First snow and fall wrap-up: Notes from Norm's

Connor Evers
Dec 1, 2025
3 min read

November has been a month of transition here at Norm’s. The nursery rows have quieted, and our team has been carefully putting plants to rest for the winter — a ritual that feels both practical and reverent. Each pot tucked in, each bed cleared, is a reminder that dormancy is not an ending, but a pause before renewal.

On the design/build side, Connor has been imagining new gardens. They’re more than plans, they’re visions of prairie‑inspired gardens, pollinator havens, and resilient outdoor spaces that will take shape in coming seasons. Colin has been out in the field, completing the final tree installations of the year — the anchors on a season of growth.

With those final touches, we announced our last day of 2025 Retail Sales on Monday, November 24th. We are still available by appointment, or gift cards can be ordered anytime through our website. Reach out by phone or email, and we’ll be glad to assist.

We’re deeply grateful for the year we’ve had: for the customers who trusted us, the community that supported us, and the landscapes that taught us patience and persistence. This season reminded us that garden design and growing plants is not only about vision, but about timing, care, and the willingness to adapt.

As we turn toward winter, we welcome the quieter pace. It’s a season for reflection, for refining plans, and for preparing for what’s next. The greenhouse benches may be still, but the work of imagination continues. If you’re considering a project for the coming year, now is the perfect time to begin the conversation.

Warmly,

Colin & Connor Evers, Norm’s Greenhouse & Nursery Team

Partnering with Brookings Mountain Biking Assoc. &

Brookings Parks, Recreation, & Forestry Dept

We’re excited to share that we recently partnered with the Brookings Regional Mountain Biking Association to support the trails at Brookings Dakota Nature Park. We made a donation of Ponderosa pine to the Brookings Park & Recreation Department, helping sustain and enhance the mountain biking paths that bring so many people closer to nature.

This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to outdoor spaces that inspire adventure, resilience, and connection. Whether you’re pedaling through prairie grasses or pausing to admire the changing seasons, these trails remind us how vital it is to care for the landscapes that bring joy to our community.

We’re grateful to BMTBA and Brookings Park & Rec for their vision and stewardship — and to you, our clients and friends, for being part of a community that values both recreation and restoration.

Photos courtesy of Curt Kabris, BMTBA

A Project Feature:

From Site Prep to Ecosystem Integration

This residential garden project showcases a phased transformation from rough grades to functional outdoor living space, with careful attention to elevation transitions and drainage integrity. Initial site conditions required adaptive grading and collaborative field adjustments to ensure smooth egress across elevation changes and to establish reliable drainage throughout the space.

Key components included:

Hand-laid flagstone patio and path installation with Colorado rose irregular flagstone, designed and graded for passive drainage to shed surface water and maintain footing stability
Topsoil amendment and bed preparation using locally sourced materials to support plant health, organic matter availability, and improve infiltration
Prairie planting design and installation focused on native ecosystem establishment, spatial rhythm, and seasonal resilience, with species selected to reinforce soil structure and water absorption

This project not only supports plant health and hardscape longevity, but also ensures safe, intuitive movement throughout the space. Each design decision—from soil amendment to stone layout—was made with long-term management and client functionality in mind. As the plantings mature and the space settles into its seasonal rhythms, this landscape will continue to offer both ecological and everyday function—a living extension of the home, shaped by care and collaboration.