability, soil conditions, drainage patterns, and a recommended scope. Fee applies to your project cost if you hire us.
Starting at $18,000
Concept through installation. We handle design drawings, material sourcing, earthwork, hardscape, and planting. One crew, one point of contact. Permit applications included when required.
Starting at $6,000
Single-scope projects: rain gardens, front path and planting, pool surround, retaining wall, or boulevard strip. Same design process, contained to one area of the property.
Starting at $1,200
For existing Fieldstone gardens in year three or later. Annual cutback, light mulching, division and redistribution of overgrown perennials, and a written note on anything we noticed. Scheduled in October and November.
Plant and Stone Detail
From clients
Every other designer we talked to wanted to show us photos from Colorado or the Pacific Northwest. Fieldstone showed us photos from Minneapolis, in October. That told us everything we needed to know.
They told us the rain garden would handle the drainage issue or they would fix it. It handled it. First heavy rain in May, our basement stayed dry for the first time in six years.
We asked about maintenance before signing. They said most of what they plant is mow-once-in-fall. That sounded like marketing. It was not marketing.
Before you call
We design for USDA hardiness zones 4b through 5a, which covers the Minneapolis and St. Paul metro. We do not design for properties outside that range. Zone 4b winters are part of what determines the plant palette, and we are not equipped to advise for southern Minnesota, Wisconsin, or Iowa climates without a new site evaluation process.
For perennials and groundcovers, yes. For trees, we use natives where possible and near-natives where the site conditions demand it. We do not specify ornamental grasses from Asia or South America, and we do not use invasive cultivars regardless of how commonly they appear in other gardens. If you have existing plants you want to keep, we will assess them and incorporate what makes sense.
Design consultations happen year-round. Design itself takes 4 to 8 weeks depending on project size. We schedule spring installs in January and February, fall installs in June and July. If you contact us in April for a spring install, we are usually already full. Early in the calendar year is the right time to engage.
A design consultation is $350 and applies to your project cost if you hire us. Full-yard design-build projects start around $18,000. A single focused scope, like a rain garden or a front path with plantings, typically runs $6,000 to $12,000. We give a written estimate with the design, before any commitment to build.
For the first growing season, we do one follow-up visit in late July to assess establishment. For native plantings, year one requires watering during dry spells, nothing more. By year two the plants are largely self-sustaining. We offer an optional annual maintenance visit in November that includes cutting back stems and light mulching. That is genuinely all most of our plantings need.
Yes. For any retaining wall over 30 inches, structural stone work, or drainage modifications that require city approval, we handle the permit process. Boulevard plantings in Minneapolis and St. Paul require separate city permits, which we have done many times. You do not need to contact the city yourself.
Start here
We take on 20 to 25 projects a year. The first conversation is free and takes about 30 minutes.
Contact
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