What Beargrass Thunder does

Beargrass Thunder is a privately held native plant landscaping company headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, founded in 2018 and operated by co-founders Jody Dahmer (President) and Mariah Corso (Vice President). The company designs and installs 'yardens' — yard gardens that replace traditional mowed turf with Kentucky-native edible plants, pollinator-friendly flowers, or woodland-edge style landscapes suited to the region's hot, humid summers and cold winters. Its core product is a custom Yarden Installation service, beginning with an on-site consultation to assess sun, shade, and soil conditions, followed by a plant recommendation list and quote, then labor-based installation billed at $65 per hour per person with average project duration of 2-8 hours.

The company monetizes across three revenue streams: (1) one-time yarden installation labor; (2) recurring maintenance and care packages including 1-hour ($98) and 2-hour ($196) sessions, paid seasonal check-ups ($55), and invasive species removal ($140/$280); and (3) a planned Seed Shop retail offering. A free one-time seasonal check-up is bundled post-installation to drive adoption and recurring engagement. All services are delivered on-site at customer properties across metro Louisville, KY.

Go-to-market is sales-led via the company's website booking system and supported by organic community presence (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube), event sponsorships (Louisville Seedbank, Louisville Pawpaw Festival), and brand positioning anchored in the founders' successful advocacy for 'yarden' legislation that legalized edible and native front-yard gardens in Louisville. The company holds Kentucky Proud Business and Queer Proud Business certifications. Operations remain at founder scale (1-10 employees), with all consulting, installation, and community advocacy personally led by Jody and Mariah.

Name

Beargrass Thunder

Legal name

Beargrass Thunder

Website

https://beargrassthunder.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Beargrass Thunder is a Louisville, Kentucky-based native plant landscaping company that designs and installs custom 'yardens' — edible and pollinator-friendly gardens replacing traditional lawns — for residential and commercial clients in metro Louisville, operating as a two-founder local service business.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Landscape Services

NAICS

Landscaping Services (56173)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Native & Pollinator Garden Design/Install (HSAIABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Native, Pollinator & Drought-Tolerant Garden Installations (HSAIAFAL), Garden Bed Installation & Planting (Annuals, Perennials, Shrubs) (HSAIAFAB), Weed & Vegetation Control for Non-Turf Areas (Beds, Hardscapes, Fence Lines) (HSAIAGAI), Vegetable & Herb Garden Installation and Maintenance (HSAIAFAM), Plant Replacement, Transplanting & Garden Refresh Services (HSAIAFAG), Turf & Ornamental Seeds (Lawn, Golf, Landscaping) (AFABAFAG)

Keywords

• Native plant landscaping
• Yarden installation services
• Invasive plant removal
• Pollinator garden design
• Edible landscape design

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Yarden Installation Services: Custom installation of native plant gardens priced per hour based on consultation quotes. Installation labor billed at $65 per hour per person for custom quotes. Average installation time is 2-8 hours depending on project scope.
2. Maintenance and Care Services: Ongoing maintenance services including 1-hour ($98) and 2-hour ($196) sessions, seasonal check-ups ($55), and invasive plant removal ($140 for 1hr, $280 for 2hrs). Labor rate is $60 per person per hour.
3. Free Seasonal Check-Up: One-time free seasonal check-up provided after installation to inspect yarden and provide care guidance. Additional check-ups can be purchased.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Beargrass Thunder designs and installs custom native plant gardens ('yardens') for residential and commercial properties in metro Louisville, KY, replacing traditional mowed lawns with edible and native flowering plants adapted to Kentucky's climate. The company also provides paid and complimentary seasonal check-ups, ongoing maintenance, and invasive bush and vine removal as add-on services. All plants are grown in Kentucky, and a free one-time check-up is included after each installation.

