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Mark your calendars: A season's worth of home garden tours

From quaint neighborhoods to metrowide excursions, there's plenty to choose from.

By Nancy Ngo

June 16, 2023 at 12:30PM

“Plant, Grow, Harvest, Repeat” author Meg Cowden will welcome tourgoers to her Long Lake garden, focused on succession planting, during the Learning Garden Tour. (Hennepin County Master Gardeners./The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Garden tour season is just around the bend, aiming to educate and inspire both avid gardeners and aspiring green thumbs alike. The tours are varied and geared toward having something for everyone, whether your interest lies in rain gardens, succession planting, urban farming and beyond.

Here are some of the home garden tours in this season's lineup:

THE SEWARD GARDEN TOUR

June 22: Eleven "eclectic" urban gardens are featured in this Minneapolis neighborhood tour run by the Seward Neighborhood Group. The evening event is followed by a garden party with refreshments and a raffle prize. (6 to 8 p.m.; $15 advance, $20 day of tour; sng.org)

ST. ANTHONY PARK GARDEN TOUR

June 24: Held every other year, this St. Paul neighborhood tour offers a look into some of the area's most picturesque gardens. Pollinator-friendly, landscaped and rain gardens are part of the mix. (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; $15, ages 10 and under free; stanthonyparkgardenclub.com)

LEARNING GARDEN TOUR

July 8: Hennepin County Master Gardener volunteers host this self-guided tour spotlighting nine gardens in Minneapolis and the northwest suburbs of Hennepin County. Stops focus on the latest trends and techniques, with topics including garden design, succession planting (including "Plant, Grow, Harvest, Repeat" author Meg Cowden's Long Lake garden) and urban farming. The 2023 event will also spotlight pollinator plants to attract butterflies, dragonflies, wasps and more. Experts will be on hand to offer tips. A "Garden Shed" to shop accessories will be available at one stop while reading materials at the "Book Nook" will be featured at another. (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; $15 advance; $20 day of tour. Discounts available for groups of 10 or more. Children under 12 admitted free with paid adult; hennepinmastergardeners.org)

NORTHFIELD GARDEN CLUB TOUR

July 8-9: Homeowners in the Northfield area open their gardens to the public in this self-guided tour that features about six residential gardens each year. Gardens aim to show a variety such as vegetable, fruit and flower gardens. Garden art is also part of the lineup. (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; $10; thenorthfieldgardenclub.org)

AUXILIARY PRIVATE GARDEN TOURS

July 16-18: Tour four private gardens across the metro in the comfort of air-conditioned motor coaches. Expect gardens with plenty of history and charm, as well as displays filled with colorful florals, pollinator-friendly plantings, water features as well as art pieces. But wait, there's more: Depending on the tour time, brunch, light bites and/or wine will be available. (Starting at 9 a.m.; starting at $75; 612-625-9865; arb.umn.edu/privategardentours)

PUBLIC GARDEN AND URBAN FARM TOUR

July 22: The Men's and Women's Garden Club of Minneapolis hosts this self-guided metro area tour of a community garden, five private gardens and two urban farms (a cut-flower and a mushroom farm). Each location will feature on-the-hour tours as well as experts or displays addressing everything from bonsais and hydroponic planting to garden photography and flower arranging. (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; $20; gardenclubmpls.org)

MWGS WATER GARDEN TOUR

July 29-30: The group that maintains the water garden in the Minnesota State Fair's Agriculture Building (and hosts the annual Friends' Plant Sale, also on the grounds) gives a reason to meander outside of the fairgrounds to see its members' works. The self-guided tour will feature 10 aquatic sites across the Twin Cities metro area and is a chance to check out how to garden plant life in fountains, ponds, waterfalls and other aquatic-type gardens. (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; $15 advance, $20 day of event, $5 single site ticket. Ages 15 and under free with paid adult. Mwgs.org)

BEYOND THE METRO

ROCHESTER GARDEN AND FLOWER CLUB

July 8: Not only does this tour spotlight six private gardens, but the lineup includes educational booths, local artisans and musicians. (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; $15, under 18 free; 507-993-9176; rgfc.org)

DULUTH WOMEN'S CLUB TOUR OF HOMES AND GARDENS

July 19: In addition to gardens, interiors are part of this self-guided tour that highlights landscapes and homes ranging from stately to modern. Food trucks will be available for lunch. (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; $40; duluthwomansclub.com)

Minnesota Water Garden Society Pond and Garden Tour. (Provided by Minnesota Water Garden Society./The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The Seward Garden Tour. (Luke Borkenhagen/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The 2023 Learning Garden Tour. (Hennepin County Master Gardener Program/The Minnesota Star Tribune)