Garden view from the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Photo: Tracy Walsh
While I sit here, dreaming about this year’s garden, I find myself transported back into the gardens and landscapes I’ve been fortunate to visit. Some of the best inspiration comes from the gardens you aren’t experiencing daily but the ones that get you thinking outside the box and inspire you to think about what else is possible.
Memorable visits to Longwood Gardens, the Greater Des Moines Botanical Gardens, The High Line and the Gardens of Versailles have transported me into new worlds to see what is possible with plants. While I know we can’t all jump on a plane to check out the gardens around the country or the world, we are fortunate to be surrounded by many fabulous public gardens in the Twin Cities.
Spots like the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska, Como Park Zoo & Conservatory in St. Paul and the Eloise Butler Garden and Bird Sanctuary in Minneapolis come to mind. When you start thinking about next year’s gardens, I encourage you to make plans for what you want from your space and where you want to visit. Sometimes, taking a trip through another garden can be the best source of inspiration.
Gretchen McNaughton is the communications and content strategist at Bailey Nurseries. Grow more at firsteditionsplants.com.
