Close to Home: Garden tours, lakeshore stewardship, July 4th decorating and more

Discover the lush landscapes hidden behind some of St. Paul's stateliest homes at the Summit Avenue Garden Stroll next weekend.

This year's tour will feature 10 private gardens on the east end of the avenue, between Dale Street and the St. Paul Cathedral.

Among the highlights are two terraced gardens set into the bluff below Summit Avenue, where residents have transformed what was once an access road for the bygone carriage houses into winding footpaths and stairs that lead to the top of the bluff for a panoramic view of the city below.

Tour hours are noon to 4 p.m. on June 28. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 on the day of the event. Advance tickets can be purchased at Kowalski's Market and Fratallone's Ace Hardware, both on Grand Avenue, and the James J. Hill House (all in St. Paul) and online at www.sarpa.org.

Do you live on a lake? Want to learn about improving water quality and creating habitat for pollinators and other wildlife? Attend a free seminar on floating wetlands, Metro Blooms programs and other green practices from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on June 30. The seminar will be held at the private Plymouth home of Heidi Heiland, owner of Heidi's Lifestyle Gardens. For information about the seminar and registration, call 651-379-2492.

The garden-tour season is just getting underway. Up next weekend is the Prospect Park Garden Walk and plant sale on June 27, a free garden tour that will include a range of private and public gardens in the southeast end of the Minneapolis neighborhood known for its landmark "witch's hat" tower.

Gardens open for touring will include an urban farm lot, a large straw-bale garden and a hillside fairy garden. Master gardeners will be on hand at an education station to answer garden-related questions.

Maps of the garden locations are available at several neighborhood businesses, including Schneider Drugstore, Cupcake, Overflow Cafe, Textile Center and Signature Cafe. You can also pick up a map on the day of the walk at the table inside the Franklin Oval pocket garden at Bedford Street and SE. Franklin Avenue. The plant sale, a fundraiser for the Prospect Park Garden Club, also will be at the Franklin Oval.

Garden walk hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

If you enjoy art inspired by the natural landscape, check out the new exhibit at the Bakken Museum. "Drawn From Nature" features drawings and paintings by students of the Minnesota School of Botanical Art. The exhibit will be on display through Sept. 20 in the Great Hall of the Bakken, at 36th Street and W. Calhoun Parkway on the west shore of Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis. For more information, visit www.thebakken.org or call 612-926-3878.

July 4th is right around the corner. Why not add some patriotic flair to your patio or front entry? You can pick up tips and hands-on help at a container workshop at Bachman's. Participants will create a festive July 4th-inspired container garden, using the "thriller, filler and spiller" technique. The $50 cost covers all materials. The workshop will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. June 30 at Bachman's, 6010 Lyndale Av. S., Mpls. Register at www.bachmans.com.

It's time to make your reservation for the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum's annual garden-party fundraiser, Taste & Toast, on July 15. The event will feature fresh, in-season tastes from top local restaurants, along with sips from regional wineries and breweries, all in the outdoor gardens and terraces of the arboretum. New this year is a pre-party reception featuring exclusive sampling and a talk with chef Gavin Kaysen of Spoon & Stable, the downtown Minneapolis eatery recently among finalists for the James Beard award for best new restaurant in the country.

Reservations are $75 for general admission from 7 to 9 p.m., which includes a $30 tax-deductible donation, or $125 for early admission at 6 p.m., which includes an $80 tax-deductible donation. Call 612-625-9875 or visit www.arboretum.umn.edu/toastandtaste.aspx.

KIM PALMER

It's your last day to peruse and choose one-of-a-kind artwork at the Stone Arch Bridge Festival in Minneapolis. The annual June art fete is spread across a grassy walkway bordered by the Mississippi River on one side and the cobblestoned Main Street on the other. More than 250 artists will display mixed and digital media works, paintings, photography, ceramics, sculpture, printmaking and glass work, which could add an avant-garde accent to your home decor. There's also live music, a classic car show, family art activities and, of course, food and drink. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 21. For more details, go to www.stonearchfestival.com.

LYNN UNDERWOOD