Dynasty Drive flowers and bonus hosta garden: Minneapolis Garden Bloggers Fling
A garden tour within a garden tour was offered on day two of the Minneapolis Garden Bloggers Fling, held in mid-July.
Bused to a half-dozen lovely private gardens on a local Master Gardeners tour (see my upcoming post about the Walden Road garden), at one point I found myself admiring a colorful prairie-style garden along Dynasty Drive, near a house that wasn’t even on the tour.
How amazing is that, to have such a wealth of gardens in an area that even the non-tour yards look gorgeous?
The flowering extravaganza of the front yard continued around the side yard, which was adjacent to a neighborhood tennis court. As I followed the flowers…
…several bloggers heading back toward the bus said, “You must see this garden. The owner is inviting us in.”
Owners Julie Carley and Gary Mosiman were standing at the entrance to their expansive back garden, lush with hostas and ligularia in shade, lilies and daylilies in sun, and inviting passing bloggers to have a look. As it turns out, they were scheduled to be on a different tour the next day, or so I understood. It was a lucky bonus garden, then, for the Flingers!
Brightened with variegated hostas — and not a slug- or snail-chewed leaf in sight — the garden shows how beautiful a shady foliage garden can be (in the upper Midwest).
You talking about me?
With a little more sun, daylilies appear.
In the center of the garden, a sweeping lawn (no water shortages in Minnesota!) provides a verdant space to rest the eye. In the sunny border around it, brightly colored lilies and daylilies vie for attention.
I love a garden with lots of places to sit and enjoy the view. This simple concrete bench offers the perfect spot to breathe in the lilies’ fragrance.
Looking uphill, you can see what a huge elevation change there is between the house and lower garden. A deck helps bridge the gap between indoors and out.
Panning right, you see an elevated patio with steps and a retaining wall of wooden timbers — a beautiful way to bring the house and garden together. (And look, there’s Rebecca from Buda, Texas!) Climbing steps on the left (not pictured)…
…you arrive at an intimate, bark-mulched seating area shaded by a tall tree.
It offers views across the garden, including the upper patio on the other side.
Zooming in
And now here’s the view from the other patio.
Elevation changes add so much interest to a garden, and the broad curves of the planting beds set off the lawn to perfection.
More hostas under the trees
These oversized, rippled hosta leaves are lovely.
Ligularia (‘The Rocket’?) adds a swath of sunshine with its golden flower spikes.
What a beautiful garden!
Here’s one of the owners, Julie (left), explaining something to Diana and Gryphon. I’m grateful to Julie and Gary for spontaneously sharing their garden with us.
Up next: The Walden Road garden, one of the gardens on the Master Gardeners tour. For a look back at the flowery and art-filled Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, click here.
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Wow, what a hosta haven. I love all of those textures and colors floating along. Then the punctuation marks of lilies with that gorgeous color thrown in is marvelous.
I’m glad you enjoyed the pics, Lisa! —Pam
Beautiful vignettes with the great swathes of hosta!
Yes, truly, what a show. —Pam
Wonderful post Pam. I was too quick to get on the bus and missed seeing this garden, now I feel like I have. Beautiful!
It’s impossible to see everything at the Fling. I’m glad to be able to show this bonus garden here. —Pam
Wonderful garden – thank you for sharing it! I, too, got back on the bus too quickly and missed the impromptu tour. I did see the outside of their garden and wowie zowie, it was fantastic. Also, how photogenic are Gryphon and Rebecca? Like movie stars or royalty, those two!
I notice that certain people show up in many photos because they’re especially photogenic or dress in an eye-catching way that stands out in a garden. Both Rebecca and Gryphon were wearing floating skirts that added romance to the garden pics. —Pam
Fabulous pictures! Those were some wonderful gardens, weren’t they, and so diverse. The woodland gardens we saw compelled me to buy three Actaea rubra upon my return.
Yes, it’s wonderful to see so much gardening inspiration! Of course, I’ve yet to attend a Fling (aside from hosting in Austin) where the plants were relevant to my Texas garden. But I take my inspiration from the mood, art, and overall design of faraway gardens. And I’m never disappointed. —Pam
*Sigh* Hostas exist only in my dreams…
Right? I feel your pain, Kris. —Pam
How lucky you and others were to be able to see that garden. You can tell a lot of pride and work went into it. I could sit in one of those Adirondack chairs with a book for quite awhile I think. Pure bliss.
Me too, Laura. It must bring the owners so much pleasure. —Pam
Fabulous Midwestern garden! All those hostas! And nary a snail/slug chew in sight! Everything is so green and calm. Lovely garden.
Yes, it really was. —Pam
Oh, my heart is broken. What a garden for a shade gardener to have missed! Your pictures speak a thousand words, but even so (*sobs silently*).
I’m sorry, Helen. I know the disappointment of missing a special garden. When I was in the Bay Area for the Fling a couple of years ago, I had an extra day, with a car, and neglected to go see Cornerstone Sonoma. I was kicking myself later when I realized. —Pam
Minneapolis is quite the gardening city! Riding the Fling bus through residential areas, I kept my nose glued to the window. So many hostas!
It was the signature plant of the Fling gardens, I thought. —Pam
I loved this garden! How lucky that we were invited in. :o) Just stunning!
It was so nice of the owners, wasn’t it? —Pam