OUR WORK · PLANTINGS & GARDENS
Plantings That Hit Their Stride In Year Three
Most landscape plantings look great at handoff and struggle by year three. Ours are chosen for Minnesota Zone 4a, sourced from local nurseries, and backed by a written replacement warranty.
- Zone 4a Plant Selection
- Local Nursery Sourcing
- In-House Crew Only
- Licensed & insured in Minnesota
Best install windows: April–June & September–October — spring consults booking now
THE PLANTING PROBLEM
Year 3 Is When Gardens Either Bloom Or Fail
Most crews plant for how it looks at handoff. We plant for how it looks in year three.
Because we choose plants proven for Minnesota Zone 4a conditions, prep the soil correctly, and back every plant with a written, tiered warranty, our plantings establish instead of struggling. Most failures come from the wrong species for our climate — not bad luck.
40+
Projects completed
Zone 4a
Hardiness standard
2/1-Yr
Warranty: trees / shrubs
30-Day
Follow-up visit
HOW IT WORKS
Our Five-Step Planting Process
Every project follows this path. No surprises, no shortcuts.
01
Soil Test
We test pH, drainage, and sun/shade exposure before recommending a single plant.
1 Day
02
Design
A 4-season planting plan mapped for bloom sequence, texture, and winter interest.
1 Week
03
Source
Plants pulled from trusted Twin Cities nurseries — right size, right quality, already acclimated.
Day Of
04
Install
Correct planting depth, amended soil, mulch, and a deep root-zone watering at install.
1-3 Days
05
Establish
A written watering guide plus our 30-day follow-up visit to adjust or replace as needed.
30 Days
WHAT'S INCLUDED
What's Included In Every Planting Install
From the first soil test to the follow-up visit that catches problems early — here’s exactly what’s covered.
What's Included
- On-site consultation + soil assessment
- Custom 4-season planting plan with plant schedule
- Plant sourcing from trusted local nurseries
- Professional installation by our in-house crew
- Mulch, edging, and bed preparation
- Initial watering and establishment care
- 30-day follow-up visit for adjustments
- Written, tiered plant-replacement warranty
TYPICAL PROJECT RANGE
$1,500 – $12,000
Foundation-bed refreshes start around $1,500; full landscape plantings with trees and structure run $5,000–$12,000. Every plant is backed by a written, tiered replacement warranty.
PLANTING DESIGN GUIDE
Three Decisions Before Your Planting Consultation
The choices that shape every planting project we design, walked through before you commit to anything.
Plant Type
Type
THE FIRST DECISION
Best for: matching hardiness, mature size, and upkeep to how you actually use the yard.
- Native perennials — hardy, low-water
- Ornamental shrubs — summer texture
- Deciduous trees — shade + fall color
- Evergreens — winter structure
Season Design
Season
THE SECOND DECISION
Best for: a bed that looks intentional in April and in November, not just in June.
- Spring bloom layer — tulips, alliums
- Summer color and texture peak
- Fall foliage — maples, ornamental grasses
- Winter structure and interest
Add-Ons
Extras
THE THIRD DECISION
Best for: solving a problem the base planting plan doesn’t cover on its own.
- Drip irrigation integration by zone
- Mulch and steel bed edging
- Landscape lighting accents
- Deer-resistant plant selections
We walk through all three decisions at your free on-site consultation — before you commit to a plan.
WHY NORTH RIDGE FOR PLANTINGS
Zone 4a Climate-Proven, Not Catalog-Promised
Most plantings look great in year one and fail by year three because the wrong species were chosen for Minnesota. Ours are chosen to actually survive here.
Zone 4a
CLIMATE-PROVEN PLANT SELECTION
Every plant we spec has already survived a Twin Cities winter.
Most landscape contractors order from a national catalog and hope. We source from Twin Cities-area growers whose stock is already acclimated to Minnesota soil and weather — not stressed from a two-day shipping container. Year one they establish, year two they fill in, year three they’re what you actually imagined.
“My yard looks pristine and so green! North Ridge has done mulch, rock, planting trees, created a path through my woods.” — Deb R., multi-year plantings client
Local Nursery Sourcing
We buy from the same Twin Cities-area growers, season after season. Plants arrive already acclimated to Minnesota soil and weather instead of stressed from long-haul shipping.
Local-grown · acclimated
In-House Planting Crew
Every plant goes in the ground by our own crew, never a subcontractor — the same team that can service your property for years after install.
Zero subcontractors
Soil-Matched, Not Guessed
Every project starts with an actual soil test — pH, drainage, sun and shade — so the plants we spec are matched to your yard’s real conditions, not a generic plan.
Soil test included
COMPLETED PLANTINGS
Recent Planting Projects Across The Twin Cities
Every project below was designed, sourced, and installed by our in-house crew.
ENTRY GARDEN
A curved foundation bed frames the entry — layered shrubs, an ornamental tree, and a single boulder accent.
