A Better Yard

A Better Yard Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from A Better Yard, 3801 145th St W, Shakopee, MN.

A community of homeowners and quiet rebels changing how landscapes are done, so that we can push back on chemical dependence, bring back pollinators and songbirds, and protect our clean water.

đŸ”„ REBEL WEDNESDAY đŸ”„Bigger isn’t always better.In fact, when it comes to trees, shrubs, and native plants, smaller plants...
06/04/2026

đŸ”„ REBEL WEDNESDAY đŸ”„

Bigger isn’t always better.

In fact, when it comes to trees, shrubs, and native plants, smaller plants often have a surprising advantage.

Today we’re talking about:

🌳 Why small trees frequently catch up to larger trees
đŸŒ± How plugs establish faster than many people expect
🌿 Why dense plantings can reduce weeds and cover the ground more quickly
💰 How buying smaller plants can save money while creating a healthier garden

The landscape industry loves selling size.

Nature rewards roots.

Read the full Rebel Wednesday article inside A Better Yard.

And when you’re done, I’d love to know:

Where is your favorite place to buy small,locally-grown trees, shrubs, or native plant plugs?

Read now / Link in bio --> Member.ABetterYard.org

06/03/2026

Let's get started with your Rebel Garden - a small, manageable native garden - with this first episode of three from A Better Yard podcast.

In this series I am teaching how to remove lawn and plant a native garden that:

💀 Eliminates Chemicals
🐝 Feeds Pollinators and Birds
💧 Saves Clean Water
🌳 Stores Carbon

Listen to the episode here -> https://abetteryard.org/how-to-start-a-rebel-garden/

Starting June 19, I am having a Rebel Garden in Ten Days Challenge. Together, we'll pick out a location, decide plants, and install a native planting in just ten days for your home.

Are you thinking you want to plant a new pollinator garden or remove a wet spot in your lawn but don't want to pay for someone to do it for you? This is the challenge for you!!

Free for members / $47 for non-members --> https://member.abetteryard.org/plans/1984445?bundle_token=cf0ed214cbb08bc49f717dac2f9df7bd&utm_source=manual

For those not yet on my email list. I sent this today.This afternoon, I'm heading to the funeral for a friend's son who ...
05/29/2026

For those not yet on my email list. I sent this today.

This afternoon, I'm heading to the funeral for a friend's son who was shot and killed during a prayer service this week.

It's horrific.

I don't have much to say today other than thanks for being here and being my therapy (don't worry - I have an actual therapist). It just seems some days with all of the killing and the guns and the hurt and the MMA matches on the South Lawn and the rockets exploding and the unnecessary wars...and the... and the... and the... that we are so small.

Insignificant?

I'm not sure.

Pointless?

Definitely not.

But small?

I think so today.

Every year after the MN Legislative session ends (I'm the State Rep for Shakopee), I need to take time away to recover and recuperate. I'm a massive introvert and being around thousands of people daily really takes a toll on my tiny little brain.

I spent this past week at Frontenac State Park by Red Wing, Minnesota right on the Mississippi River where it creates Lake Pepin.

It is one of my favorite places to camp and relax.

Katy and the kids were there with me for the weekend and then I spent the rest of my time in solitude throwing sticks to Scout, protecting our food from the raccoons (failing!), and long hikes in the woods and prairies.

I also read a book by Peter Heller called The Dog Stars.

It is a post-apocalyptic book released in pre-pandemic times where almost everyone has died from a flu.

Oddly enough, I really liked it.

One thing that stuck with me a lot was how much the main character - Big Hig - is often commenting about how quickly nature has taken things back over in the time since everyone died.

The roads are all heaved and potholed. Skyscrapers are falling down. The animals that survived our climate disasters are thriving.

That gives me hope.

Nature is on our side. Think of the things we could do together if we only tried harder.

Brings hope that small things matter, too.

That when we are doing what we can to grow a plant to feed a caterpillar to feed a chickadee - that action is small but very important to the chickadee.

And important to the butterfly if the caterpillar is skillful and lucky enough to evades the chickadee's parents.

And important to my kids and future grandkids that they are able to see more bumblebees and not have temps raise outside of survivable levels and risks of cancer is lower...and... and... and...

Because we were humble and caring enough today to plant more native plants, stop using chemicals, and care for them in ways that matter to clean water and healthy soils.

So I've come back around in writing this (thank you) to small things matter.

They are critical.

Plant the tree.

Pet the dog.

Bake the cake.

Protest the gun violence.

Care for your neighbors.

