At the recent Toast and Taste in the gardens at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska, the sun set over the lush green surroundings and just about everything -- from hydrangeas to daisies -- was in bloom.
The sprawling grounds were filled with people sampling the offerings at booths for Twin Cities area restaurants, breweries and wineries.
It made for a wonderful -- if unofficial -- welcome party for Ed Schneider, the arboretum's new director. An expert in water lilies, Schneider said he's "learning the Minnesota plants" as he works on the "big initial thrust -- master planning for 25 years down the road."
He and his wife, Sandy, made the move from Santa Barbara, Calif., at an opportune time of year weather-wise, but Schneider said he's afraid of our "other" season.
"We're betting on long-term climate change," he joked.
The Schneiders weren't the only ones enjoying the bounty of summer. Chef Scott Pampuch of Corner Table in south Minneapolis was serving braised pork from Hidden Stream Farm and spicy cucumber gazpacho along with a bounty of in-season vegetables. Pampuch said he found the arboretum's mission inspiring.
"It matches what we do from a farming standpoint with preserving food historically -- an heirloom should be left alone as an heirloom," he said.
Not to mention that the view was a little bit better than the one out of his kitchen door.
