• Home
  • Meet Mary Schier
  • Speaking
  • Writing
  • Contact
  • Northern Gardener Book

My Northern Garden

June 28, 2010 · 4 Comments

Three Great Garden Design Ideas

How to

Despite heat and humidity Saturday and intermittent storms Sunday, attendance at the Northfield Garden Tour was high this past weekend. I managed to visit four of the six gardens on the tour and came away with three great garden design ideas to apply at home.

vegetable garden

Vegetables and flowers blend well in this formal garden.

Mixing vegetables and flowers. Vegetables can be attractive, so why stick the vegetable garden in the back of the yard? Most of the gardens I visited had vegetable beds that were part of the main garden or the gardeners used flowers to enhance their vegetable gardens. (Worth noting: all four of the gardens I toured had vegetables as well as ornamental plants.) This garden-in-progress used raised beds for vegetables in an area with mostly ornamental plants.

Structure, structure, structure. Like the adage about real estate (location, location, location), inviting gardens must have structure. Whether provided by fencing, rocks, stone walkways, or charming wood structures, such as this seat with an arbor covered with wisteria, structure gives the eye a place to rest and enhances the plantings around it. All of the gardens had artists in them and several of the artists created pieces in ceramic or iron that would provide another focal point in a garden. Tours are a great way to get garden design ideas for structure because most tour gardens have fantastic structures in them.

Garden seating with flowers

Something structural in the garden gives the eye a place to rest — and the gardener, too.

Orange daylilies

Orange daylilies brighten every garden.

The power of orange. Ever since I heard Eric Johnson’s discussion of orange at the Northfield Public Library this spring, I’ve been contemplating orange and its effect in the garden. Every garden I visited Sunday had orange flowers somewhere and the orange brightened up everything around it. I have some orange nasturtiums I am growing this year and now that they have started to bloom, I can see how attractive and lively orange is in a container garden.

One of the best things about garden tours is talking with the gardeners and getting new garden design ideas. I have several more tours I’m scheduled to take in July, and I expect to learn something new from each of them.

Related posts:

  1. Add Orange Flowers for a Brighter Garden Last night, I was one of about 30 people attending...
  2. Garden Advice from a Pro I will be doing most of the planting and installation...
  3. When the Question is Soil, the Answer is Compost Last week, a reader commented on the post on Best...
« Where Heirloom Seeds Got Started
Spitfire Nasturtiums: Pretty in Pots »

Comments

  1. Laura says

    June 28, 2010 at 1:16 pm

    Lovely arbor. That is one thing I am in need of in my front garden. I have flirted with the idea of more veggies in the front perennial garden. Right now I have a few Alpine Strawberry bushes, but that’s it. I think I may look at the idea more closely for next spring.

  2. Lelo says

    June 28, 2010 at 1:48 pm

    I love open gardens/garden tours: I get so many ideas for my own garden from them. That arbor is fantastic!

  3. meemsnyc says

    June 29, 2010 at 12:43 am

    Planting vegetable plants in a flower garden is a great idea.

Trackbacks

  1. Garden Tour Take-Aways | My Northern Garden says:
    November 30, 2010 at 5:06 pm

    […] tours around the Quad Cities in Iowa as part of a Garden Writers Association event, then hit the Northfield Garden Club tour, followed by my trip to Buffalo, N.Y. for three days of nonstop garden visits. In the past two […]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Connect

  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • RSS Feed for Posts

Grow it, Minnesota Podcast

Now Available!

My Northern Garden book

Follow on Instagram

mynortherngarden_mary

Are you trying winter sowing this year? Now is a g Are you trying winter sowing this year? Now is a good time to sow perennials. Winter sowing is a way to get more plants at less cost by sowing seeds outdoors in mini-greenhouses in winter. The best greenhouse is a one-gallon milk jug. (Edit: leave the caps off! This was my first attempt at winter sowing and I did it wrong. The podcast episode explains why.) 

For advice on how to do it from an expert, check out a podcast episode from 2021 where Michelle Mero Riedel explains her process. Great info! Link in bio and in stories. #wintersowing #mnpodcast #mngardening
#gardenpodcast
#growyourownflowers
What’s new in 2023? My winter break in Florida c What’s new in 2023? My winter break in Florida coincided with the Tropical Plant International Expo so I had to attend. Research! So many cool houseplants. And pots! And roses with scent. And new ideas about everything from pest control to house plants as decor and gifts. Enjoy! 
.
.
.
#tpie #tpie2023 #houseplants #gardentrends
When you’re up to your knees in new snow, it’s When you’re up to your knees in new snow, it’s time to dig out your lists of favorite plants and start planning ✍️ this year’s garden.

My January newsletter includes lists of best annuals for pollinators (of course zinnias are on the list), best herbs for beginners and a link to a slightly older blog post about best trees for urban gardens in our current and future climate. Check it out and start making your own list of go-to plants! 

Link to the newsletter is in bio and stories. Please subscribe for occasional tips for Northern gardeners. 
.
.
.
#gardeningtips #annualflowers #pollinatorfriendly #urbantrees
2022 — uff-da — what a year! A few photos al 2022 — uff-da — what a year! 

A few photos all reeled together that mostly weren’t on instagram. Wishing you all a Happy New Year and a bloom-filled, homegrown 2023. 

