Garden Fails: The Tree I Saw On Tour Didn't Look Like This

Early in my gardening days I went on a variety of garden tours.  It is really wonderful to tour other people's gardens to see their ideas, and what plants they grow.

You're always there with your camera and handy garden notebook to write down the varieties you like, and then you rush home and look online to see who carries the bewitching plant.

I am sure somewhere I have the inspiration for this tree, If I find it, I'll add it here so you can enjoy the contrast.   The variety isn't known by me anymore, but there were several very large evergreens that you saw when you entered the display garden.  It made an impressive statement and when you walked around the tree on the path, much more of the garden was revealed.

Here is my own tree of the exact type.  It did not fare so well, and I'm certain I removed it after taking this sad picture.

Pictures From A Garden Tour

I haven't been on a tour of local gardens in at least several years.  It is so nice to see what others are growing and to get inspiration for your own garden.  The tour was the "20th Artful Garden Tour 2018" in the Hudson, WI area.

My garden is so small now, but I came away thinking  a nice path leading through the garden is a very fine thing, and plants stand out so much more with good spacing.  I'm not sure there is any good way to make a nice path in my garden, but I'm pulling plants this season, and I may move  or pull some of the tradescantias which I love, but which move all around everywhere way too fast.  I didn't see them in anyone's garden today.

In the Conservatory With DOA

You'll recall I planned to visit various Public Gardens over the summer this year.  http://librariandoa.blogspot.com/2015/04/minnesota-public-gardens.html

The first up for many reasons was the Como Park Marjorie McNeely Conservatory.  I hadn't been there in years.  Two popular features, The Sunken Garden and the Japanese Garden weren't quite at peak (they were swapping Sunken Garden Exhibits) but it was still lovely to be in a giant greenhouse full of mostly trees and ferns, then to walk through the Japanese gardens on a wandering path.

Because it is still so early in the season, this is a perfect place to go and stroll and feel as if summer is coming.

Don't be fooled, you can't enter here. You'll need to go around to the side and enter where you can visit the Gift Shop coming and going.  They had some very sweet Fairy Garden furnishings.  Since my Fairy Garden is still a non-starter, I resisted.

It is the 100th Anniversary of the Conservatory.  We were told that the Sunken Gardens will feature flowers in the color purple all year in honor of the "royal anniversary".

 

The Japanese Gardens

Minnesota Public Gardens

I've been enjoying the public garden visits on The Patient Gardener's blog, and thought, I could do something similar here at home.  I'm only familiar with a few places, but luckily the U of M has a great site that is searchable by region or plant type.  There are so many more than I would have imagined!

http://mngardens.horticulture.umn.edu/

I think I shall tour some of these, and pack a nice picnic lunch and be inspired.