Hello — BODARK

about sarah

I am a plantswoman, landscape designer, and gardener living in Minneapolis, MN. My pronouns are she / her. I have a Master’s Degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Minnesota and over 15 years experience working in ecological landscape design, perennial and regenerative agriculture, organic orchard management, pruning, grafting and plant propagation.

I grew up in the beautiful Smoky Hills of north central Kansas, where my Ukrainian Mennonite ancestors settled in the 1890’s. My parents and grandparents brought me into the garden as a little one to plant snap peas, radishes, parsley and play in the dirt. Gardening has been at the center of my life ever since. I moved to Minnesota in 2004 as an undergrad and fell in love with this special place where the pine woods, big woods, and prairie meet.

In addition to BODARK, I work at Northerly Flora, an urban flower farm based in south Minneapolis, hang out with my dear husband John and snuggle my best dog Louis.

Feel free to get in touch at hellobodark@gmail.com.

Experience + Qualifications

master’s degree in landscape architecture // College of Design, University of Minnesota

landscape designer // Ecological Design

family farm community organizer // Land Stewardship Project

orchard + propagation apprentice // Walden Heights Nursery and Orchard

perennial farm apprentice // Moonstone Farm

plant breeding assistant // The Land Institute

permaculture design certificate // taught by Lindsay Rebhan and Peter Allen

custom horticultural and fruit tree pruning // private clients

fruit tree and bush propagation // private clients

What’s a bodark?

‘Bodark’ is one of many (many!) names for the Maclura pomifera tree. It is a version of ‘bois d’arc,’ a name that French colonizers gave to the tree meaning ‘bow wood.’ Its wood is excellent for making bows because of its strength and flexibility. The tree was prized, strategically cultivated and traded by many Indigenous people including the Osage Nation. Other common names are ‘Osage orange’ and ‘hedge apple.’ In central Kansas, bodark trees were planted en masse in hedgerows that criss-cross the landscape to slow down wind and prevent erosion. I grew up walking and riding horses along these aging hedge rows, finding respite from the sun and wind. I named this project BODARK as a connector to this place that I love.