Root Design

06/03/2026

One year in, this rooftop prairie garden is bursting with life, color, pollinators, and proof that ecological spaces belong everywhere.

Hope you enjoy these photos as much as we do. Thank you for maintaining this space for public enjoyment!

Some plants pictured:
- Rose verbena
- Glade coneflower
- Prairie dropseed
- Black-eyed susan
- Purple poppy mallow
- Little bluestem
- Prairie pussytoes
- Eastern blazing star
- Butterfly milkweed
- Lance leaf coreopsis
- Purple coneflower
- Cliff goldenrod

05/19/2026

13 months later, the James Walker Elementary community and education garden native plants are thriving! What was once compacted, poor soil is now supporting blooming native plants, pollinators, healthier soil biology, and outdoor learning opportunities for students. Great success.

This space will continue filling in dramatically over the next growing season — increasing habitat value, stormwater absorption, biodiversity, and seasonal beauty year after year. Looking forward to more impactful gardens to come. 🌼🐝🌱

05/01/2026

We're hiring 1-2 more team members this season. Interested?

The Root Design Company

04/27/2026

Hedge, prairie, meadow. We’re doing a little of everything at this home in Roeland Park!

04/18/2026

Love to see it!

In the midst of a biodiversity crisis caused by human activity, there’s a unique cause for celebration in St. Louis.

New research in Forest Park finds that long-running habitat restoration efforts are linked to a measurable increase in bird diversity.

Stella Uiterwaal, a researcher now at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, is lead author on the new study that was conducted during her time as a postdoctoral scholar with the Living Earth Collaborative at Washington University.

The researchers conducted surveys at locations throughout Forest Park in 2023 and 2024 to get a better understanding of the biodiversity of birds in the area. They compared their findings to survey data from 1997 and 2007 through 2012. Uiterwaal said they were particularly excited to see the populations of native bird species on the rise.

“One of the species that I personally was very excited to see was a merlin. It’s a raptor, a type of falcon, and one that I had personally never seen in St. Louis before. So it was very exciting for me to see this bird in Forest Park in an area that had received restoration efforts.”

From "St. Louis on the Air": https://buff.ly/r0YYViY

04/11/2026

Another woodland garden install complete—and another happy client.

Two beds were converted to habitat gardens along with a new blackberry trellis. Last photo is before.

The many rock elements create microclimates that support moisture retention, shelter, and habitat.

By the time we wrapped up, amphibians and reptiles were already moving in—a great sign the system is working.

Spaces like this are especially effective in shady or hard-to-grow areas where traditional landscaping falls flat (as seen here). Done right, they become lower-maintenance, more resilient, and full of life.

If you’ve got a spot in your yard that never quite looks right, we’ll turn it from an eye sore to a highlight.

04/07/2026

Celandine poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum) uses a fascinating strategy called myrmecochory—seed dispersal by ants.

Each seed includes an elaiosome, a nutrient-rich structure that attracts ants. The ants transport seeds to their nests, consume the elaiosome, and discard the seed in nutrient-rich zones where establishment rates are higher.

These types of relationships are a key reason native landscapes are so resilient—they’re built on systems that actively support their own regeneration.

04/02/2026

This project replaces three failing timber terrace systems with limestone terraces modeled after Missouri bluffs—designed to stabilize the slope, rebuild ecological function, and bring color and texture to the site.

Each terrace operates as both a retaining structure and planted system, using a matrix of native species adapted to mixed light conditions. The goal is more than ornamental planting—it’s long-term resilience through layered, low-input plant communities.

Full project objectives include:
• Removal of invasive Lonicera maackii (Amur honeysuckle)
• Re-establishment of native shrub and understory structure
• Integration of ornamental native species for seasonal color and biodiversity
• Slope stabilization through deep-rooted plant systems + stone mass
• Site beautification and immersive experience

This is a shift from short-term landscape construction → long-term ecological performance.

The result is a transitional edge condition—part infrastructure, part habitat—where built form and plant communities function as one system.

🌿🪨

02/21/2026

We’re officially certified in Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) maintenance 🌧🌿

GSI helps reduce flooding, filter pollutants, recharge groundwater, and create habitat while protecting your home and our local waterways.

Its function before form. 🌳📐

This certification brings us one step closer to our dream of designing, building and maintaining smarter, healthier, and more resilient environments, stronger public health outcomes, and greener cities.

Design with nature with us.💧🌎

Thank you to for hosting this certification and raising standards in .