The only way out is through and we'll make it through as a community of good humans to better days because I believe in us.

And I believe in you.

Thank you for being here and doing the big and small things to make the world a better place.

With all the love,

Brad

Subscribe to emails here --> abetteryard.org/email/

05/20/2026

[NEW EPISODE] Your Yard Already Knows How to Compost, Dummy đŸŒ± (Not really dummy, just wanted to make you look twice. Love you!!! đŸ„°)

Listen now --> https://abetteryard.org/

A lot of people just like you know their lawn isn’t working anymore.You’re tired of the watering.Tired of the chemicals....
05/20/2026

A lot of people just like you know their lawn isn’t working anymore.

You’re tired of the watering.
Tired of the chemicals.
Tired of struggling through drought, heat, runoff, dead spots, and constant maintenance just to keep grass alive.

You know we have real problems but figuring out the next right step is overwhelming.

What will the neighbors think?
What plants do I use?
When would I have the time?

That’s why I’m launching a new service from A Better Yard called A Rebel Garden.

A Rebel Garden is a small-scale native garden installation designed to solve some of the biggest problems created by traditional lawns — without requiring you to completely redo your yard yourself.

We remove a manageable section of unnecessary lawn (typically 150–250 square feet) and replace it with densely planted native flowers and grasses that help:

đŸŒ± Feed pollinators and birds
đŸŒ± Reduce runoff and improve water infiltration
đŸŒ± Eliminate or reduce chemicals
đŸŒ± Build healthier soil
đŸŒ± Create a beautiful native landscape your neighbors will love

These projects are intentionally designed to feel approachable.

Not a massive renovation.
Not a full prairie conversion.
Just a realistic first step toward a better yard.

Each Rebel Garden is professionally designed and installed by A Better Yard using locally grown native plants selected for Minnesota conditions.

Projects typically range from $1,750–$2,750 installed with a $750 deposit to reserve your spot.

Your yard should do more.

If you’ve been wanting a better option than “more lawn work,” this is it. I’m proud to offer a new way to push back against the status quo — creating better landscapes that support pollinators, birds, clean water, and a better future for your family and neighborhood.

Visit ABetterYard.org/ -garden to book your Rebel Garden today.

-Brad

[NEW EPISODE] Most people don’t need a perfect lawn.They need a better filter for the decisions they make in their yard....
05/13/2026

[NEW EPISODE] Most people don’t need a perfect lawn.

They need a better filter for the decisions they make in their yard.

That’s what the EFSS Framework is all about:

đŸŒ± E - Eliminate Chemicals
🐝 F - Feed Birds & Pollinators
💧 S - Save Clean Water
🌳 S - Store Carbon

Not as a checklist.
Not as another impossible standard.
And definitely not as another way to feel guilty about your yard.

EFSS (pronounced effs) is a filter.

A way to ask:

“Does this move my yard in a better direction?”

Because the lawn industry has spent decades convincing us that the goal is perfection. More inputs. More chemicals. More maintenance. More consumption.

But what if the goal was a yard that actually gives something back?

This episode is about opting out of the “perfect lawn” system and building something healthier, more resilient, and more alive instead.

🎧 Listen now --> https://abetteryard.org/

There’s a good reason most people never make it very far on their own with a more environmentally-friendly landscape, an...
05/07/2026

There’s a good reason most people never make it very far on their own with a more environmentally-friendly landscape, and it’s not laziness or lack of knowledge. It’s the pressure to do everything “right” from the start.

Somewhere along the way, we picked up the idea that if you’re going to eliminate chemicals, support pollinators, save water, and build soil, you have to go all in immediately. (Or that you have to do it the way lawn care corps and Home Depot tell you to!) And if you can’t do that, then what’s the point?

That thinking stops more progress than anything else I see.

The problem isn’t that you’re doing it wrong. The problem is you’ve been handed a system that only works if you keep buying into it.

Perfect lawn. Constant inputs. Endless maintenance.

That’s not a coincidence. That’s the model. And the moment you try to step outside of it, you’re made to feel like you’re the one failing.

At A Better Yard, this is a no-judgment zone and we're here to support each other in this journey toward a better yard for our kids, community, and future.

New đŸ”„Rebel Wednesday article out for members: The Game Is Rigged. Here Is How You Stop Playing It.

Read it now at Member.ABetterYard.org.

04/24/2026

Unboxing with some fun new stuff for A Better Yard members! While supplies last.

—>Join us at Member.ABetterYard.org / link in bio. đŸŒ±

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3801 145th St W
Shakopee, MN
55379

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