Fans of Funkie Gardens were downcast when the purveyor of unusual plants announced last summer that it was closing after 15 years.
Terri Weiler was one of those mourners. A longtime gardener, she discovered Funkie only recently and fell in love. "I thought, 'Now this is fun -- to find such different, unique plants,'" she recalled. When she heard Funkie was shutting its doors, she thought, "I can't let this happen." So she met with owners Baard and Diane Webster and ultimately decided to buy their business and reopen in a new location.
Weiler is retaining Funkie staff members Buck Duncan and master gardener Colleen Wall, and will continue the original Funkie's focus on rare, new and unusual perennials, including hostas and martagon lilies. "We're trying to keep the Funkie tradition going," Weiler said.
Funkie Gardens, which formerly operated out of the Websters' antebellum home in Prescott, Wis., is moving about 40 miles north and across the river, to a barn near Marine on St. Croix, Minn. It will reopen on Earth Day, April 22, just off Highway 95, next to Crabtree's Garden Gate.
A grand opening is scheduled for Mother’s Day weekend, May 8-9. Funkie’s new location is 19713 Quinnell Av., Marine on St. Croix, Minn. For hours and other information, visit www.funkiegardens.com or call 651-207-4873.
