Go Green, Garden Local

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May2014_GardenFeat1 Spring has arrived and pansies, a cool weather favorite, are one of the best flowers to plant early for those cool mornings! (Photo by Jill Boogren)[/caption] By JILL BOOGREN The closing of Linder’s Garden Center on Larpenteur Ave. last fall left a big hole in St. Paul’s gardening landscape. You may need to go a bit farther afield, but there are still a few local places you can go to get your green on without going to the big box retailers who don’t specialize in gardening. Egg|Plant Urban Farm Supply 1771 Selby Ave. (@ Wheeler) Open since 2010, Egg|Plant specializes in seeds, plants, soils and tools for the small-scale urban garden, with an emphasis on food — fruits, veggies, berries, edible flowers — and plants that attract bees. They sell chicks (by preorder) and chicken-keeping supplies as well as cheese-making and canning equipment. They also carry a large selection of native bee houses.
GardenFeatPhoto_3 Egg|Plant co-owner Audrey Matson and Leslie Ostrander with two-day-old chicks which they sell by preorder. They specialize in seeds plants, soils and tools for the small-scale urban gardener. (Photo by Jill Boogren)[/caption] “We promote native bees and native pollinators through native bee houses and planting,” said Audrey Matson, who co-owns Egg|Plant with Bob Lies. Egg|Plant doesn’t do landscaping, but they do offer a variety of classes in raising backyard chickens, beekeeping, edible landscaping, backyard mushrooms, canning, fermentation, and making cheese. “We want to help people learn skills to grow and preserve their own food, to learn traditional skills, to lead healthier lives,” said Matson. Check the chicken coops and farmhouse cider containers out back. Hours: Tues., Wed., Fri., and Sat., 10am-6pm; Thurs., 10am-8pm; Sun., noon-4pm. Closed Mondays. www.eggplantsupply.com Highland Nursery 1742 7th St W. A visit to Highland Nursery is like stepping into a secret garden, where carefully contoured stone paths are lined with plants of all types, and statues abound. Tucked among the pots and greenery are sculpted concrete renditions of children reading, cats, dogs, angels, gnomes, wizards, gargoyles, and dragons. Standing high above them all is a bur oak sculpture, which commemorates Irish pioneers who homesteaded the site in 1850. The children of Narnia would be quite at home here.
GardenFeatPhoto_2 Plants are in abundance at Highland Nursery, along with their collection of statuary, pots and other garden accessories. (Photo by Jill Boogren)[/caption] “We specialize in ambience,” said President Sue Hustings. “You feel like you’re in a garden more than a garden center.” Highland Nursery has been in the family since 1947. Their plants, including over 140 varieties of herbs and every conceivable shrub, come from Minnesota and Wisconsin. They are carefully nurtured from one season to the next, with many housed in the adjacent greenhouse. Highland carries an abundance of cast iron pergolas, baker’s racks, and trel­lises, along with garden art (have kids see if they can spot the giraffes), pots, and miniature items for fairy gardens. They don’t do landscaping or carry sod. Hours: Mon.-Fri., 10am-8pm; Sat.-Sun., 10am-5pm www.thehighlandnursery.com Leitner’s Garden Center 945 Randolph Ave. The chalkboard out front reads “over 100 years young and still local”! Leitner’s evolved from the horse and wagon days until it became a garden center in 1976. “We pride ourselves in having an entire greenhouse devoted to edibles, organic or sustainably grown,” including over 100 varieties of herbs, said Manager Joan Westby, who has been with the company for 30 years. Most plants come from Minnesota and Wisconsin, with some from the west coast. They also have a year round floral department that specializes in botanical, European-style designs. And, according to Westby, they have a cult following for David Austin English Roses. Leitner’s carries gardening supplies, art and pottery, and offers a year-round custom potting service. They don’t do landscaping, but their Leitner’s Landscape Products Center (across 7th St. at 630 Juno Ave.) has a huge selection of products for do-it-yourself-ers: bulk landscape rock, flagstone, pavers, gravel, soil, mulches, ready-mix concrete, and sod. On shopping local, Joan said she loves going to her neighborhood store. “I hope everybody feels that way and gives neighborhood stores the first shot,” she said. Hours: Mon.-Fri., 8am-8pm; Sat., 8am-6pm; Sun., 9am-5pm www.leitnersstpaul.com Mother Earth Gardens NE Mpls. 2318 NE Lowry Ave. (@ Stinson) Opened last year, Mother Earth Gardens is the second of two garden centers owned by Karen O’Connor and Paige Pelini, the other being in Minneapolis’ Longfellow neighborhood. Their aim is to be an affordable urban boutique garden center with what O’Connor calls “a small footprint, huge selection.” Their plants, nearly all if which are organic, are grown in Minnesota and Wisconsin and include annuals, perennials, herbs, and vegetables. They also offer hundreds of native varieties, including trees and shrubs. Their main emphasis is organic gardening and sustainably-grown plants. They carefully vet all their products—no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides are used or sold, and they’re committed to using compostable pots. Bird baths, garden pots, and steel trellises are for sale, as well as locally-made art pieces for pot, garden, and home. They also carry bird feeders, birdseed, and feed and supplies for backyard chickens. Mother Earth has a garden consultation business that ranges from an hour’s worth of garden coaching all the way to a full-scale plant list. They do very little installation (and only after the busy season) and no hardscaping. They have a smart watering system on their lot: a 1200-gallon cistern in the ground allows them to use rainwater to water ornamentals, with overflow going into their rain garden. Hours: Mon.-Wed., 9am-7pm; Thurs.-Fri., 9am-8pm; Sat., 9am-6pm; Sun., 10am-6pm www.motherearthgarden.com Hermes Floral 1639 Larpenteur Ave. W. (across the street from its old location) Hermes is now cut flowers only. They also carry locally-made cards, jewelry and pottery. www.hermesfloral.com

More Gardening Resources

In addition to gardening tools and supplies, ACE Hardware at Lexington and Roselawn carries a huge selection of soils, manures, and mulches, including many organics. Other ACE Hardware stores in the vicinity carry a selection as well. 100% local, the St. Paul Farmers Market has flowers, plants (many organic), and shrubs available. Check out the big weekend market in Lowertown or weekday markets at satellite locations on Summit Ave. and in Roseville. Boasting 2,300 varieties of plants, the annual Friends School Plant Sale is held Mother’s Day weekend at the State Fairgrounds.

Happy Gardening!

Ace Hardware

www.acehardware.com

ACE Suburban Hardware

1930 Lexington Ave. N., Roseville Mon.-Fri. 8am-8pm, Sat. 8am-6pm, Sun. 10am-6pm

Kendall’s ACE Hardware & Paint

978 Dale St. N. Mon.-Fri. 7:30am-8pm, Sat. 9am-6pm, Sun. 9am-5pm

St. Paul Farmers Markets

www.stpaulfarmersmarket.com

Lowertown 290 E. 5th St. Sat. 6am-1pm, Sun. 8am-1pm

St. Thomas More Church 1079 Summit Ave. Fri. 1:15-5pm

Church of Corpus Christi 2131 Fairview Ave. N., Roseville Tues. 8am-noon

Friends School Plant Sale

www.friendsschoolplantsale.com State Fairgrounds Fri. May 9 9am,-8pm; Sat. May 10 10am-6pm; Sun. May 11 10am-2pm

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