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My Northern Garden

Anderson Japanese Gardens, Rockford, IL

What’s around the next bend? Paths are artfully placed in the gardens.

The Anderson Japanese Gardens are 12-acres of calm, just off a busy road in Rockford, IL. The gardens grew from local businessman John Anderson’s interest in Japan, its culture and aesthetics.  Located in Anderson’s former backyard, the garden is operated by the Rockford Rotary Charitable Association as a non-profit.

Bridges link the sections of the garden.

Designed by Hoichi Kurisu, former director of the Portland Japanese Garden, the garden celebrates all of the elements of traditional Japanese gardens—water, stone, sound, texture and others—to create a soothing experience of nature. Walking the paths around ponds and through wooded areas, I could feel myself slow down.

Secluded places to sit and observe make the experience of the garden comfortable and personal.

The paths wind loosely around two ponds, filled with koi, turtles and fed by waterfalls. Spring Creek, which runs through Rockford, separates the two ponds, with several bridges for garden visitors to use to cross the ponds.  Paths of stone, gravel and artfully placed rocks lead visitors around the gardens.

The view across the Garden of Reflection takes in the wooded areas surrounding the garden.

Japanese garden design celebrates nature, but in a controlled way. There are no showy annual beds in this garden, but rather shades and textures of green, brown and rust. Rockford is one USDA hardiness zone south of the Twin Cities, so Japanese maples abound in the garden, adding lacy texture and deep color to many of the scenes. Water and rock are two other important elements in Japanese garden design, and the Anderson gardens feature an abundance of both. Niches and benches throughout the garden give visitors places to rest and observe the turtles, the breeze through the trees or the shape of the plants and stones around the water.

The garden has so many beautiful details, but pictures show them better than I can describe them.

Water lilies float in the Pond Strolling Garden. Light reflects off the leaves around the bloom.

This stone path and gate lead to the Guest House on the grounds.

A waterfall adds the element of sound to the experience of the garden.

Low, sculptural branches framed a view through the trees.

A punting boat waits on the side of the pond.

The garden is also home to a wonderful breakfast and lunch restaurant called Fresco at the Gardens, where I had a delicious lunch. Admission is under $10 and the garden honors cards from members of many public gardens.  It’s located not far off of Interstate-90, the main road into Chicago from Minneapolis, and only about an hour south of Madison, Wis.. It’s well worth a stop on your next visit to the Windy City or Madison.

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Lola is the only one allowed in the garden beds ar Lola is the only one allowed in the garden beds around here until about, oh, April 15, maybe later. It’s so, so, so tempting to go clomping 🥾around in the garden during these warm March weeks in Minnesota. The ground is thawing but it’s still soft and easily compacted. 

I did do one garden job today, pruning the Chestnut crabapple tree. This is a crab you grow for the fruit, which are like half/sized apples. Fortunately, the snow drifts around my tree are high enough that I could walk in without compressing the ground. 

Enjoy these beautiful days! We know there will be more snow ❄️ and cold ahead. 
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#garden #mygarden #springiscoming #minnesotaspring #dogsofinstagram #doginthegarden #hernamewaslola #olddog #mynortherngarden #gardeninspo
#mngardening #minnesota #mnhort
#gardeninglife #coldclimategardening
#stpaulgarden #stpaulmn
#Zone4garden #zone4b #stayoffthelawn
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)
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#Zone4garden #zone4b #growwhatyoueat #growyourown
#growyourownfood #vegetablegarden
#foodgarden #eatwhatyougrow
Obsessed with this water drop. . . . #houseplants Obsessed with this water drop. 
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#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? 
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#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! 
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#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. 
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#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! 
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#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. 
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#tbt #mygardenstory #mynortherngarden #gardenwriter #weeding #oldphoto #buckethatsareback
Somebody brought me a bouquet! Thank you, @resawit Somebody brought me a bouquet! Thank you, @resawithoutherspoon 
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#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. 
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#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! 
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#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. 
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#winterinterest #mnwinter #boltonia #anisehyssop #littlebluestem #birdfriendly #pollinatorgarden
#garden #mygarden #mynortherngarden #gardeninspo
#mngardening #minnesota #mnhort
#gardeninglife #coldclimategardening
#stpaulgarden #stpaulmn
#Zone4garden #zone4b
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