Every yard is unique.

Meet Sedges & Celery.

Sedges & Celery are Amy Yocum and Kristin Slava, two women who are passionate about creating gardens that improve the health of people and the environment. 

We recognize that there is a growing desire in our communities to connect with Nature by replacing lawns with gardens that feed people and support ecosystems. We know that there are lots of people who want to make these changes in their own yards but aren't sure how to make it happen. Sedges and Celery can help! 

Transitioning away from turf grass is often best done one bed at a time. Sedges and Celery will partner with you throughout the process from design to installation, including on-going maintenance. We will work with you to create practical solutions for your project. We have decades of experience with gardening in the upper Midwest, and we love learning. 

We find that time spent in Nature makes us feel good. That could mean cooking with fresh herbs from the garden, watching the seasonal succession of blooms in a meadow, or discovering something about bird and insect species that we didn't know before. 

Every yard is unique, and a day outside always teaches us something new.

What we believe

Establishing connections

We help people reconnect with natural spaces by rethinking the land right outside your door: your yard.

Supporting biodiversity

It's about natural systems that support all species by removing monocultures and embracing diverse gardens. Sometimes that means planting native plants like sedges, and sometimes it means growing food like celery.

Creating Relationships

It means respecting the interconnectedness of air, soil, water, animals, insects and microorganisms, which can easily be damaged by pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and overworking soil.

How we can help

  • Choosing something other than a lawn can feel risky. There are few examples in our neighborhoods to emulate. Native garden design requires an understanding of plant communities - how plants evolve into a space.

  • Adding fruits and vegetables to your yard can seem intimidating. Maybe you’ve tried growing your own vegetables with minimal success, reluctantly returning to grocery store shelves.

  • The types of gardens we love the most are not a “one and done” installation - they are growing, vibrant, and ever-changing. We strive to understand our clients so that we can design yards that work for them, whether their focus is supporting pollinators, fruits and vegetables, or some combination of them all.  We create a long-term plan with our clients from site preparation, to installing the plants, to follow up visits for continued “tweaking” spaces and offering best practice strategies so that your gardens are gorgeous in all seasons.

Ready to reimagine your lawn?