About us…
Pathways & Plants is the result of our decades-long dream to build a business that ties together our need to create sustainable beauty in a natural setting. To achieve this delicate balance we use several practices, such as cultivating healthy soil, conserving water, and creating gardens with native, and carefully chosen non-invasive non-native, plants.
As important as plants are for the stability of our ecosystem, they are as equally important for us, and we believe that everyone should have a slice of plant-adorned land because it improves our well-being. That's why we strive to create landscapes that are both ecologically sound and artistically pleasing. We chose our plants as carefully as a painter chooses paints. Not only does color play a central role in our design process, but we also consider a plant's texture, hardiness, and its ability to provide season-long interest. When all is said and done, it's our hope that our gardens will inspire joy and peace.
We are a husband-and-wife team with a quarter century of landscaping and gardening experience. Rob's background is as winding as a garden path. Shortly after earning a law degree, he discovered a passion for writing and nature. This brought Rob to landscaping. He went to work at a 150-acre nature preserve, where he maintained a native prairie and cared for an old-growth woodland. From there, Rob worked for several landscaping outfits and greenhouses, continuing to build on his passion and knowledge for gardening and land preservation. Most recently, Rob broadened his understanding of landscaping and gardening by completing the University of Minnesota's Horticulture Certification Course (Master Gardener Curriculum).
Carrie’s journey started even earlier than Rob’s. At fifteen, Carrie found her love for nature at her first job at an organic vegetable and flower farm in her hometown of Prior Lake. The rigor of outdoor work and the knowledge she gained were foundational. Carrie’s career, like Rob's, was circuitous. She moved from retail buying in the fashion industry to organic food - eventually managing a food co-op. Along the way, she planted numerous perennial and vegetable gardens. Carrie has a passion for creating gardens that make homeowners fall in love with gardening. Carrie has expanded her design skills by completing the Dan Pearson Naturalistic Garden Design Master Class.
We can’t wait to meet you and create something beautiful!
