Our Mission:

Our Mission: To enable individuals and communities to take an active part in the cultivation of systems that provide the highest quality fruits, vegetables, herbs and other yields, in a way that benefits themselves, cares for the land and environment, and provides a surplus to use, share and reinvest into the system.

Monday, March 18, 2024

Grow with Us! #hiring

It will officially be Spring soon!   Site consultations, designs and tree pruning & grafting is ongoing and soon bigger installations will begin.

Are you motivated, hard-working, and seeking to join an award-winning landscaping company?

Pergola build at the east side Healing Gardens & Food Forest

Abundant Design is a small, but growing, permaculture based landscape design & install business located in central Iowa.  We help people build resiliency through edible landscapes and gardens, establish wildlife habitat and conservation practices.  We help provide experiences with nature and enjoyment of Creation in customer backyards, properties and communities. 

Abundant Design is looking for motivated individuals to help bring these projects to life.

Positions involve lots of digging, planting of native and edible plants, shrubs and trees; moving compost, rock and mulch; some hardscapes, walls and other builds.

Fresh rain garden installs


Seasonal Installers & Laborers

Perform landscaping and light construction for properties as directed.  Tasks may include, but not limited to - shoveling rock, sand, mulch and other materials on the job site; moving boulders; trenching by hand or with a machine; operating a laser level for grading; plantings ranging in size from large balled and burlapped (B&B) trees to delicate transplants

  • Must be physically able to work hard outside in various conditions
  • Must be able to communicate clearly and follow instructions
  • Must be respectful of customers and their property 
  • Must be able to get to and from job sites
  • Must be at least 16 years of age
  • Knowledge of, or experience in gardening, landscaping, horticulture, a plus
  • Experience operating power tools, equipment and small machinery, a plus

Great summer experience for students in conservation, natural resources, regenerative agriculture, and sustainability fields, or anyone interested in the same.  

Pay ~$15-20/hr, depending on experience.

Mulching a new multi-species orchard on a southern Iowa homestead


Full-Time Assistant & Crew Leader

Perform and lead team members in landscaping and light construction for properties as directed. Tasks may include, but not limited to - shoveling rock, sand, mulch and other materials on the job site; moving boulders; trenching by hand or with a machine; operating a laser level for grading; light grading with mini-skid steer, hauling materials; plantings ranging in size from large balled and burlapped (B&B) trees to delicate transplants

  • Must be physically able to work hard outside in various conditions
  • Must be able to communicate clearly and follow instructions
  • Must be respectful of customers and their property 
  • Must be able to get to and from job sites around the Des Moines metro 
  • Knowledge of/experience in permaculture, gardening, horticulture, biology/ecology, and regional ecosystems 
  • Experience operating tools, power tools and small machinery safely and efficiently
  • Interest in permaculture, conservation, regenerative agriculture and sustainability
  • Experience in permaculture, conservation, native plants and/or regenerative agriculture - Preferred
  • BS/BA/AA Degree in natural sciences, Permaculture Designer's Certificate, or Stormwater Best Management Practices training - Preferred

Primarily working and training side by side with me through the early Spring, then independently or as a crew leader through the busy summer season.  Additional training opportunities possible.

Compensation commensurate with experience. 

To apply for these positions, email your Resume/CV/Work Experience and references to Abundant Design.


Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Secluded Woodland Oasis & Gardens

After their new addition was built, these Urbandale homeowners saw it as their chance to include some new outdoor elements they wanted instead of just repairing the construction damage.

Patio, bench wall, garden beds and stream behind

It included a patio with bench walls and a firepit, vegetable and herb gardens.  A dry stream directs stormwater runoff to a pair of rain gardens.

Upper rain garden basin ready for planting

Bridge set over the rain garden outlet
to access the existing woodland paths

In the production area, herb beds run along the access path at ground level and are just at the edge of the available sunshine.  The raised vegetable beds benefit from being a bit farther away from the house's shadow, and being elevated helps to get more sun on them too.  Trellises were also added for some vertical growing space.  

The block used on these beds is durable, looks great
and compliments the patio and bench walls!

The garden beds were going in near an existing Hackberry tree and I was concerned about tree roots invading and stealing water and nutrients from them.  


A Rain Barrel catches rain for use in the gardens

The rain barrel overflows into the downspout drain that connects to the lower rain garden basin behind the raised beds.  Shade loving plants were predominantly used throughout the rain garden plantings - columbine, woodland phlox, sedges and wild geranium.  A few pockets got more sun, so we could try for some more color using part sun and native savannah plants - cardinal flower and bee balm.


Thanks to Beemer Landscaping on the hardscaping assist!


We also cut and removed lots of invasive honeysuckle filling several dump trailers worth.

Reusing saved materials was high on the list of customer desires.  The patio stone was selected to match pavers leftover from a previous landscaping project.  These existing pavers were incorporated into the access path to the side yard, gardens and rain barrel.

Leftover pavers and stone from a previous
project we used for edging and steppers

Several pallets of assorted limestone served as edging along the access path above, and a walking path expansion loop through the side yard along a new planting bed and retaining wall.

Dark trap rock contrasts well against pale limestone,
but it's dusty!


