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

My Northern Garden

October 18, 2019 · 2 Comments

Garden Travel: Red Butte Garden

Why We Garden

Garden travel is good for the soul, to revise an old saying. And, for gardeners from—how shall we put this?—more restrictive climates, travel that let’s us see what gardeners elsewhere grow and what they deal with helps us put the limitations we have in perspective.

Red Butte Garden view
With mountains in the background, Red Butte Garden is stunning to visit.

Earlier this fall, I visited gardens around Salt Lake City, Utah, with GardenComm, the organization of garden communicators. We had some wonderful tours of public and private gardens in the area, and one of the highlights was Red Butte Garden, the botanical garden of the University of Utah. This was not on any of the structured tours I took, but on the advice of Minnesota photographer Bill Johnson I went on my own to see this remarkable garden. I’m glad I did.

Walkway in Red Butte Gardens
Red Butte Gardens features several collections and delightful paths between them.

First a word about the climate of Salt Lake City: The city is 4,200 feet above sea level and is located in a valley near the Great Salt Lake. Depending on whether you are on the mountains or in the valley, the USDA Hardiness Zones can vary from 4b (that’s us here in southern Minnesota) to 7a, according to one of the local garden writers. That’s a lot of microclimates. Average rainfall is only about 12 inches and most of that comes between late fall and April. Salt Lake has a distinct winter season, though not nearly as cold as ours, and a blazing hot summer. If you see lawn or other turf in Salt Lake City, you know it is irrigated.

Plants and Collections

Given that climate, I was not shocked to see many ornamental grasses and plants we think of as drought tolerant in Red Butte Garden. The designers also selected some areas for heavier irrigation and they have beautiful displays of annuals among the beds. The garden features several collections, including roses, conifers, ornamental grasses, lilacs and penstemons. Penstemon (commonly known as beardtongue) is one of my favorite early summer flowers—a bright light in June in Minnesota. Penstemon species are native throughout the continental United States and Alaska, but Utah boasts more than 100 native species. Beardtongues are tough plants, and can handle a variety of climates and weather including drought. They attract pollinators in droves no matter where you plant them!

Red Butte Garden plants
Sedum, ornamental grasses and conifers are featured heavily at Red Butte Garden.

Because it was late summer, the grasses looked lush and golden in the hard afternoon sun at Red Butte. Some were planted with other drought tolerant plants, such as sedum. (I think that is Matrona in the photo.)

Despite the warm temps and a bright sun, I couldn’t resist walking through most of the Water Conservation Garden, a 3-acre site filled with ideas for growing plants that adapt to local conditions in Utah. It features a rain garden, a drought-tolerant mixed border that had the feel of an English Garden and a section that showed how to use groundcovers as mulch.

Red Butte was a wonderful garden to walk around in with lots of different plants and ideas and enough shaded sections to make it pleasant. I especially enjoyed seeing the pear trees full of fruit, the fall-blooming roses and the medicinal garden. As you can see below, the garden designers at Red Butte create stunning vignettes using shrubs, trees, annuals and perennials. I especially like how the large swathes of red and orange work together.

Red Butte Garden bed
The garden is filled with ideas for gardeners in mountain climates.

The Joys of Limitations

As lovely as Red Butte Garden was, I will admit I came out grateful that our northern garden climate features more rain—this year, much, much more. Every region has its limitations and its assets. Many southern gardeners wish they could grow peonies, for example. I’ve always thought crepe myrtles were wonderful trees — though some of my southern gardening friends are incredulous as to why. Dry climates, like Salt Lake or the ones I’ve seen in Austin, TX, and elsewhere, can grow beautiful cacti and unusual conifers. And, those Salt Lake City folks do have great big mountains everywhere they look! That’s a real asset to any garden view.

There’s some psychological research that argues that constraints make us more creative. Having too many options, too many choices, too much freedom can immobilize people as anyone who has clicked around the 300 channels on cable television and found nothing knows. The limitations of climate, soil, sun or shade exposure and other factors in gardening are jumping off points for our creativity. Visiting other gardens provides inspiration and ideas but never a prescription.

If you visit Salt Lake City, the garden is adjacent to the campus of the University of Utah. It’s also right next to the Natural History Museum of Utah, which has an amazing display of dinosaur bones and geological exhibits. It also has a nice coffee shop, if you need a break after touring the gardens.

Where are you garden travels taking you?

Related posts:

  1. Visiting Baltic Gardens My husband just completed a five month teaching assignment at...
  2. Red Pepper Relish When September rolls around and the red peppers start showing...
  3. Duluth Rose Garden and Leif Erickson Park Over the years, I’ve made many trips to Duluth. Whenever...
« Why I Love My Insectary Garden
Art, Moles and Why We Need Plants: Three Book Reviews »

Comments

  1. Kathy from Cold Climate Gardening says

    October 18, 2019 at 11:27 am

    Every climate has limitations. Gardeners in Great Britain, which is often considered to have a “perfect” climate, have trouble getting tomatoes to ripen. Like you, I’m also thankful I don’t need an irrigation system or deal with grueling heat all summer. I’m always disappointed when I read “Hardy to zone 6 (or higher)” about a plant that intrigues me, but I’ve learned to glory in the plants I grow and appreciate each season in turn.

Trackbacks

  1. Art, Moles and Why We Need Plants: Three Book Reviews - My Northern Garden says:
    December 3, 2019 at 5:54 am

    […] market this year. But, it is so much more than that. I had a chance to talk with Summer during the annual garden writers meeting in September, and she said she thinks of the book as a “relationship […]

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
  • How to Grow Lemons in the North (Plus a Recipe)
  • Winter Sowing for Flowers and Vegetables
  • How to Use the Winter Sowing Method to Start Seeds Outdoors
  • Snow's Insulation Power in Winter
  • Winter Sowing Native Plants, Two Ways
  • Out-Smarting Japanese Beetles (And Some Good News)
  • What to Do with Not-Quite-Ripe Winter Squash? Recipes Included
  • 7 Easy Annuals to Grow from Seed

Post Categories

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

Copyright © 2023 · captivating theme by Restored 316