Tangletown Gardens groupies already know that owner Scott Endres is a master at making showstopping container gardens.
Taunton Press editor Michelle Gervais found out a couple of summers ago when she attended Tangletown's annual Twin Cities Garden and Art tour.
"She was impressed with our out-of-the-box container designs," said Endres of his signature style of mixing woody plants with tropicals, annuals and even ornamental edibles in unexpected ways.
Other Taunton editors were equally impressed. And over the years they've hired Endres to produce several gardening features in their Fine Gardening magazine. This spring, he was given his own magazine -- Container Gardening.
Endres designed the majority of the pots and wrote the how-to copy for Taunton's annual issue, which is on newsstands now for $7.95.
"It was an honor, and the Twin Cities is being acknowledged as a premiere area with exceptional gardens," said Endres, who opened Tangletown Gardens in Minneapolis in 2002.
Last summer, Endres led Container Gardening editor and photographer Brandi Spade on a tour of Twin Cities gardens and patios, as well as his own backyard. She shot photos of the organic masterpieces by the Tangletown staff and even some of their talented customers.
"Scott has such a great eye for design," said Spade. "He uses a unique mix of plants and his colors are insane."
Another local garden guru, Martin Stern, owner of Squire House Gardens in Afton, said he's familiar with Endres' creative container compositions.
"His style is big, bold and theatrical," said Stern. "But some of the plants he uses can be pricey and you may need a plan to overwinter them."
Stern added that Endres' designs also spotlight the "wonderful varieties that have become available to the public in the last 10 years."
Newbies and experienced container gardeners can copy Endres' big, bold style by following handy color-coded and numbered drawings that accompany the photos of lush urns and planters overflowing with everything from tropical King Tut papyrus to annual calibrachoa.
The magazine features pots for every purpose, from seating areas to entry ways. Endres also explains how to successfully combine plant color, shape and texture for your own free-flowing designs.
"I hope the magazine inspires people who are in a rut to try something different," said Endres. "All of a sudden gardening is fresh and new, and they can challenge their creative senses."
Lynn Underwood • 612-673-7619
Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame: A class-by-class list of all members
This retired journalist changed professional wrestling from Mankato
