Our Team

Russ Henry is a landscaper, naturalist, gardener, soil health specialist, and educator. As a Certified Soil Life Consultant, he scientifically explores and supports soil health, the foundation for beauty and productivity in all landscapes. Russ has a passionate commitment to protecting and growing ecosystems across Minnesota.

As the owner of Minnehaha Falls Landscaping & Giving Tree Gardens, Russ leads a team of landscaping experts who install, manage, and restore yards, school grounds, and gardens throughout the Twin Cities, without the use of pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. He also advises individuals and organizations who want to grow healthy ecosystems.

As a community organizer, and justice advocate, Russ is devoted to pollinator protection, urban farming, local food system development, and restorative justice. He is also the founder of Bee Safe Minneapolis, a community initiative, rooted in Minnehaha Falls Landscaping and Giving Tree Gardens that creates safe places for pollinators.

Russ served as the Chair of the Pesticide Advisory Committee for the Minneapolis Park Board. In this role, he brought advocacy for public and environmental health through pesticide elimination and ecosystem regeneration.

Russ Henry created Giving Tree Gardens in the fall of 2004, a company that now serves over 1000 clients throughout the Twin Cities with organic lawn care, natural garden installation and maintenance, and patio installation. In 2017, Russ Henry and Chesney Engquist purchased Minnehaha Falls Landscaping, a company that has served Minneapolis residents for six decades, with a tradition of service, quality and community.

Russ Henry is taking a lead in empowering the Twin Cities to eat organic, healthy, home grown food, whilst providing habitat to the natural world of wonders that should be surrounding us at all times.

Ask Russ about his patent for the creation of a compost tea brewer.

Chesney Engquist spent summers in the St. Croix Valley wilderness, where she retreated from battling asthma in the city. Those outdoor experiences inspired her in her profession. Now she is on sabbatical from Minnehaha Falls Landscaping while she focuses on raising her twin boys, a Newfoundland puppy, and a whole bunch of chickens. Chesney pinch hits for the team during peak season, and when the boys are napping.

A Bachelor of Science Degree in mechanical engineering and playing the sousaphone in the University of Minnesota Marching Band helped prepare Chesney for her role at Minnehaha Falls Landscaping. She says, “Mechanical and environmental systems are very much the same. The goal is to maximize output, while minimizing risk. And, playing in a Big 10 marching band taught me the value of community, giving my best performance, and taking pride in it.”

Chesney says “People come to Minnehaha Falls Landscaping for solutions and we help them find them. We love facilitating connections with nature and the earth. The basic principle of landscaping is simple: you + nature = easy!” Ask Chesney how she met Russ, and how he offered her a can of worms.

Mary Pascoe says she walks through the door at Minnehaha Falls Landscaping every day, with a goal of “Exceeding Expectations with Everyone I Encounter” – She calls it her “4 E’s of Customer Service.” Mary wants you to know that she is at her desk, waiting to talk to you and that she will be friendly, understanding, and you will be heard.

With over twenty years as a geriatric caregiver, and trainer of more than 1,000 certified nursing assistants, Mary decided to transition from health care to earth care. She says, “It’s just another way of caring for people.” She also feels compelled to educate customers and the community on the danger of pesticides, after watching a close family member deteriorate from their impact for over three decades. Mary is passionate about removing pesticides from community parks, municipalities, and schools.

Do you know why Mary loves her job? “I’m a Libra, so I’m all about aesthetics. That’s my jam. I love beautiful things,” she says. “I wouldn’t say I have a green thumb, but that’s why I hire a landscaping company. I’m good at keeping humans alive, not plants. I love it when people take pride in the land they own and how it presents itself to the world.”

In addition to her Minnehaha Falls Landscaping family, Mary has been married to her high school sweetheart for over 30-years and they have two sons.

Ask Mary what she does to “get the silly’s out” of her two boys.

Leah grew up along the riverbanks and prairies of southern Minnesota. During college Leah worked at the Dakota Country Parks to preserve the land, build and maintain trails, and perform prairie restorations. She has Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems with a successful 20+ year career in Tech. Leah is a utility player on the team, doing everything from business strategy, bee lawn consults, managing the garden team, project management, website management, computer support, and loves to get her hands dirty working with the team in the field.

“What motivates me every day is the opportunity to make positive change in the community I live and work in. I help people move away from toxic chemicals and towards organic, ecological, and sustainable methods. I help restore the land to its native landscapes so all living creatures thrive. Both my parents and several close family and friends died from cancers and diseases where the causes were attributed to chemical exposure. My career is now dedicated to helping improve the health of the land and its inhabitants.” – Leah

Thanh achieved his B.S. Architecture at the University of Minnesota. He has achieved the College of Design Student Academic Excellence Award in the College of Design Environmental Action Award. Thanh applies his design talents and skills in a variety of projects, including hardscaping and landscaping, native prairie restoration, and large commercial landscapes. You will be hard pressed to meet a designer as humble, hard working, smart, and dedicated as Thanh.

Don is a licensed contractor and carpenter with the skill of a craftsman. He is known for his building skills, custom-made doors, beautiful finished woodwork and intricate detail that comes from his background as a cabinet maker. Don is sure to bring high-quality woodworking into your home, as well as to your backyard.