Design Services
Let's transform your wish list into a landscape that brings you fresh veggies and a little more self-reliance.
If you are an aspiring homesteader with a couple of acres (or simply have the desire to have a garden that feeds your family and then some)… your wish list might look something like this:
- An edible garden
- A bunch of chickens and fresh eggs every morning
- Canning and fermenting veggies for 365 days of garden goodness
- A beehive buzzing in the backyard
- Picking berries with the kiddos

Here's how I’m going to help you get there.
Depending on the size of your property, I have three design packages. Whether you have a small yard, want a suburban homestead or you’re looking for a farm-scale design, I’ve got you covered! Design fees vary depending on the size and scope of the project. Please book a discovery call (below) so we can talk more about your project and we can figure out the right package for you.
EDIBLE BACKYARD DESIGN (small-scale)
Turn part of your backyard into an edible landscape with this easy-to-implement package. This is a small design project and includes:
- One visit to your property
- Hand drawn ink design of particular parcel you would like designed
- Follow-up email message summarizing what was discussed
- Custom Plant Species List
HOMESTEAD DESIGN (medium-scale)
This is for you if you have a suburban yard or small acreage and want to get back to the land, grow your own food, raise animals and turn your homesteading dream into reality. This package includes:
- Site Analysis and Assessment (including solar orientation, wind and storm sectors, climate extremes, aesthetic considerations [views and privacy] as well as any specific challenges)
- Two visits to property (before and after design)
- Hand drawn ink design of property
- Custom Plant Species List
- Resource List
- Complimentary starter plant (only available April and May) and seed packages
- Free life-time access to Broken Ground's Online Edible Backyards Series
farm DESIGN (Large-scale)
You’ve been dreaming long enough. Let’s set up a regenerative farm system so you can capture water, generate your own energy, raise animals and grow your own food. This package includes:
- Site Analysis and Assessment (including solar orientation, wind and storm sectors, climate extremes, aesthetic considerations [views and privacy] as well as any specific challenges)
- 3 to 5 visits to property (before, during and after the design)
-
Comprehensive Design brief with the following:
* Overview of site analysis and assessment
* Hand drawn color site plan of your property*
* Custom Plant Species List for your property and maintenance techniques
* Summary of all elements incorporated into the design (e.g. vegetable garden, food forest, water capture, animal systems)
* Recommended timeline for implementation - Follow-up phone call to answer additional questions and problems
- Complimentary bare root fruit tree/shrub of your choice (only available April and May)
- Free life-time access to Broken Ground's Online Edible Backyards Series
LET'S GET STARTED!
Book a 20-minute FREE discovery session (via phone) to see whether we’re a good match.
Contact me at 406-600-7881 or info@brokengroundpermaculture.com to set up a session.
We are DIYer’s who recently moved to a downtown Bozeman home with a spacious yard to fill. We love gardening and growing food, but we felt a bit in over our heads to design a full landscape from scratch. Kareen worked with our tight timing to get in fruit trees before the weather warmed. The final design is beyond our expectations in terms of beauty and functionality. We look forward to making it come to life over the next few seasons and enjoying it for decades."
– Christine Hrenya and Mark Ringer
When we chose a consultant for a permaculture garden, it was a no-brainer to hire Kareen at Broken Ground. She has just the expertise we were looking for and such a thorough approach that we could confidently give the planning of the garden project on our 10 acre farm over to her. And we weren't disappointed. She provided us with a detailed plan complete with maps, lists of plants we needed to purchase, and an implementation plan that simply blew our minds. If we had tried to do this ourselves, with our busy schedules, it would have taken years just to research, let alone implement a plan, not to mention the cost in lost revenue to our business. Within a few short months the plan Kareen created is complete and we're already implementing it this winter. For us, having a permaculture "Food Forest" on our property, which will grow with our kids (4, 3, and newborn) and provide a playground and food source for our entire family in the years to come, is priceless. Thank you Kareen!
– Keith Boldt & Merel Kriegsman
I had a wonderful experience working with Kareen to develop a permaculture design for my rural home. I highly recommend her services. Kareen not only provided a realistic and inspirational design but gave us a suggested timeline to implement the plan and information on local sources for supplying plants and materials. Kareen gave me the confidence to complete her design without years of gardening experience. The timeline and steps she provided allowed me to dig into the soil right away. We’ll continue to implement the plan at a pace that allows for progress without overwhelm. Kareen designs landscapes that are realistic in implementation, cost and maintenance, rather than creating gardens that are impractical. If you’re a hesitant gardener, or even an experienced gardener, that wants to create or transition your homestead or urban lot to a sustainable, permaculture design, Kareen is invaluable. She will meet you wherever you are on your sustainable living path and gently guide you towards positive change.
- Julie Fathy
Kareen worked with us to create a plan for our property that will help us accomplish our goals of water conservation and aesthetic enjoyment of the land. She combined an intuitive, individualized approach with practical tools and information that will allow us to execute the vision she helped us create. The work has already begun and we're very grateful for Kareen's professional expertise and guidance as well as her friendly laid-back personality."
– Lila Michael and Greg Owens
We recently moved to a small-acreage property that had been quite neglected for at least a decade. We hired Kareen to develop a “master plan” that we could phase in over 2-5 years that would both increase our self-sufficiency and provide a working farm environment for our family. She created a beautiful vision for our property that is expansive and imaginative, while helping us prioritize projects according to our budget. Her vision has truly helped us create our “forever home.”
– Sarah and Kent Orms
We wanted a garden that was practical and appealing and searched for a local Bozeman expert who could work with us both on the planning and on the planting. Kareen was knowledgeable, responsive and supported us from the start. We arrived from out of state to find a garden already providing us with lettuce, kale and spinach. The garden is sustainable and we’re very happy. We are also providing herbs, lettuce and other vegetables to family and neighbors who compliment us on the visual aspects of the garden as well as the specific plants, flowers and vegetables in it. We now have a professional gardener and friend of the “family” who is willing to teach us and our grandkids what a small and intimate garden can provide.
- Louis and Geraldine Addeo
Kareen provided the technical guidance we needed to design and re-imagine our small urban lot as well as the tools we needed to actualize that design. Her permaculture-driven approach and systems thinking significantly changed the way we interact with our landscape, helping us understand more deeply the principles of permaculture, as well as our own values and motivations. We have broken ground this spring and have begun growing what will one day become a food forest, and we would not have made it here without Kareen. I would highly recommend working with Broken Ground to everyone and anyone!
- Valerie Stacey