Dave Ferris

Dave founded Pine to Prairie Landscapes Inc. in 1992 as a design/build company specializing in residential and commercial landscapes. Pine to Prairie originally focused on boulder retaining walls but because of customer demand, Dave expanded his company into a full service landscape design/build firm. Pine to Prairie quickly grew into the successful, comprehensive landscape company it is today by delivering innovative designs and superb customer service.

He was raised in Bloomington and attended both Bemidji State and the U of M before entering the field of real estate. There, Dave met a coworker who was a landscape architect and they decided to start a full time landscaping business. The valuable lessons Dave learned from him and through experience in all facets of the business still hold true today.

Dave loves architecture, travel, nature and physical activities, like scuba diving. He travels far and wide to dive and explore shipwrecks as close as Lake Superior and as far away as Bonaire, an island off the coast of Venezuela. The diving allows him a unique perspective to view nature unspoiled.

As the owner of Pine to Prairie, Dave will make sure that all of your needs are exceeded.

Cori Johnson

Cori serves as our Senior Landscape Designer with Pine to Prairie. We use her unique skills in the areas of design and sales to assist our clients in creating the landscape design of their dreams.

A native of Aberdeen, SD, Cori has been actively involved in landscape design/build for more than five years. She has an Associates Degree in Landscape Design/Construction from Hennepin Technical College (with honors) and an Associates of Applied Sciences Degree in Radio Television Broadcasting from Brown Institute and worked at WCCO television.

Outside of her passion for landscaping, Cori loves to downhill ski, bicycle, and participate in team sports. Not surprisingly, she also likes to experiment with plants at her home in Edina. Cori handles Pine to Prairie's public speaking and presented on low impact landscapes at the 2005 Lake & Cabin Show. Her inspiration and passion for landscape design came from spending time as a little girl in the garden with her grandmother.

Aaron Manulikow

Aaron Manulikow is a graduate from the University of Minnesota's horticulture department with a Bachelors degree in Environmental Horticulture specializing in landscape design and sustainable planning. He has over six years of landscape design and installation experience, an extensive knowledge of Minnesota native plants and ecology, and a firm grasp on the nuances of the industry.

Aaron and his wife have lived in the Twin Cities for most of their lives, minus a two-year hiatus in sunny Florida where Aaron's interest in landscaping was sparked. He enjoys camping, fishing, and other outdoor activities as well as cooking and gardening. In his spare time during summer Aaron works with his mother in managing a 4,500sq.ft. garden that will supply his parents' coffee shop and wine bar with fruit, veggies, and herbs.

Design was a natural fit for Aaron having been interested in art his whole life. Being the son of an art history major, he spent his childhood in museums and art centers taking classes and wandering galleries. Both drawing and painting lend to his ability to conceptualize new ideas for client's spaces, and he is able to integrate, when called for, his custom ceramic tiles and mosaics into Pine to Prairie's services.

Eric Robertson

Eric Robertson is going on his second year as part of the Pine to Prairie design team. Eric has been a part of the landscape design/build industry for eleven years total. In 1996 he moved to the east coast and began studying botany and horticulture at the University of Connecticut. It was in Connecticut that Eric began interning with the landscape design firm MacDonnell & Painter Associates. He spent two years with the firm learning modern landscape design principles, and design implementation as well. After MacDonnell & Painter, he returned to Minnesota and has since then been busy designing a wide range of projects.

During his free time, Eric enjoys spending as much time as possible with his wife and new baby daughter, Nora. Some of his favorite activities include cooking, fishing, painting, hiking, camping, golfing and pretty much anything else outdoors.

Justin Bicek

The newest member of our Landscape Design Team is Justin Bicek.  He grew up in Colome, South Dakota.   Justin graduated from South Dakota State University in May of 2007 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Landscape Design. Most of his experience revolves around the construction industry which he began as a young child working for his grandpa’s building company. He also spent a year in Golf Course Construction, managing crews and operating equipment.  Landscape Design is a great fit for Justin with his extensive knowledge of construction, and his creative talent.

Justin has a great interest in all sports which is perfect for his competitive nature. His favorites are golf and basketball. Other interests of his include spending time with his future wife and family, hunting, water sports, and motorcycles.

Justin values the influence family and friends have made on his life. Justin will be getting married this summer.  His fiancée Meghan also attended South Dakota State University and received a B.S. in Horticulture.