75th Anniversary Garden Tour

MWGCM’s 75th Anniversary Garden Tour


Tour six exceptional gardens in the Southwest suburbs of Minneapolis. Choose from two ways to see the gardens. Go by air-conditioned motor coach for a leisurely trip to all six gardens. The bus trip includes a box lunch and conversation with fellow gardeners. Or drive-yourself with a ticket that includes the location of each garden.


Details

Date:    Saturday July 15

Time:    Gardens open 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Cost:    $30 per person air-conditioned motor coach with box lunch

             $15 per person drive-yourself ticket


Bus boarding is 9:15 a.m. in the far west parking lot of Eisenhower Community Center/Elementary School, 1001 MN Highway 7, Hopkins. Bus departs promptly at 9:30 a.m.


For both bus and drive-yourself tickets, contact Denise Rust, dkkrust@hotmail.com or 763-221-1466. She can also answer any questions you may have.


The Gardens

Photos by Bob Olson, Terri Hoehne and Andy Marlow


Larry Cippola, Edina

Larry, an MWGCM
member, gardens on a large wedge-shaped lot on a cul-de-sac. This allows him plenty of space for a sunny lawn and extensive shady gardens with a decidedly Japanese flavor. Look for the Japanese teahouse and Buddha soaking quietly in a water feature. Larry’s hostas are spectacular, and complement his pollinator, herb and vegetable gardens.


Bette Fenton, Hopkins

Bette’s garden is meticulously
groomed despite being hit by a severe hailstorm in early June. She and husband Curt have restored the garden to its glory. Look for numerous unique planters skillfully populated with delightful combinations of plants. There are five distinct garden zones on the property, plus display areas for Curt’s engaging bonsai collection, other sculpted trees and architectural elements. Bette is an MWGCM member.


Elizabeth Hamilton, Bloomington

Elizabeth is a former MWGCM
member who is an avid plant collector. Enjoy the front garden, then circle the house to encounter the potted fairy gardens. Follow along to the sloped back yard with several hundred varieties of perennials. On the second level is a koi pond fed by a flowing stream. Down one final level to a veritable jungle of cultivated plants. Along the way there are many restful places to sit and enjoy the surroundings.


Heidi Heiland, Plymouth

Heidi Heiland is
proprietor of Heidi’s Lifestyle Gardens and GrowHaus Nursery. She uses her home landscape to demonstrate many of the ideas she advocates, such as water conservation, permaculture, and native and pollinator-friendly planting. There’s a wide variety of unique plants, multiple rain gardens, vegetables integrated into the front garden, bee-friendly lawn vegetation, and vignettes of interest for every gardener.




Pat Kessler, Minnetonka

Pat, an MWGCM member, has
lived on this ¾-acre corner lot for over 25 years, but got serious about gardening in the last 10-15. Numerous sunny and shady gardens create outdoor rooms displaying a diverse collection of plants, including evergreens, deciduous trees and shrubs, and a huge range of perennials.. Look closely at the large stones that grace many of the gardens. They are not just rocks, but jewelry for the landscape.


Don and Geri Trocke, Bloomington

Don has been
an MWGCM member for more than 20 years. A sloping boulevard garden welcomes you to the Trocke residence. The back yard is home to a number of island gardens and is edged by meticulously maintained rock-wall terraces that are home to numerous peonies, lilies, roses and other perennials. Look for whimsical faces and other garden art on your journey through the garden.