A Garden Summit in St. Paul
Summit Avenue is one of the most historic streets in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Gilded age robber barons, James J. Hill notable among them, built their mansions here, on the high ground above the river. Many of the mansions have been divided into multiple units in the years since. This is still a fashionable area, though.
You can take an architecture tour of Summit Avenue, but we were there as part of the Minneapolis Garden Bloggers Fling, to visit the garden of columnist Marge Hols.
A deep and luscious mixed border lines the street. That’s one of the Fling buses parked behind it.
This is another garden full of appealing plant combinations. I like these white daisies with the spray of Heuchera flowers, dark Smokebush leaves (Cotinus), and dwarf conifer.
A family of stone rabbits crouch in a shady spot. Inanimate rabbits are the only kind that I like.
Native plants line one side of the house, like these Doll’s Eyes (Actaea pachypoda).
A comfortable stone patio in the back garden.
What are these things called with the arrow sticking through the rings? Anyway, I like it, along with the Purple Coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea) and the Foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea). They look good in this partly shaded spot. I think those low blue flowers are Torenia.
Another big mixed border in a sunny area of the back.
That looks like ‘Raspberry Wine’ Bee Balm (Monarda didyma), but maybe not. Delicious mix of plants.
Also this Clematis with the dangling blue flowers looks fantastic with the yellow Yarrow (Achillea millefolium). Makes me wonder if I could squeeze a couple of Yarrow into my Driveway border, where I now have two ‘Betty Corning’ Clematis.
Not one to waste space, Marge Hols has a wonderful sunny border along the alley behind this brick wall. Yarrow, purple Liatris spicata, and orange butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa) provided plenty of color on the day or our visit.
I thought we were quite lucky to have a chance to poke around this private garden.
gardeninacity 
I really loved this garden! It was just my style. 🙂
Yes, I think so! But don’t you wish you had all that space?
I have been there. Beautiful gardens!
Yes, they are.
What a beautiful place, Jason.
I certainly thought so during our visit.
Oh, that was one of my favorites. I know I keep saying that. Oh well. It’s hard to know where to start commenting about this garden, because it was simply so thoughtfully and warmly arranged. I’m sure much planning went into it, but it had that feeling of a natural, cottage-style garden that feels so comfortable and calming.
Right, it did have a cottage garden feel, but combined with something a bit grander.
I wish my garden looked like that garden. Beautiful.
I know what you mean.
I think you were quite lucky too. It is a beautiful garden. I like the no wasted space and yet it is tidy, pleasing to the eye. That gizmo in the garden is an armillary sphere.
Thanks. Why didn’t I know that?
What an incredible garden. Lucky you to have seen it. I certainly agree about the rabbits. I think I may have finally scared mine out of his hidey-hole by using lots of cayenne pepper.
I haven’t tried cayenne pepper – should give it a whirl.
A truly lovely garden.
Agreed.
Spectacular home and garden! Those rabbits look like they might be a little tough on the teeth.
You would need to keep them in the crockpot on low for a long time.
Very nice borders and planting combinations.
I thought so.
That’s a beautiful garden!
Marge seems to have the mixed border down.
I would say so!
I love this garden, and although I do have some of the same plants, my garden just looks messy in comparison…the borders of Marge’s are very well maintained. I love the Clematis, amongst the many lovely flowering shrubs. The stone rabbits!… I’ve got to get some of those!
They are extremely well-maintained. Mine also looks a bit chaotic compared to hers.
What beautiful gardens. I think the thing with the arrow is a sundial. I would love to have one in my own garden. I have a collection of the stone type rabbits, and they are well behaved. I also have had the furry, heart-beating type. Some are better than others. I once had one who spent his time nibbling weeds and never bothered more desirable plants. We need more like him!
I would be ecstatic if I could train rabbits to eat only weeds. Not too optimistic on my prospects, though. I do notice they like dandelions, however.
I imagine that architecture tour would have been interesting, what a fascinating neighbourhood. I loved the daisies and hechura, and those stone rabbits. I too thought that was a delicious mix of flowering plats. Good luck squeezing the yarrow into your garden.xxx
Always worth trying to squeeze in more plants.