Bare Root Natives

04/22/2026

Earth Day reminds us to pause, reflect, and think deeply about our relationship with nature.

“There are two things that interest me: the relation of people to each other and the relation of people to land.” —Aldo Leopold

This relation of people to land that so interested Aldo is the core of his masterwork, A Sand County Almanac. While Leopold didn't live to see Earth Day, whose first celebration took place in 1970, his book gained popularity thanks to the increasing environmental consciousness of that era (plus a nifty new paperback edition). The Almanac is now considered a cornerstone of the modern environmental movement, and Leopold a seminal conservation figure.

How are you celebrating Earth Day today? 🌎

04/20/2026

Let’s get wild! I’m ready, are you?

04/14/2026

Another client site visit today that provided a wonderful surprise. Bloodroot and a variety of ferns permeate the rear property. ❤️ Exciting.

04/14/2026

Early emergence of ephemerals are so important. Always a nice surprise.

04/13/2026

As a professor at a catholic university I am thrilled to see the intellectual tradition deliver a positive impact on the communities it supports and represents.

Years ago I created a body of work in response to Pope Francis’s encyclical that challenges each inhabitant to carefully steward our Mother Earth. I am passionately committed to helping others make this change on their properties. Residential, Commercial, or Industrial the choice is clear.

Lawn culture represents a mindset of control, consumption, and individualism. Catholic social teaching offers Catholics an alternative framework for rethinking the use of lawn space not only to protect the environment but to nurture the shared flourishing of all creation.

Link in the comments.

03/16/2026

I’m excited to share the launch of my new website for Bare Root Natives.

Over the past several years my work has gradually expanded beyond teaching design in academia into something that has become a deep passion: native landscape design.

What began as transforming my own property into a prairie ecosystem has grown into helping others reimagine their landscapes as living, biodiverse spaces filled with pollinators, grasses, wildflowers, and seasonal beauty.

Bare Root Natives focuses on site-specific native landscapes for homeowners, communities, and organizations interested in creating resilient landscapes rooted in ecology.

Take a look at the new site:

Bare Root Natives Native landscape design rooted in ecology, beauty, and resilience. EXPLORE OUR WORK START A PROJECT → WHO WE ARE Designing landscapes that belong. Bare Root Natives transforms residential, civic, and commercial landscapes into ecologically rich places rooted in beauty, biodiversi...