For years now, the local Soroptimists Club has staged an annual garden tour of Fargo’s best and brightest gardens.
I always do a little preview story (see Saturday’s paper) so people can snatch up their tickets and herd through other people’s yards to check out their superior gardening skills. It’s kind of like a reverse NIMBY principle. (Where can I find hundreds of flowers, a breathtaking water feature and vegetables that could win grand prize at any state fair? Not In My Backyard!)
But - as I like to do, and I frequently do, because you know how it is – I digress. I’ve always wanted to include complete descriptions of all the yards featured, because people love that stuff. But there’s never any room for all of it in the paper. The blogosphere, fortunately, has unlimited space.
And so here it is (drum roll, please) … the gardens which will be featured during Garden Tour 2010, sponsored by Soroptimist International of Fargo. Tickets and maps are available at all F-M Hornbacher’s stores, Baker’s Nursery in Fargo, Shotwell Floral locations and T.L. Designs, 3220 18th St. S., Fargo. Tickets are $10 for one day and $15 for both days. The actual tour will be this Wednesday and Thursday from 1:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
North Fargo:
1. Gerry and Sue Palmer, 1240 North Broadway: When the Palmers purchased this 1913-vintage apartment house in 2005, the garden bones consisted of four mature trees, a shrub, tulips, daffodils and a drainage ditch. They’ve now added several informal perennial beds accented with annuals, 100-plus container plantings and eclectic garden art and seating.
2. Curt and Mavis Tjon, 1301 North Broadway: The Tjons refer to their greenscapes as "accidental gardens." Visitors will note the recycled materials used from their sidewalks when they were replaced by the city. Or they can check out the shape of a grand piano in the backyard made from bricks recycled from the urban renewal demolition of the Black Hawk Lounge in downtown Moorhead 35 years ago. From spring through fall, color abounds with more than 20 different selections of perennials accented with annuals. There’s also a water feature!
3. Rosewood on Broadway, 1351 North Broadway: These gardens have wide paths to accommodate visitors and residents. Since its inception in 1995 the veggie/flower and prayer garden has become a popular attraction. Rosewood administration hope to install more raised bed planters – which can easily be accessed by residents with limited mobility – as more donations are received. Much of the work here has been done by Peggy Palmes, a horticultural therapist who volunteers countless hours working with residents on the garden.
4.Jon and Barb Swegarden, 1246 Oak Street North: In 2006, the aptly named couple initiated a three-year plan of designing and planting a garden to incorporate an arbor deck, flagstone, 10 trellises and more than 300 perennials. Along with the annuals, reed grasses and shrubs, notice the wide variety of day lilies – two of which have been named after Barb’s mother and Jon’s mother. The two "square-foot gardens" are exclusively for veggies. "If there’s something you like, just ask, we’ll split it," the Swegardens say.
5. Ralph and Phyllis Dement-VanHorn, 402 24th Ave. North: Welcome to an old-fashioned flower garden. There are many annuals, chosen for their colorful plants which blossom from early summer through late fall. Yard ornaments also add color and interest. The bird baths are enjoyed by feathered visitors, while the honeysuckle vines along the deck add privacy and attract hummingbirds.
6. Leonard and Sandi Leikas, 3208 Park Street North: (Eds note: This is the place I wrote about in Saturday’s paper. It’s like a little, fenced-in corner of Eden right in northeast Fargo. Even better, Sandi insisted on feeding me homemade Juneberry muffins.) Hundreds of annuals in bloom provide a great visual splash from the couple’s new sunroom. The backyard is surrounded by a wooden fence and many fruit-bearing shrubs, including blueberries, raspberries and even a kiwi plant. A big, lofty maple provides shade for the hostas and coleus below. Interspersed among the flowering plants are veggies like celery, tomatoes and potatoes. An herb garden is nestled next to the shed. Many hanging baskets and pots are filled primarily with geraniums and wave petunias. Leonard starts most of the flowers from seed himself.
