Jim Westlund
Owner & General ManagerMNLA-CP
Jim started at Knecht's in February 2005 and took over ownership in 2022. A graduate of Northfield High School and Dakota County Technical College, he enjoys working with people and being outdoors.
1988
Growing in Northfield since
About
Ten acres, and a crew who knows every row of it.
Knecht's Nurseries & Landscaping has been a fixture in Northfield, Minnesota since 1988. We are a full-service nursery and garden center open to the public, with ten acres of growing ground, over 1,000 plant varieties, and a landscape crew that designs, delivers and plants.
Jim Westlund started here in 2005 and took over the business in 2022. What has not changed is what the place runs on: personal service, constant improvement, quality plant material, and a strong sense of community.
Growing in Northfield since
1988
Acres of plant heaven
10
Plant varieties
1,000+
Warranty when we plant it
100%
What we run on
Personal service, and plants we will stand behind.
Personal service
Our knowledgeable staff is ready to answer all of your questions and help you find the right plant for your situation, whatever the size of the job.
Constant improvement
We keep improving what we offer, from the varieties we carry to the air-root pruning containers we grow our trees in.
Quality plant material
We agree to provide top quality nursery stock, true to name, free from disease, sound and healthy. That promise is written into our warranty.
A sense of community
Since 1988 Knecht's has been a fixture in Northfield, and we work at fostering a sense of community within our 10 acres.
The crew
Six people, and a lot of accumulated plant knowledge.
Between them they hold MNLA certifications, horticulture and landscape design degrees, and several decades of Minnesota growing seasons.
Tracy Bahr
Office ManagerMNLA-CP, AA Landscape Horticulture
Tracy joined Knecht's in 2016 and looks after accounting, management and plant care. She is drawn to problem-solving, which covers most of what an office manager at a nursery actually does.
Heidi Brosseau
Landscape DesignerMNLA-CP Fellow
Heidi has been with Knecht's since 2001, bringing plant knowledge, creativity, an eye for balance and industry professionalism to her designs. She has been recognised and rewarded for more than 20 years as an MNLA Certified Professional.
Bernie Emery
Senior ManagerMNLA-CP, AA Landscape Horticulture
Bernie started at Knecht's in 2012 through an internship with Dakota County Technical College. At home she keeps a vegetable garden and greenhouses with her husband.
Josh "Saturday" Follansbee
Production ManagerWorking toward MNLA certification
Josh joined the crew in 2024, at first working Saturdays only. He spent 26 years in the automotive industry before returning to the green industry.
Amy Willkomm
Landscape Designer & InstallationMNLA-CP, AA Landscape Design & Construction
Amy started in spring 2021 and splits her time between design, installation and the retail floor.
Open roles
We hire for a passion for plants and people.
We look for people who genuinely love being outdoors and keep a positive attitude in all situations. Paid training, a clothing allowance, paid time off, a retirement program and an employee discount come with it.
Full-time & part-time, March through NovemberNorthfield, MN
Garden Center Team Member
Retail sales and plant care, paying $12 to $18 an hour depending on experience. You would be helping customers, running the register, watering and pruning, keeping the retail areas stocked and the displays looking right, and pitching in on production work as the season demands.
We ask for a helpful and friendly attitude, basic landscape plant knowledge or the willingness to learn it, a minimum of three days a week from April through June, weekend availability, a valid driver's licence, and the ability to lift up to 50 lbs and stand for long stretches.
Full-time & part-time, 24 to 40 hrs/week, March through NovemberNorthfield, MN
Production & Landscape Installation Team Member
Nursery production and landscape crew work, paying $14 to $18 an hour depending on experience. Planting and transplanting in containers and in the field, setting up and maintaining irrigation, on-site nursery work and off-site landscape installation, and loading and transporting materials to job sites.
We ask for a helpful and friendly attitude, a minimum of three days a week from April through June, weekend availability, a valid driver's licence, experience with or the ability to learn a one-ton truck and skid loader, and the ability to lift 50 lbs repeatedly and work outdoors in all weather.
