Photos by Round Three Photography
This story begins with a small yard, small budget, and small (yet mighty!) landscape architecture and design firm based in St. Paul. After years of working for high-end firms, Wanjing Ji, principal and landscape architect of Ping, took the leap last year to start her own business. “I really wanted to demonstrate the potential of small urban yards,” she says. “Creativity exists almost everywhere—[it’s] seen in everyday objects and spaces.”
So, it only makes sense that her pilot project would take place right at home—in her own yard, to be exact. Flash back to the early pandemic days, when a pregnant Ji would walk her neighborhood and take note of the positive and negative feelings each house’s front yard evoked. “I noticed the plans and details of how a front yard defines the neighbors’ first impression of a property,” she explains. “I wanted [my front yard] to feel attractive, even without saying anything.”
Naturally, that’s where the project began. With a commitment to sustainability, Ji prioritized water management, pollinator-friendly plantings, and recycled materials. This passion was also shared by the project’s arborist, Holistic Tree and Forestry, which repurposed wood from black locust trees into benches and natural play features, such as balance beams, wood climbers, and water runnels—the last of which aligns perfectly with one of contractor Nelco Landscaping’s specialties: stormwater management. “I wanted my [4-year-old girl] to be able to have a play area that could bring our neighborhood kids together and help her make more friends,” Ji adds.
She also sought to instill her love of nature in her child from a young age, which inspired the all-native planting design of the front yard. Species like bee balm, staghorn sumac, and golden alexander were planted in geometric patterns to maintain a natural, yet cohesive look. “The pollinators love them, but at the same time, you can see drifts or lines of the same plants repeating versus randomizing them,” she notes.
With four raised Corten steel planters reminiscent of artist Richard Serra’s abstract sculptures, the backyard boasts many similar features but with a slightly untraditional approach. “Originally, the backyard was [designed] for me to test mixed plantings of different species,” Ji says. “I really wanted to get into edible plants and grow them in our garden myself.” And while the planters are ideal for at-home growing, they also act as the perfect playground for the little ones to play hide and seek.
Homegrown Heritage
The backyard of Ji’s St. Paul home affords a unique opportunity to honor her East Asian culture. “We wanted to grow more veggies and herbs that are hard to get from the typical grocery stores,” she says. Within the raised beds, Ji cultivates a variety of fruits, vegetables, and herbs, making fresh ingredients readily available during peak season. Some of the Asian produce thriving in her garden include bok choy, yu choy, garland chrysanthemum, daikon, Thai basil, and perilla. She continues, “These gardens help bring home closer to us.”