FOUNDATION REFRESH
A full foundation rebuild along a rambler-style home — junipers, spirea, and mulch replacing an overgrown bed.
FEATURED · FULL PROPERTY
Paired blackhills spruce and a dry-creek accent bed turn a plain backyard into one connected landscape.
MIXED SHRUBS
A layered shrub island — an ornamental centerpiece flanked by spireas and ornamental grasses, finished in river rock.
EVERGREEN SCREEN
Columnar White Pine planted in a row along the side property line for year-round privacy and winter color.
All SEASON COLOR
A boulevard bed timed for a full season of bloom, from spring establishment through summer color.
SHADE GARDEN
Shade-tolerant perennials underplanted beneath mature trees, edged in river rock along a private drive.
SIDE YARD
A once-bare side yard rebuilt as a rock landscape bed with an ornamental tree and layered perennials.
PERENNIAL BORDER
A daylily and perennial border along the curb — low-maintenance color that returns every year.
IN WRITING
What Your Plant Warranty Actually Covers
Not every plant carries the same risk to establish — so not every plant carries the same warranty term.
TREES
2-Year Replacement
Trees take the longest to grow root systems strong enough to survive a Minnesota winter on their own — so we back every tree we plant for two full years.
SHRUBS & PERENNIALS
1-Year Replacement
Shrubs and perennials establish faster. If one doesn’t survive its first year with normal care, we replace it — in writing, no haggling.
FOLLOW-UP VISIT
30 Days, Included
We come back 30 days after install to check establishment, adjust watering guidance, and catch problems before they become replacement claims.
Warranty terms are tiered by plant type and confirmed in writing at install — never one blanket promise that doesn’t hold up.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Planting FAQ — Honest Answers
If we selected Zone 4a hardy plants for your specific site, yes. Every plant on your schedule is hardiness-verified for Twin Cities winters, planted at the correct depth with roots below the frost line, and mulched for insulation. Trees carry a 2-year replacement warranty and shrubs & perennials carry a 1-year replacement warranty, so if something doesn’t establish with normal care, we replace it — in writing.
Depends on the plant palette. Low-maintenance beds — natives, sedums, established shrubs — need roughly 2-4 hours a month, April through October. Higher-interest perennial gardens with seasonal rotation run 1-2 hours a week. We hand you a maintenance calendar at install, or you can hire us for weekly care.
Spring (April through June) and fall (late August through October) are ideal. Summer plantings work for shrubs and trees but need closer watering attention. Winter is out — frozen soil makes root establishment impossible. Book your consultation in late winter to lock a spring install slot.
Trees are covered by a 2-year replacement warranty; shrubs and perennials by a 1-year replacement warranty. If a covered plant dies from anything other than obvious neglect — no water, chemical damage, deer — we replace it with the same plant or a comparable substitute. Our 30-day follow-up visit catches most issues before they turn terminal.
Yes. Clients in Mendota Heights, Burnsville, and Hastings especially ask for it. We use plants deer genuinely avoid — lavender, alliums, junipers, ornamental grasses, boxwood — to build a garden they mostly skip. No plant is 100% deer-proof, but the right palette makes a real difference.
VERIFIED VOICES
5★ reviews from Twin Cities clients
Real feedback from Twin Cities clients whose plantings we designed and installed.
★★★★★
PLANTS + TREES
“They planned and planted hundreds of plants and trees. They have helped us transform our property into a showcase for the entire neighborhood with colors and texture throughout the year.”
Michael H.
Full Landscape + Plantings · Twin Cities
via Google
★★★★★
180 NEW PLANTS
“This was a major project that involved 650 feet of industrial edging, 15 yards of top soil, 25 yards of mulch, 8 tons of boulders, and 180 new plants and shrubs.”
Alan B.
HOA Landscape · Eagan, MN
via Google
★★★★★
FULL RENOVATION
“We recently had a major landscaping renovation completed including railroad-tiered walls removed and replaced with large boulder walls, granite stairs, irrigation, sod and flowers.”
Jeremy T.
Landscape Renovation · Twin Cities
via Google
BUNDLE & SAVE
Pair Your Planting Project With More
Services our planting clients most often add at the same time.
Landscape Lighting
Uplight new trees and specimen shrubs so the planting investment reads as a feature after dark, not just in daylight.
15-YR FIXTURE WARRANTY
Residential Irrigation
Drip zones and a smart controller keep new plantings alive through a Minnesota summer without you thinking about it.
SMART CONTROL
Retaining Walls
Walls build the structure of a landscape; plantings bring it to life. Coordinating both on one visit saves a second mobilization.
BUILT TO LAST
READY WHEN YOU ARE
Start Your Planting Project
Free on-site soil assessment — we walk your yard, test drainage, talk through your goals, and leave you with a planting direction plus a real budget range.
Replies within 2 business hours · Mon–Fri 7am–6pm
- Free On-Site Consult
- Written Plant Warranty
- In-House Crew Only
- Licensed & insured in Minnesota