Elegant garden of St. Paul writer Marge Hols: Minneapolis Garden Bloggers Fling

Elegant garden of St. Paul writer Marge Hols: Minneapolis Garden Bloggers Fling

July 29, 2016 A lovely Tudor-style home on St. Paul’s historic Summit Avenue, just down the block from the Minnesota Governor’s Mansion, was a stop on day three of the Minneapolis Garden Bloggers Fling. It’s the home of gardening columnist Marge Hols, who welcomed us and immediately set us loose ...
Como Park Conservatory and Japanese Garden: Minneapolis Garden Bloggers Fling

Como Park Conservatory and Japanese Garden: Minneapolis Garden Bloggers Fling

July 28, 2016 In the South we don’t have many conservatories, probably because our winters aren’t particularly bleak or cold. But I’ve visited a few on my travels to northern states, and on day three of the Minneapolis Garden Bloggers Fling, I got to see another one at Como Park ...
I went to the woods and saw Walden Road Garden: Minneapolis Garden Bloggers Fling

I went to the woods and saw Walden Road Garden: Minneapolis Garden Bloggers Fling

July 28, 2016 When you live on Walden Road and you’re creating a garden, you can do a lot worse than take inspiration from Thoreau. This woodsy, serene garden was on the Master Gardeners tour that we saw on day two of the Minneapolis Garden Bloggers Fling, held earlier this ...
Dynasty Drive flowers and bonus hosta garden: Minneapolis Garden Bloggers Fling

Dynasty Drive flowers and bonus hosta garden: Minneapolis Garden Bloggers Fling

July 27, 2016 A garden tour within a garden tour was offered on day two of the Minneapolis Garden Bloggers Fling, held in mid-July. Bused to a half-dozen lovely private gardens on a local Master Gardeners tour (see my upcoming post about the Walden Road garden), at one point I ...
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum: Minneapolis Garden Bloggers Fling

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum: Minneapolis Garden Bloggers Fling

July 25, 2016 Our Minneapolis Fling banquet dinner — an opportunity to dine with blogging friends, win amazing giveaway prizes from sponsors, and listen to entertaining anecdotes and announcements from organizers — was held at the end of the second day, at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Time was short before ...
Springwood Gardens daylily farm: Minneapolis Garden Bloggers Fling

Springwood Gardens daylily farm: Minneapolis Garden Bloggers Fling

July 25, 2016 I enjoy daylilies and grow a few in my own garden. But I couldn’t quite imagine a whole farm of daylilies until we visited Springwood Gardens, the daylily breeding operation of Karol Emmerich, one of our stops on the Minneapolis Garden Bloggers Fling. Karol’s goal is to ...
Corten potager beauty in Rhonda Fleming Hayes's garden: Minneapolis Garden Bloggers Fling

Corten potager beauty in Rhonda Fleming Hayes’s garden: Minneapolis Garden Bloggers Fling

July 24, 2016 I’m dubbing this summer Escape to the North. In the space of two months I’ve made three trips to the northern, cooler half of the U.S., starting with the Philadelphia area; then Providence, Rhode Island; and finally Minneapolis, where the 9th annual Garden Bloggers Fling was held ...
Intimate views at Olbrich Gardens

Intimate views at Olbrich Gardens

September 25, 2010 Most of my earlier posts about Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison, Wisconsin, have shown long views, like the cleome border above. But I do have more-intimate images to share as well. A yellow jacket or some other type of wasp gathering nectar Swamp sunflower, I believe Simple ...
Thai sala at Olbrich Botanical Gardens

Thai sala at Olbrich Botanical Gardens

September 23, 2010 While my husband rested up for his big race in Madison, Wisconsin, two weekends ago, I stole a few hours with my friend and local guide Linda Brazill of Each Little World. Our first stop was Olbrich Botanical Gardens. Knowing I was short on time, she attempted ...
Tropicals & more at Olbrich Botanical Gardens

Tropicals & more at Olbrich Botanical Gardens

September 22, 2010 Boy, was I surprised to see agaves in Madison, Wisconsin, at Olbrich Botanical Gardens on my recent visit. Well, sure, they’re in containers and must spend the winter in a greenhouse, but still it was fun to see these familiar faces out of context. This border surrounds ...
Olbrich Botanical Gardens: Favorite scenes

Olbrich Botanical Gardens: Favorite scenes

September 21, 2010 Architecture in the garden makes me happy, especially when I’m taking pictures. It can be used to frame a view, like this series of doorways. Walls are nice too, and they don’t have to be made of stone. The courtyard garden at Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison, ...
Fall grasses at Olbrich Botanical Gardens

Fall grasses at Olbrich Botanical Gardens

September 20, 2010 Continuing my series of posts about Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison, Wisconsin, what could be more natural or more stunning for a midwestern garden in early fall than swaths of ornamental grasses in full bloom? A mix of natives and exotics, like this stand of Miscanthus sinensis, ...
Monday morning butterflies: Olbrich Botanical Gardens

Monday morning butterflies: Olbrich Botanical Gardens

September 20, 2010 Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison, WI, was a butterfly’s paradise last week. The monarchs will be migrating south soon, and they were fueling up. Gomphrena attracted this little white butterfly. I believe this is some sort of skipper butterfly enjoying the Verbena bonariensis. Another look Butterflies improve ...
Curly willow hideaway at Olbrich Botanical Gardens

Curly willow hideaway at Olbrich Botanical Gardens

September 19, 2010 A week ago I was on my way home from a visit to Madison, Wisconsin. I am still going through all my photos from the captivating Olbrich Botanical Gardens, set on 16 acres alongside Lake Monona, one of two lakes that frame the city. I plan to ...
In the garden of Each Little World

In the garden of Each Little World

September 17, 2010 Each Little World is one of my regular reads. Written by Linda Brazill and illustrated with gorgeous photos by her husband, Mark Golbach, their blog gives me tantalizing glimpses into the green, serene garden they’ve created together in Madison, Wisconsin. When the garden blogger meet-up was held ...
Foliage with wow power at Allen Centennial Gardens

Foliage with wow power at Allen Centennial Gardens

September 16, 2010 During our visit to Madison, Wisconsin, last weekend, I noticed that big, bold tropical plants were used everywhere to great effect far from their natural climate. For this month’s Foliage Follow-Up, I’ll show you what caught my eye at Allen Centennial Gardens on the University of Wisconsin ...