Product overview

Beargrass Thunder is a native landscaping service in Louisville, KY offering a core yarden installation service (custom native and edible garden design and planting at $65/hour per person) supplemented by maintenance and invasive species removal add-ons. The main product is the Yarden Installation, which includes an initial consultation, plant recommendations, and installation. Free Seasonal Check-Up is offered once after installation. Paid add-on services include Seasonal Check-Up and Education ($55/hr), Maintenance in 1-hour ($98) and 2-hour ($196) sessions, and Non-native Bush and Ivy Removal in 1-hour ($140) and 2-hour ($280) sessions. A Seed Shop is planned as a future offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Yarden Installation Custom native plant installation service in which the team assesses the site's sun, shade, and soil conditions, recommends plants suited to Kentucky's climate, and installs native and edible gardens on the customer's property. Installation labor is billed at $65 per hour per person following a consultation-and-quote process, and one free seasonal check-up is included after installation.
• Free Seasonal Check-Up One-time complimentary inspection included with every yarden installation. The team checks plant health, identifies replacements, and provides care guidance, with light weeding of up to one bag of yard waste. Scheduled at least 30 days after installation, with fall installs checked the following spring.
• Seasonal Check-Up and Education Paid plant identification and yarden check-up service at $55 per hour. Includes plant versus invasive-weed identification, progress assessment of previously planted species, care recommendations, and light weeding (one bag of yard waste).
• Yarden Maintenance - 1 hour One-hour yarden maintenance service for previously installed native gardens, priced at $98. Includes pulling invasives, grass, and weeds from the yarden space while preserving rooted plants and establishing seeds using native plant expertise.
• Yarden Maintenance - 2 hours Two-hour heavier-labor yarden maintenance service for previously installed native gardens, priced at $196. Includes comprehensive invasive, grass, and weed removal while protecting rooted plants and establishing seeds.
• Non-native Bush and Ivy Removal - 1 hour One-hour invasive plant removal service priced at $140, covering non-native ornamental shrubs (boxwoods, nandinas) and invasive vines (English Ivy, Winter Creeper, porcelain berry). Labor rate is $60 per person per hour; yard-waste removal is not included.
• Non-native Bush and Ivy Removal - 2 hours Two-hour invasive plant removal service priced at $280 at a labor rate of $60 per person per hour. Covers non-native ornamental shrubs and invasive vines, with approximately 30 minutes per shrub or 50 square feet of invasive vine coverage per hour.

Quantifiable outcome

• Plants reach full maturity and resiliency in approximately 3 years
• +3 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Louisville SeedbankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBeargrass Thunder sponsors the Louisville Seedbank, a local community organization focused on seed preservation and distribution. This partnership supports community agriculture and food access initiatives in Louisville.
• Louisville Pawpaw FestivalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBeargrass Thunder sponsors the Louisville Pawpaw Festival, a community event celebrating the native pawpaw fruit. This partnership aligns with their focus on native plants and local food/agriculture promotion.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• High Country Gardens: Specialty online retailer of drought-tolerant and native perennials with planting plans and customer education. Comparable to Beargrass Thunder in its positioning around climate-adapted native plants and recurring customer relationships.
• Prairie Moon Nursery: Mail-order native plant and seed nursery emphasizing regionally appropriate species and habitat restoration. Comparable to Beargrass Thunder because it sells native plants and seeds with installation/landscape guidance, addressing the same end customer desire for native, low-maintenance yards.
• Missouri Wildflowers Nursery: Native wildflower, grass, and tree nursery serving the central U.S. with both retail and wholesale offerings. Comparable because it operates in the same Lower Midwest native-plant niche with similar customer intent around pollinator habitat and natural landscaping.
• American Meadows: National native seed and plant retailer with deep content/education on meadow and native lawn conversion. Comparable because its core product (meadow-style native landscaping) overlaps directly with Beargrass Thunder's 'yarden' concept and target buyer.
• Shooting Star Nursery: Kentucky-based native plant nursery specializing in regionally adapted wildflowers, grasses, and trees. Closely comparable because it shares Beargrass Thunder's focus on Kentucky-native species and serves the same regional customer base interested in pollinator-friendly landscapes.

Emerging players

• Pinelands Nursery: New Jersey-based native plant nursery focused on regionally adapted species and habitat landscaping. Comparable to Beargrass Thunder because it targets homeowners seeking native alternatives to traditional lawns, but is geographically constrained to the Mid-Atlantic.

Others

• Native Plant Trust: Northeast-focused native plant conservation organization operating Garden in the Woods and a native plant certification program. Comparable as an ecosystem/education partner that legitimizes the native landscaping category Beargrass Thunder operates in.
• Wild Ones: National nonprofit promoting native landscaping and biodiversity through local chapters, education, and advocacy. Comparable as an adjacent ecosystem player because it shapes the same customer awareness and legislative context that Beargrass Thunder's advocacy work depends on.
• Doug Tallamy / Homegrown National Park movement: Grassroots movement encouraging homeowners to convert lawn to native plantings for biodiversity. Comparable as a thematic demand driver and category shaper that informs Beargrass Thunder's value proposition around pollinator-friendly, native front yards.

Broad incumbents

• New Moon Nursery: Wholesale native plant nursery supplying landscape contractors and ecological restoration projects across the eastern U.S. Comparable because it sells the same input category (native plants) at scale to professionals, but operates at a broader, wholesale level rather than local retail/service.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@BeargrassThunder
• Facebookfacebook.com/beargrassthunder
• Instagraminstagram.com/beargrassthunder
• Xx.com/beargrassthundr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Beargrass Thunder