The most famous backyard in Minnesota

Working in partnership with members of the Builders Association of the Twin Cities and KARE 11, we renovated the landmark KARE 11 backyard in a northwoods-inspired style.

Southview Design has an ongoing partnership with KARE 11 to maintain the backyard with seasonal changes to the raised planters, water feature maintenance (self-contained to attract butterflies and birds), and to monitor the health of perennials, trees, and shrubs.

Key stats

Design style chosen by the people of Minnesota. Voted for northwoods design by a landslide – 80% to 20%.

970 Square Feet of Permeable Pavers

Four Living Areas: An outdoor living room with fireplace; dining area; grill area with granite-topped bar area and seating; on-camera spaces

Working around the on-air TV schedules for regular weather broadcasts, Grow with KARE, and interview segments, Southview Design worked on installation from May through July.

permeable paver patio with custom pergola and fireplace

Keeping the Backyard Camera Ready

The KARE 11 maintenance plan is ever changing as needs arise. A typical week’s schedule includes a crew visiting the backyard to perform detailed weeding, pruning, deadheading, and fertilization of annual flowers. While within the backyard we also ensure that all patio space is swept and ready for action! As additional needs arise, we have irrigation, enhancement, and plant health care crews ready to perform any needed service. Southview Designs’ Irrigation department handles the startup, summer maintenance, inspections, and shutdown of the water feature and dripline for all flowers within the backyard.

permeable paver patio with colorful flowers and a custom fireplace and pergola

In addition to regular routine maintenance, Southview's landscape care team visits the property bi-weekly to perform detailed inspections of the backyard. These inspections offer an opportunity to propose new enhancements and ensure the space is camera ready.

Award Winner

This project received a 2022 Bronze Award from the National Association of Landscape Professionals for excellence in Commercial Landscape Management. The NALP Awards of Excellence recognizes exceptional commercial and residential lawn care and landscape installation, maintenance, and design projects from around the nation.

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