News tribune, Duluth News Tribune

Published Saturday, April 19, 2008

Three options available for Duluth's second Tour des Fleurs

Nine garden centers in the Twin Ports are teaming up May 31 to host busloads of gardeners and offer special gardening workshops and plant discounts.

Tour des Fleurs, a tour of Twin Ports garden centers, is taking place for the second year. It’s sponsored by the Duluth Garden Flower Society and Bayfront Visions, a volunteer citizens group. Buses leave from the University of Minnesota Duluth at 8 a.m. with stops at three garden centers and return at 3 p.m.

Participants chose one of three tour routes:

Wisconsin: Pederson’s Gardens and Landscapes, Missinne Greenhouse and Landscape and the Garden House. Class topics include decorative water features, topiary templates, herbs, native perennials and cut flowers.

Hills:Edelweiss Landscaping/Nursery, Lake Superior Garden Center and Engwall Garden Center and Nursery with classes on deer control, ornamental grasses, fresh flower arranging, ponds and rain gardens.

Northwest: Garden Images, Mac’s Landscape Center and Mother Nature and Company with classes on container planting, pruning, building a retaining wall, benefits of wood mulching and the care and maintenance of annuals.

Registration deadline is May 28. Cost, which includes lunch, is $30 until May 20; $35 after May 20. For a brochure, call 525-1717, visit www.dgfs.us or e-mail DaleHurst@qwest.net.