Highlights include: Garden shots from Florida, England, my home garden, St. Cloud and Washington County, Minnesota, plus the Minnesota State Fair dahlia garden. Steve and I at Hadrian’s wall, then being escorted off the cruise ship after we got Covid (do NOT recommend!), harvest dinner at my brother’s farm in Wisconsin, my friend, Julie’s, indoor ripening set up for the Aleppo peppers she helped me trial, a bit of garden philosophy and @resawithoutherspoon’s amazing Christmas cookies. 
.
.
.
#gardenforlife #gardenyear #mynortherngarden #zone4gardening #happynewyear
Poinsettias are nice but kind of tough to keep goi Poinsettias are nice but kind of tough to keep going with the heat running 24/7. So how about some holiday plants that are not poinsettias. Norfolk Island pine, rosemary, paperwhites, amaryllis or any houseplant with red veining add that holiday cheer and are easier to keep alive or are not meant to last, so no need for guilt when they are gone. 

I have a post over on the @mnhort website with info about great holiday plant gifts that are NOT poinsettias. Link in bio and stories. 
.
.
.
#holidaydecor #holidayhouseplants #amaryllis #norfolkislandpine #paperwhites
My new favorite holiday plant is lemon cypress. Co My new favorite holiday plant is lemon cypress. Cool color. Interesting form. Not too hard to take care of. Put this on your houseplant must-have list! 
.
.
.
#lemoncypress #holidayhouseplants #houseplantslover #coldclimategardening #mngardener
Extra! Extra! My latest newsletter for cold-climat Extra! Extra! My latest newsletter for cold-climate gardeners is out. About every six weeks, I send seasonal info on plants and garden tasks plus lots of links to gardening resources, books to read and more. 

The current issue includes a cute idea for a hostess gift for the holidays (pictured), a free download on recommended tomato varieties for northern gardeners and some musings on talking about gardening with folks suffering from dementia (lots of memories grow in the garden!) It's free, not too long and only comes out once in a while. 

Link to the current issue in bio plus stories. 
Pix: the hostess gift, my mom's amazing blue hydrangeas, one of the recommended tomato varieties (can you guess which one?) 
.
.
.
#holidaydecor #coldclimategardening #mngardening #besttomatoesever #gardeninspo
Happy Birthday to my book! It was five years ago t Happy Birthday to my book! It was five years ago today that the Minnesota Historical Society Press published The Northern Gardener: From Apples to Zinnias. 

The book is about 85 percent how-to for gardeners in USDA Zones 3 and 4 and 15 percent history of organized horticulture in Minnesota. It's still available and selling. It's always a thrill when gardeners tell me that they read the book and it helped them. That's why garden writers write garden books (believe me, it isn't the money!). 

If you are looking for a gift for a northern gardener in your life, this might be an option. It's widely available and because it's been around awhile, it's frequently discounted. 

Photos include two of my favorite sections of the book -- one on martagon lilies (more gardeners should grow them) and one on buckthorn, which gardeners used to love (hence they photographed their families near the shrub) and is now a terror in the woods here. We're always learning.
.
.
.
#mnhspress #mybook #gardenreading #thenortherngardener #mngardening #mnhort
So much growth in 5 weeks! This scented geranium h So much growth in 5 weeks! This scented geranium has put on a lot of foliage and the reason must be the light in my new sunroom. It gets east, south and north light. Even in November when we are pretty dark in Minnesota, it’s doing fine. Great plant that I picked up for $1 at the @hennepin.extension.gardeners sale in October. #happyhouseplants #scentedgeranium #attarofroses #sunroom #houseplantsofinstagram #northerngarden
Is it too early to think about decorating for the Is it too early to think about decorating for the holidays? Nah! I checked out the ideas at @shopbachmans Holiday Inspiration nights this week. Looks like sparkles and an updated Mad Men vibe is trending this holiday season. Love it!  #holidayporchdecor #holidayideas #notanad #sparkle #bachmansideahouse #christmasdecor
Bloedel Reserve, Bainbridge Island, WA, October 20 Bloedel Reserve, Bainbridge Island, WA,
October 2021.

I've been meaning to share this image for over a year. Enjoy! And, if you get a chance, visit the Bloedel Reserve, an expansive, calming garden in the Pacific Northwest. 

#gardentravel #japanesegarden #bloedelreserve #bainbridgeisland #gardenwriter #fallinthegarden
#nofilterneeded
I've been looking out my bedroom window recently o I've been looking out my bedroom window recently on this stunning dogwood. It's called Arctic Fire and is a more compact dogwood, though this one is more than 5 feet tall. What's not to love about those purple/red/yellow leaves and the creamy berries. The branches are a deep red and I will totally be harvesting some of them for a holiday container come November. 

Arctic Fire grows well in lots of sun conditions. This one is between two townhomes and faces east, so it gets decent light in the morning but is in shade in the afternoon. It also tolerates a lot of different soil conditions, which is good because this baby is planted in clay, clay, clay. My understanding is it's only been in the ground a couple of years, but it's growing really well. 

This is a cultivar of Cornus stolonifera, which is native to a lot of North America, including Minnesota. A great choice for smaller gardens and landscapes, especially if you are looking for four season interest. I can't wait to see the flowers in spring. 

#fallshrubs #fallcolor #bestmnplants #arcticfiredogwood #fallcolor #winterinterest #mngardens #nofilterneeded
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Top Posts & Pages

  • How to Pollinate a Meyer Lemon Tree
  • Growing Lilies in Containers
  • Winter Sowing for Flowers and Vegetables
  • Growing Peppers in Pots in the North
  • How to Winter Sow Wildflowers
  • How to Grow Lemons in the North (Plus a Recipe)
  • An Easy Way to Protect Plants from Rabbits and Deer
  • 7 Easy Annuals to Grow from Seed
  • Best Trees for Birds in the North
  • Big Changes in Minnesota Hardiness Zone Map

Post Categories

  • Books/Writing
  • Climate
  • How to
  • Plants
  • Recipes
  • Uncategorized
  • Why We Garden

Copyright © 2023 · captivating theme by Restored 316