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

My Northern Garden

August 4, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Garden Tours 2011: Raining Ideas

How to

I’ve been on four garden tours so far this summer, and despite rain falling on every tour, the gardens looked lush and beautiful. Tours give me ideas for my own garden as well as for stories for the magazine, plus it’s fun to walk around and see how differently people create spaces in their gardens.

Here are some trends I noticed while walking around in the rain this summer.

joint gardens on garden tours

Three yards full of exciting plants made for a park-like experience.

Neighborly Gardens.  Northern Gardener ran a feature on two neighbors in Minneapolis who garden, if not exactly together, in collaboration in the  March/April 2011 issue. I saw a couple of examples of side-by-side gardens while touring this year. Certainly the most impressive example were these two hosta gardens in Rochester, which were part of the annual MSHS Garden Tour. The backyards on this street (I think there may have been three yards involved, though only two were technically on the tour) felt like a public park as the yards blended together with similar plants and a shared style. This must present some challenges, in terms of sublimating your personal desires for a shared look, but it’s also a case where one plus one equals about 10.

pruned hedge on garden tour

I believe that is a hydrangea amid the boxwood — amazing!

Pruning Matters.  Gardens are as much about shape and texture as they are about color, so get out those loppers and prune. Clearly, many of the gardeners on the tours I attended are not afraid to trim a branch or cut an overgrown shrub back — way back. One of the best examples of the power of pruning is the fabulous garden of Ted Bair and Harvey Filister in Minneapolis, which was part of the Tangletown Art and Garden Tour a couple of weeks ago. This yard has Wow! Factor like very few others, with its stone paths and bridges, enormous koi, shape and texture galore. Ted’s the pruner, and he’s not afraid to keep plants small when it suits his design purposes. Many plants can take a firm pruning and look better for it. Prune bravely!

bird sculptures in northern garden

These birds were in at least three gardens I visited, but I liked the placement in this garden best.

Use Art Sparingly, and Well.  There is a fine line between art that is a dramatic focal point and something that is just too much. Many of the gardens on the tours rode that line closely, but didn’t cross it. I really like metal art in a garden because it’s a natural material. I also like art that is hidden for visitors to discover. My favorite example of that was a large (like almost life-size) alligator sculpture that was partially buried in the ground in one garden on the Bright Gardens for Fraser tour in St. Paul. Discovering it was both a surprise and amusing. Gardens do not need to be stuffy.

stream in northern garden

A stream runs through a hilly garden.

Water Works.  Almost all the gardens I visited had at least a small water feature to bring motion and sound into the garden. Few were as impressive as the one at Erica and Dan Tallman’s garden on the Northfield Garden Tour. The water tumbled down a steep slope in the Tallman’s backyard, complementing the natural setting around it as well as the plants. The Tallmans installed this themselves, which is even more impressive.

My thanks to all the gardeners who opened their spaces to visitors, sharing their hard work and ideas.

Related posts:

  1. Three Lessons from Garden Tours This past month, I have been really lucky to attend...
  2. Three Great Garden Design Ideas Despite heat and humidity Saturday and intermittent storms Sunday, attendance...
  3. Garden Travels from Home I enjoy visiting gardens while on vacation, but you can...
« Why is Your Tomato Harvest Down? Blame the Heat
The Joy of Good Tools »

Leave a Reply Cancel 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

mynortherngarden_mary

New podcast episode and giveaway! Dill is one of t New podcast episode and giveaway! Dill is one of those plants that brings in all sorts of beneficial insects, creating a productive, healthy vegetable 🍅 garden. On this week’s Grow it, Minnesota podcast, I talked companion planting with local food advocate and gardener Michelle Bruhn from @forksinthedirt. 

We’re both fans of a new book by @jessicawalliser called Plant Partners that looks at the science behind companion planting. A lot of it boils down to creating healthy soil and a welcoming environment for bugs, bees and pollinators. My review of the book is over on the My Northern Garden blog (link in bio) and I’m giving away a copy of the book. To be eligible for the giveaway, just comment below — do you use companion planting methods? What combinations work in your garden? What flowers do you plant near your veg garden? The winner will be chosen March 10 (US and Canada only)
.
.
.

#companionplants #garden #mygarden #plantpartners #mynortherngarden #newgardenbook #gardeninspo
#mngardening #minnesota #mnhort #dill #pollinators 
#gardeninglife #coldclimategardening
#stpaulgarden #stpaulmn
#Zone4garden #zone4b #growwhatyoueat #growyourown
#growyourownfood #vegetablegarden
#foodgarden #eatwhatyougrow
Obsessed with this water drop. . . . #houseplants Obsessed with this water drop. 
.
.
.
#houseplants #boredgardener #echeveria #wateringplants #plantcare #mngardener #whenisspringcoming
In normal times, we’d be in our first week in Fl In normal times, we’d be in our first week in Florida right now, which would mean a visit to the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens on our first full day there. Always great art and gardens to see. Then some beach time and plans for our first preseason game. (Twins, Pirates, Orioles, it’s all great.) We were very lucky to get the trip in last year and hope to be in Sarasota again this time next year. Meanwhile I’m indulging in some Insta-nostalgia and feeling grateful for longer days and sunshine here in Minnesota. Which vacations are you remembering fondly these days? 
.
.
.
#gardentravel #florida #sarasota #publicgardens #marieselbybotanicalgardens #tbt #mngardener #longwinter
New issue of Northern Gardener and a cup of tea— New issue of Northern Gardener and a cup of tea—great way to pass a gloomy late afternoon. This issue is full of ideas for spring from @jenniferrensenbrink @monarchgardensbenjaminvogt @gbrownhudson @seedtofork and more. Stunning cover image from @riedelphoto.  Available March 1 on newsstands or subscribe through @mnhort! 
.
.
.
#northerngardener #mngardening #coldclimategardening #calibrachoa #gardenforfrogs #perennialgarden #gardentips #nativeplants #nativeplantgardening #growyourownfood #iceberglettuce #growasalad
Winter ❄️ sowing? Have you tried it? Today’s Winter ❄️ sowing? Have you tried it? Today’s guest on the Grow it, Minnesota podcast is Michelle Mero Riedel, who introduced me and readers of Northern Gardener to the concept more than a decade ago. It’s been one of  our most popular articles ever. 