The construction access was cleared of wood chips last fall.  After the temporary driveway was used for a needed tree removal, it was dormant seeded this Winter with a customized woodland sedge and wildflower mix.  Timing was perfect with 4" of snow falling that night.

We love how it has turned out so far, and excited for fresh growth and blooms this season!



Thursday, March 7, 2024

"Creating an Edible Landscape" @ The Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden

This Saturday head down to the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden for their Learning on Saturday series.


We'll be presenting this week's topic -

Creating an Edible Landscape

Learn all about edible plants that you can incorporate into your landscape in Iowa!

10:30 – 11:30 AM



Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden

909 Robert D. Ray Drive (Directions*)

Des Moines, Iowa 50309-2897


Get tickets here - Learn on Saturdays – Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden (dmbotanicalgarden.com)



*GPS can be a little tricky- try this route

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Rough Year for Monarchs

The numbers out of Mexico aren't good, and I'm not talking about the border crisis.

Overwintering Monarch Butterfly totals from Mexico have just been released.  Nine colonies of monarchs were found and covered an area of just over 2 acres (0.90 hectares on the graph below).  Nearly all of the monarch butterflies in the world are overwintering in a space that is-

Less than two Football Fields! 

Or ten average suburban yards!

These numbers are down nearly 60% from the previous winter, and the second lowest number ever counted – the lowest was during the 2013–2014 season. 

The graph below is similar to the one we have shared before and shows the general overall decline, but this year's numbers were a shock to those who follow monarch butterfly news.  


We've talked about the plight of Monarchs before Monarch Watch, and our overall love of pollinators.  Loss of habitat is one of the major causes of their decline (as with most species), but this year was even worse because of the drought.

"Chip" Taylor, Founding Director of Monarch Watch says that "Monarch numbers are at a near all-time low because of drought conditions last fall that extended from Oklahoma deep into central Mexico. Droughts reduce flowering and therefore nectar production, and monarchs need the sugars in nectar to fuel the migration and to develop the fat reserves that get them through the winter." 

Common milkweed can go crazy in a landscape, but
it has nice big leaves for feeding monarch caterpillars.

"To recover, monarchs will need an abundance of milkweeds and nectar sources. We need to get more milkweed and nectar plants in the ground, and we all need to contribute to this effort." says Kristen Baum, Director of Monarch Watch.

What can you do to help?

1. Plant a pollinator-friendly garden using native flowers (for nectar), and especially milkweed, the only source of food for monarch larvae

We can Help You, Help Them!  Contact Us!

2. Provide water sources and basking areas

Do Butterfly Houses Work?

3. Avoid using insecticides and other pesticides, and fertilize with natural compost


4. Support pollinator conservation actions in your hometown, like Plant.Grow.Fly, and get kids involved!


5. Talk to your friends, family and neighbors about pollinators and how they can help out, too.  


6. Like and Share this article, and others like it, on social media.



If you would like some milkweed seeds you can stop by the office and we will have some packets of common, butterfly and swamp milkweed to share while supplies last.    These will need planted ASAP


“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, 

nothing is going to get better. 

It’s not.” - Dr Seuss

Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Tap Those Trees - with Video

Each year at the end of winter and beginning of spring, there are a few weeks of magic that happens.  Tree sap starts to flow, bringing life from the roots back into the branches. Farmers across the northern US and Canada collect sap from their maple trees as they have for over two hundred years.  

The sap is collected and usually taken to their "Sugar Shack." There, this barely sweet, clear sap is boiled down using time-honored methods passed down from generation to generation to produce the sweet, dark maple syrup we use on pancakes, waffles and more.

You can also take part in this historical tradition right in your own backyard (or a friendly neighbors)!


This week's forecast looks great!

Sugar maples are best, with typically higher sugar content in the sap, but I had a garden design customer tell me he got over 40 gallons from a large silver maple in his yard!  I think our tree is probably an Autumn Blaze hybrid maple from the looks of the fall foliage and how common they are in the suburbs.

Our Maple Tapping Display at the
2016 Home & Outdoor Living Show


You can also tap Birch, Black Walnut and I've even heard of Butternut trees for uniquely flavored syrup.

Buy your Spiles, or Tree Taps, just like mine - HERE

These Hook Spouts are especially designed to hold pails with holes smaller than ¾ inch. The hook slides on behind the washer.


This video from our backyard tree demonstrates a simple "how-to" tapping method for you-

From the Northern Midwest to New England and into Canada, the sap is boiled down into Maple Syrup.  This is often done in large pans over an open flame outside, as boiling sap into syrup produces a lot of steam.  And it takes a lot of fuel.  Sap is continuously added as the water is boiled off, carefully making sure it doesn't boil over or burn the pan.  It typically takes around 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup.

If you have access to enough trees and want to try making some syrup yourself, here is a great guide from the University of Maine Extension Service.

How to Tap Maple Trees and Make Maple Syrup (link) 


We just drink the sap since we don't have many trees and its high in minerals, other nutrients, enzymes, antioxidants, and more—an incredible, all-natural beverage with less than 2% sugar!

You can learn more about Drinking Maple 

(and other sap) at Chelsea Green (link)


If you want to experience it in person the Indian Creek Nature Center near Cedar Rapids is having a Maple Syrup Festival on March 23 & 24 this year.

41st Annual Maple Syrup Festival (link)


Enjoy the tastes of the season!