Welcome to The Little Prairie!

The Little Prairie is a pilot initiative that demonstrates the transformative power of a small-scale urban front yard.

Situated on a 40-by-150-foot lot in St. Paul’s historic neighborhood, it reimagines the traditional lawn into a vibrant, nature-rich sanctuary. Blending sustainability, native herbs, nature play, and outdoor learning, the design makes the most of every square foot—on a modest budget.

Created by Ping and designed by its founder Wanjing Ji as a personal design testing ground, The Little Prairie embodies Ping’s core belief: creativity lives in ordinary spaces, and no site is too small to make a big difference.

Since its completion, The Little Prairie has received numerous awards and been featured in several publications for its innovation on a compact urban lot.

We’ve received many inquiries about urban yard redesigns—and we recognize that our design capacity is limited in reaching a wider audience.

That’s why we created this website: to offer an in-depth look at the making of The Little Prairie, share lessons learned from designing and managing it, and provide inspiration and resources to help you create your own biodiverse, engaging landscape.

Take a look at the index below to explore the topics and processes behind The Little Prairie.

Project Credits:

DesignerPing Design

Landscape InstallerNelco Landscaping

Arborist and Repurposed Wood Milling: Holisitc Tree and Forestry

Photography
Round Three Photography

Index ↓

The Little Prairie