Tour de Fabulous
Our top picks for garden touring this summer
West End Neighbors’ Tour
June 6, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Free. Pick up a map at Fort Road Federation, 974 W. Seventh St. in St. Paul.
Why go: A rare chance to see 13 homes on St. Paul’s West End, including the historic Irvine Park and Uppertown neighborhoods along the river bluff. Look for roving troubadours, plein air painters, and advice-giving Master Gardeners.
Make a day of it: Forepaugh’s restaurant is opening its private kitchen garden for the tour; make it your last stop, and you’ll be just in time for dinner.
Bright Gardens for Fraser Tour
June 27, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
$20, buy at fraser.org/calendar, or call 612-798-8343.
Why go: See several private gardens in Eden Prairie, Maple Grove, Plymouth, and Wayzata, including an English garden with more than 75 varieties of hybrid tea roses, a shade garden with a multi-level koi pond, and a half-acre garden with a gazebo woven with more than 2 miles of grapevine. Proceeds help support Fraser, a nonprofit provider of therapy and housing for people with cognitive disabilities.
Make a day of it: Grab lunch at Black’s Ford in Wayzata, serving salads with house-made dressings and scratch soups.
Master Gardeners’ Tour
July 11, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
$15 in advance at hcmg.umn.edu, or $20 on the day of at the University of Minnesota Extension Service, 479 Prairie Center Rd., Eden Prairie.
Why go: Ten gardens are organized into walkable clusters in northeast Edina and southwest Minneapolis. Don’t miss the labyrinth that overlooks Nine Mile Creek or the “urban farmhouse” with the manicured vegetable garden. Proceeds help pay for the free garden programs put on all year by the Hennepin County Master Gardeners.
Make a day of it: Stop at Broder’s Italian deli in south Minneapolis for first-rate eggplant Parmesan and lemon-pistachio bars.
Duluth Secret Garden Tour
July 11, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
$35 for chauffeured motor coach tour with catered lunch; $17 for self-guided tour only. Visit dgfs.us to register.
Why go: See seven gardens, including a 2.5-acre estate garden and several city gardens with koi ponds and fountains—most gardens have never before been publicly toured. Proceeds buy tomato plants for the Duluth schools that the students tend and harvest.
Make a day of it: Sustainable café Sara’s Table serves a raved-about grilled cheese with tomato and bacon, and is right in the thick of things for solo tour-goers.
Red Wing Arts Association Tour
July 12, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
$10 available at the Red Wing Depot Gallery, 418 Levee St., Red Wing.
Why go: See three private gardens, including a meditation garden with winding stone walkways, plus gain access to a container gardening show at the Red Wing Depot and the private gardens at Falconer Vineyards with more than 500 varieties of annuals. Proceeds support Red Wing’s free summer concert series.
Make a day of it: Hop across the bridge to the Harbor Bar in Hager City, Wisconsin, for great Jamaican jerk chicken.
Arboretum Auxiliary Tour
July 12, 9 to 10:30 a.m.; July 14, 8 to 10:30 a.m., or July 15, 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.
$55 for Sunday tour and brunch; $50 for weekday tour and lunch. Reservations required, call 952-443-1400, or visit arboretum.umn.edu/auxiliary.aspx.
Why go: See four private gardens in the west metro, including a meditation garden shaded by picturesque cedar trees, a cottage-style garden with waterfalls, and a “moonlight” garden with blooms in cream, ivory, pink, and lavender. Proceeds support the missions of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, which develops new cold-climate plants, and maintains a horticultural library and learning gardens.
Make a day of it: Tour-goers have free access to the arboretum’s 25 or so specialty and display gardens for the rest of the day.
Tangletown Garden & Art Tour
July 25, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
$20 in advance or $25 on the day of the tour at Tangletown Gardens, 5353 Nicollet Ave. S., Minneapolis.
Why go: Tour eight contemporary, professionally designed gardens in the Lowry Hill, Kenwood, and Tangletown neighborhoods of Minneapolis, each with a complimentary wine tasting and more than 30 invited artists spread throughout. Proceeds fund Tangletown’s various public art and garden projects and free gardening seminars.
Make a day of it: Tour-goers are invited to come back to Tangletown Gardens at 7 p.m. for a party with interactive cooking by Corner Table chef Scott Pampuch, and music by Tambuca, the Latin-edged, live-spinning DJs.
Alyssa Ford is associate editor of Midwest Home.
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