Ways to work with Kelly Rae Kirkpatrick
Landscape Design in Rochester, MN Rooted in Real Life
Designer. Educator. Farmer.
The Garden Lab is my home, and also a space where design meets experimentation, education, and a lot of fun.
Whether it’s my design work, inspirational presentations or plant sales at the Rochester Farmers Market, to my CSA flower bouquet offerings and Farm-to-Fork dinners, you’ll see that fun spirit in the ideas and storytelling I do.
SERVICE OVERVIEW
Garden Design Services
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Step into your landscape with me, and together we’ll walk through your ideas to design an environment that feels alive, purposeful, and uniquely yours.
I design and help implement so your garden comes to life.
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Each project starts with a 90-minute, on-site design consultation for $300 before we dig into the work together. We’ll walk through your outdoor space, talk through how you use it, desired maintenance levels, plant choices, lighting, and existing plantings.
After the visit, you’ll receive suggested plant lists, design ideas you can DIY or have installed, along with educational resources and helpful links.
Buy Plants and CSA Flowers
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There are two main ways to get plants from us. In the spring, we sell plants we’ve started ourselves, and we also offer CSA flower bouquets where you can purchase a single bouquet or sign up for a weekly subscription.
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On our shop page, you’ll find links to shop both plants and bouquets.
You’re welcome to pre-order your plants online or stop by our booth at the Rochester Farmers Market throughout May to shop the selection in person.
Inspirational Presentations
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I offer presentations centered around gardening, local food systems, sustainability, urban agriculture, and the ways outdoor spaces can bring people together. Some are educational, some are a little more hands-on, and some tend to turn into really good conversations.
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Presentations can be tailored to your group, event, or audience size.
If you’re interested in having me speak, reach out through the contact form with a few details about your event, timeline, and what you’re hoping for, and we’ll go from there.
Farm-to-Fork Dinner
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A summer evening at The Garden Lab centered around good food, local ingredients, and gathering together outside. Each Farm-to-Fork dinner features a seasonal menu built around the day’s harvest, along with locally sourced meats, cheeses, craft brews, and creative libations from around Southeast Minnesota.
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Dinners take place on select summer evenings at The Garden Lab and are limited to 36 guests per event. The evening includes time to mingle, a farmstead tour, and a four-course seasonal dinner served outdoors.
2025 Dinner Dates:
June 20 • July 25 • August 22 • September 195:00 PM – Drinks, nibbles, and mingling
5:30 PM – Farmstead tour
6:00 PM – Four-course seasonal dinner
On-Site Events
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There’s usually something happening around here during the summer. From hands-on workshops and open garden hours at The Garden Lab to community events around Rochester, these gatherings are meant to bring people together to learn, grow, and spend a little more time outside.
Events may include seed swaps, Local Food 101 classes, FREE Film Fridays, Garden to Plate evenings, tours, and seasonal community gatherings.
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Some events take place onsite at The Garden Lab, while others happen out in the community throughout the season. Follow along on the Events page or Facebook to stay up to date on what’s growing, what’s happening, and what you can join in on next.
Garden Tours
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Garden tours are a chance to slow down, wander the space, ask questions, and gather ideas you can take home to your own garden. Whether you’re coming with friends, a garden club, or a community group, tours are meant to be educational, relaxed, and a little inspiring too.
Along the way, we’ll talk plants, design, growing techniques, and all the little things that make a garden feel alive.
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Tours are available May through September and can be scheduled for groups, clubs, or community organizations. Reach out through the contact form to set something up, and if you’d like catering or a more customized experience, we can talk through that too.
Garden Design
Services
"I prefer the earthier and more modest definition of Garden Designer over other terms that may be applied to my work. Plants are intimate partners with the land, highlighted by placement among natural elements in a design. Being transported to another world or time is important when stepping into one of my designs. As a plantswoman, I revel in teaching horticulture and engaging clients in dirty work. Their digging and planting is an investment that brings a deeper appreciation for the environment and shows their dedication to a space that is so much more than a feature - it is an extension of who they are."
Garden Design Services
What It’s Like to Work Together
Thoughtful design, good conversation, and probably a little dirt involved.
Every project starts with walking the space together. I want to understand how you live, what draws you outside, and how your landscape can feel more connected, functional, and alive over time.
Working together often looks like:
Walking your property together and talking through ideas
Designing spaces that feel natural and not overly “done”
Focusing on plants that fit your lifestyle and maintenance goals
Mixing beauty, ecology, and real-life functionality
Learning along the way—I love inviting people into the process
Creating spaces that feel lived in, layered, and uniquely yours
Scroll to See Examples of My Work
From landscape design and garden spaces to community events and seasonal growing, here’s a look at what’s been happening around The Garden Lab.
The Charles E. Gagnon Museum and Sculpture Garden - 2022
Wildflowers Sculpture and Dedication of the Kay Caskey Garden
Connemara Hills - 2013
“How does one transform a drab, rarely used deck into a distinctive bi-level living space packed with entertainment potential? Lots of planning. Janine and Chris didn't want support posts or an overhang spoiling their view or darkening their basement the way the old structure did. The answer? Create an outdoor kitchen (complete with wood-fired pizza oven) and terrace underneath an all-season sunroom that opens to a lovely green space. The brain-child of Kelly Rae Kirkpatrick.”
- RW Magazine July/August 2013
Cairn Brae Cottage - 2009-2024
“I have been a client of Kelly’s for over ten years. When we moved to our historic country home on 25 acres, we immediately hired Kelly to design the gardens. Kelly’s design genius, attention to detail, vast plant knowledge, limitless idea generation, budget consciousness, and, most importantly, willingness to listen have transformed our landscape. Without reservation, I highly recommend Kelly Rae Kirkpatrick.”
- Ellen H.
Folwell Elementary School Learning Garden - 2009/10
Telemark Court - 2018
Elmwood East in Lanesboro - 2018
“Kelly is an artist. Plants are her medium, and the landscape - her canvas. The design she came up with for our yard was creative, beautiful as it matured, and unlike any other design presented to us for consideration. The new garden spaces and walkways enhanced the exterior of our home tenfold and enriched our lives in countless ways. I wholeheartedly recommend Kelly Rae Kirkpatrick.”
- Romi W.
Lanesboro MN, City Concept Plan - 2016
Farmington, MN - 2022
Mineral Point, WI - 2024
Let’s Grow Something Together
Whether you’re ready to start designing or just beginning to explore ideas, I’d love to hear what you’re dreaming up.
Reach out, ask questions, request a presentation, or come walk the space with me.