In winter sowing, you create mini-greenhouses out of milk jugs and other recyclables. Perennial flowers 💐 can be planted in February and March, while annuals, vegetables and herbs can be set out in April. Mother Nature does most of the work. It’s a budget friendly way to grow lots of plants! 

For more info, check out the podcast or a new blog post over on mynortherngarden.com. Links to all in bio. 
.
.
.
#seedstarting #seeds #wintersowing #wintersown #gardeninspiration #howtogarden #garden #mygarden #growyourown #mynortherngarden #gardeninfo #mnpodcast #gardenpodcast 
#mngardening #minnesota #mnhort
#gardeninglife #coldclimategardening
#stpaulgarden #stpaulmn
#Zone4garden #zone4b
What is this? Like day 10 or 12 with temps below z What is this? Like day 10 or 12 with temps below zero? Time to ramble back to June when the penstemon was covered in bees and the veronica looked so pretty. June is my second favorite month in the garden (believe it or not, September is number one for me). What’s your favorite month? P.S. only 14 weeks until June! 
.
.
.
#garden #mygarden #mynortherngarden #gardeninspo
#mngardening #minnesota #mnhort
#gardeninglife #coldclimategardening
#stpaulgarden #stpaulmn
#Zone4garden #zone4b
Oh boy, check out the bucket hat and shades. I was Oh boy, check out the bucket hat and shades. I was digging through some old family photos and came across this one of me circa 1990s, I’d guess, weeding at our first house. I had a lot to learn (like A LOT) about gardening, and little did I know then that I’d be writing about gardening for a living someday. Lots of good thing happen in the garden. 
.
.
.
#tbt #mygardenstory #mynortherngarden #gardenwriter #weeding #oldphoto #buckethatsareback
Somebody brought me a bouquet! Thank you, @resawit Somebody brought me a bouquet! Thank you, @resawithoutherspoon 
.
.
.
#flowers #bouquet #flowersmakemehappy #plantsmakepeoplehappy
The latest episode of Grow it, Minnesota is all ab The latest episode of Grow it, Minnesota is all about plants with medicinal uses.  I interview author and herbalist Matthew Alfs about his new book on Edible and Medicinal Wild Plants of the Midwest. We talked about a few of my favorite plants such as wild geraniums and anise hyssop and also about what we call weeds that have other uses. 

It was a fascinating discussion with a real expert. Matthew recommends consulting multiple sources before using any plant medicinally and his book would be a good one to start with. 

Listen to the podcast at growitminnesota.com or wherever you get your podcasts. 
.
.
.
#gardenpodcast #anisehyssop #geranium #geraniummaculatum #dandelion #herbalist #plantsareamazing #minnesota #mnhspress #mnplants #mnpodcast
I love ❤️ that my local grocery store has plan I love ❤️ that my local grocery store has plants in the temptation spot near the 10-items or less lane. They’re better for you than chips and just as enticing. I resisted this time but plant impulse buys happen to all of us! 
.
.
.
#houseplants #babyplants #succulents #impulsebuy #mystpaul #stpaul #mngardener #minnesota #wintergardening #indoorgardening #toocute
Leaving plants up in winter gives you something to Leaving plants up in winter gives you something to look at, but helps pollinators and birds more. As the sun gets stronger in late January, these are a few of my favorites for winter interest. 
.
.
.
#winterinterest #mnwinter #boltonia #anisehyssop #littlebluestem #birdfriendly #pollinatorgarden
#garden #mygarden #mynortherngarden #gardeninspo
#mngardening #minnesota #mnhort
#gardeninglife #coldclimategardening
#stpaulgarden #stpaulmn
#Zone4garden #zone4b
What’s a northern gardener to do all winter? In What’s a northern gardener to do all winter? In these pandemic times, I’ve been having fun making quilts. Small, easy, no stress quilts. And, these garden themed fabrics on discount through Etsy were irresistible. 

I’m a beginner quilter and learned the craft through YouTube! (My favorite tutorials are the scrap buster quilts from @justgetitdonequilts) This fabric bundle included 21 different half yard prints, so I’ll probably have fabric left over for next winter too. 

How are you keeping sane/busy this winter? 
.
.
.
#gardenlife #gardenfabric #modafabric #offseason #beginnerquilter #winter #minnesotawinter #minnesota
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Top Posts & Pages

  • How to Pollinate a Meyer Lemon Tree
  • Plant Partners: Book Review and Giveaway
  • Mushrooms Growing in Straw Bales
  • Winter Sowing for Flowers and Vegetables
  • Big Changes in Minnesota Hardiness Zone Map
  • Squash Custard
  • How to Grow Lemons in the North (Plus a Recipe)
  • Weed of the Week: Stinging Nettle
  • What to Do with Not-Quite-Ripe Winter Squash? Recipes Included
  • The Northern Gardener: From Apples to Zinnias

Post Categories

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

Copyright © 2021 · captivating theme by Restored 316