The Minneapolis Home and Garden Show runs through this weekend with a distinctly British air–well, OK, it’s British as done by Minnesotans going insane from snow and cold and starved for greenery. I visited the show Wednesday to check out the display gardens and visit the Minnesota Horticulture Society’s booth. This year, MSHS also has a small display area, designed by Lilydale Garden Center.
The garden features a fountain, miniature roses, azaleas, and lots of wonderful ferns. I loved the pots, which are made out of a new material that is strong and flexible enough to be left outside during the winter without cracking. The pots look like a shiny ceramic and come in a variety of sizes and even in half-pot sizes. The half-pots have a straight side and a curved side and can be set up against a house or pillar and will look like a full-size pot. (The pot in front of the water fountain in the picture is a half pot.)
As usual, Rose and the staff of the hort society have a huge selection of books, garden gloves and other gadgets. They are also supervising the garden stage, where several excellent speakers are on tap for Friday night, Saturday and Sunday. Friday features Philippe Gallandat of Swiss Gardens discussing container gardening. Northern Gardener profiled Philippe’s garden in its November/December 2007 issue (The cover photo was one I just loved of some yard decorations Philippe made). His garden is an amazing space, and Philippe did all the design and construction himself, often using found materials. Other speakers include Mary Meyer (gardening tips from England) and David Zlesak (hardy roses), both from the University of Minnesota. On Saturday and Sunday, Judy Remington of Tenemos Garden Services will talk about front-yard gardens, and Rusty Schmidt of the Washington Conservation District will explain how to set up a rain garden. On Sunday afternoon, do-it-yourselfers might want to check out Greg Buell’s presentation on doing your own garden installation.
I had hoped to get out of the show without spending any money, but no luck. MSHS is selling lily bulbs at very reasonable prices in a room just outside of the main show floor. I ended up taking home five bulbs of Lily ‘Mona Lisa’. I can hardly wait to plant them.
By My Northern Garden blog
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