7. Joan Justesen, 134 35th Ave. N.E.: This beautiful backyard oasis is landscaped for rest and relaxation. Enjoy the gazebo, perennial gardens, annual gardens, rose garden and container gardening.
8. Botanical Garden at Yunker Farm, 1201 28th Ave. N.: The Northern Plains Botanical Garden Society grows gardens here for the public to enjoy. Visitors can check out the butterfly garden, rain garden, MUM trial bed, woodland garden, Seeds of Opportunity garden, alphabet garden, "turn around" garden, gladiola collection and perennial plant nursery. And don’t forget to stop in at the greenhouse. Refreshments will be served.
South Fargo:
1. Vic and Kathy Weigel, 3016 31st St. S.W.: Here you will find a 1,200-square-foot vegetable garden bordered with marigolds, zinnias and gladiolas. The vegetables include tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, dill, green and yellow string beans, potatoes, onions, green and purple cabbage, celery, kale and snow peas. Carrots, radish and kohlrabi also grow here, as do squash and zucchini. Herbs can be found throughout. There’s even rhubarb available!
2. Greg and Mona Fagerwick, 2712 23rd Ave. S.: In the front yard, you’ll find a bed of mixed perennials below the apple tree. Enjoy the curved flower bed accessorized with potted plants as you walk toward the front door. The side yard, complete with flowers, leads visitors to a backyard where more flowers and veggies are grown. Shade plants under the deck make an attractive use of space.
3. Don and Sue Siverson, 2722 23rd Ave. S.: Their front yard features both chokecherry and crab-apple trees, with a flower bed beneath the flowering crab. Bird-watchers can enjoy the view from either of the two decks in their backyard, where flowers coexist with bird feeders, a bird bath and a Purple Martin house.
4. Sharon Fritz, 1538 22nd Ave. S.: This garden has evolved in many ways since it started with one little pot of marigolds 38 years ago. A focal point is the rock garden, which was created from just a pencil sketch in a magazine decades ago. Look for the unique pyramid-shaped stand of petunias. Tropical plants such as hibiscus winter in the sunroom. Two favorite plants here are the red crown of thorns, which never stop blooming, and the passion flower which winters under a grow light in the basement.
5. Curt and Barb Ness, 1901 19th St. S.: This is how to make a small yard work overtime. A shaded, paved, front patio allows for easy visiting with neighbors. In the backyard you’ll find two decks and a potting shed. A Southwestern theme reflects the couple’s wintertime travels. The backyard displays lilies, peonies, sedum, bleeding heart, Shasta daisies, Russian sage, black-eyed Susan and lots of potted annuals, as well as two fountains.
6. Sandy Lavelle, 1802 19th St. S.: This home is located on a small corner lot with two hardscape flower beds in the front. Flower beds, hanging baskets and bird baths are featured. A fenced-in backyard is bordered by a flower bed. The garden has been a "work in progress" for years. After visits to lily farms in the Twin Cities, the homeowner has acquired a nice selection of day lilies. Iris and several hosta plants are other favorites.
7. Ed and Sue Ankrum, 1538 9th St. S.: After years of planting annuals in the front and side yards, boxes and hanging baskets around their backyard pool, Sue’s fingers could no longer take the cold soil of early spring and late fall. This, combined with a sunken front yard from street and sewer repair, called for a professional makeover. In 2008, Roger Klocke of Natural Environments Landscaping created a distinctive design in both the front and back yards, featuring many perennials, grasses, roses, large urns, various boulders and whimsical lighting.
8. M. and A. Hiltner, 921 5th Ave. S.: This garden shows you don’t need funds as much as imagination, patience and muscle. Among the raised beds are strawberries, tomatoes, herbs and perennials. Once trees and catalpa grow a bit bigger here, they may be moved to places like the Northern Plains Botanic Gardens. You’ll find tropicals in the water trough along the drive and in pots in the backyard. Birds and wildlife are welcomed with food, water and conversation with the lady of the house.
The Jake Issue continues.
