Case Study

ArcStone delivered a phased WordPress redesign and resource center for Minnesota Horticultural Society.

Redesigned website for Northern Gardener, a publication by the Minnesota State Horticultural Society. The website is presented on a desktop monitor and features a prominent magazine promotion on the homepage.

The Minnesota Horticultural Society stands as Minnesota’s trusted authority on gardening, horticulture, and environmental stewardship. With a diverse community ranging from weekend gardeners to professional landscapers, MHS needed a digital platform sophisticated enough to serve multiple audiences while maintaining the educational excellence they’ve built over decades.

ArcStone recognized that MHS required more than just a website redesign—they needed a comprehensive digital transformation that could honor their legacy expertise while expanding their reach to new generations of gardeners. Our partnership focused on creating a scalable platform that could grow with their mission and budget over time.

Our Role

Phased WordPress Redesign Strategy
Comprehensive Resource Center Development
Multi-Audience User Experience Design
Content Organization & Search Implementation
Gardening-Focused Information Architecture
Educational Platform Integration
Long-term Partnership Support

The Challenge:

Minnesota Horticultural Society faced the common nonprofit challenge of needing comprehensive digital solutions while working within limited funding constraints. Their existing platform struggled to serve their diverse audience effectively, with amateur gardeners finding advanced content overwhelming and professionals unable to easily access the specialized resources they needed.

Beyond audience segmentation challenges, MHS needed to maintain their reputation as Minnesota’s definitive horticultural authority while modernizing their digital presence. The organization required a solution that could balance educational accessibility for beginners with advanced technical resources for industry professionals, all while preserving the trusted voice and expertise that made MHS a cornerstone of Minnesota’s gardening community.

Minnesota State Horticultural Society website before redesign

Our Approach

ArcStone developed a strategic phased redesign approach that allowed MHS to launch essential website functionality immediately while building toward a comprehensive resource platform. This methodology enabled the organization to see immediate improvements in user experience and functionality while planning for expanded features as additional funding became available.

We created a user experience design that welcomes beginning gardeners with clear, accessible pathways while simultaneously providing advanced resources for horticultural professionals. The navigation architecture guides users to appropriate content based on their experience level, ensuring that novice gardeners aren’t overwhelmed while experts can quickly access specialized information.

The comprehensive resource center became the centerpiece of our approach, organizing MHS’s extensive knowledge base with intuitive search and filtering capabilities. We implemented advanced taxonomy structures and search functionality that serve all experience levels effectively, making decades of horticultural expertise easily discoverable while supporting MHS’s mission of promoting successful gardening throughout Minnesota.

Person holding Northern Gardener magazine in a garden with publication description on the right

Reviewing The Results

Minnesota Horticultural Society now operates a comprehensive digital platform that successfully serves gardeners across all experience levels while maintaining their reputation as Minnesota’s trusted horticultural authority. The strategic phased approach delivered immediate value while building toward a complete resource platform that makes MHS’s decades of gardening expertise easily accessible to their diverse community.

The measurable impact exceeded expectations, with organic traffic increasing by 246%, search rankings improving by over 81,000 positions, and referring domains growing by 51%. More importantly, the platform now effectively supports MHS’s mission of promoting environmental stewardship and successful gardening practices throughout Minnesota, providing a scalable foundation for continued growth and community impact.