Amazingly, this beautiful perennial garden was begun from scratch in 2014. Teresa describes her landscape design as “impulse gardening,” selecting many plants that catch her eye, which has resulted in a huge array of perennials. She has included old favorites that worked in her San Antonio, Texas,

garden and that have proven to be adaptable to Minnesota and mixed them with familiar local varieties. Many small

trees and shrubs - Korean maple, pagoda dogwoods, redbuds and Japanese tree lilacs - give the perennial beds and yard some structure. As Teresa reminds us, plants are like furniture; you can always move them around!

Sunset Studios is our home. Tom is a potter, and I am a textile visual artist. We both are retired business people and now are full-time artists. Tom goes to his studio to have quiet conversations with his clay to make pottery to be used and enjoyed. Judy goes to her studio and continues to research techniques she can use with organic natural dye materials. Every day brings a new discovery.

 In just its second growing season, this ambitious “work in progress” serves two young children, a dog, and an avid gardener. The half-acre lot features several distinct spaces,

including two seating areas, an herb garden, a fairy garden, and a large front yard perennial garden. With the removal of over 20 trees from an overgrown lot, the garden now has a variety of shady and sunny spots allowing for a great mix of plants. As

with most gardens, this one pleases the senses. In the front, the rustling leaves of young quaking aspen entertain the ear. Fruit-bearing bushes and trees will soon entertain the palate, and the many colorful perennials will bring joy to the eye and pollen to a variety of pollinators.

In 2011, I took up woodturning full time and moved to MN. I create simple forms – bowls, platters, boxes, and vases. Each item is shaped by hand from a single piece of raw, often green, wood.

The shapes emerge as they turn, as I begin to remove wood with gouges and chisels. The wood inspires me: its colors, textures, patterns, and figure; scars from living; insect or fungus stains; and a finish that brings out the beauty of the wood. I am moved by the

shapes: curves that flow; balance and proportion; forms that are a pleasure to hold and beautiful to see.

With a house dating from 1869, stone walls that are more than 90 years old, and a planter built from the remnants of an old stone pond, this historic property is definitely one of a kind in town. This small lot provides views into several neighboring plantings, including one of the largest willow trees in town.

Highlights include a perennial cottage-style garden along a side

walkway, an upper small lawn with perennial borders, a fenced raised-bed vegetable garden with a water collection system, a terraced rock garden, and a shade garden. Many small flowering trees - wild American plum, dwarf cherries, redbuds, crabapple, and several Korean maples decorate the yard.

I play with my camera, as if tasting visual candy. Flowers intrigue me because of their beauty, color, and changing nature with time. I find great beauty in wilting blooms. I am a voyeur, trying to catch significant moments without the subject’s awareness of the

photographer. The camera is a marvelous tool for capturing moments, for freezing time. I look for those images that show the symbolism of the moment: the fleeting nature of life in a small town, or the eternal qualities of  peaceful moments in a noisy metropolis.

This garden may be one of the most innovative in town. John, a retired farmer, has created inexpensive laborsaving and soil-enhancing solutions. The front "slope garden" has edible mushrooms, including dinnerplate- sized Winesap fungus. Cheap tote boxes, with water wells, are used to grow tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash. In back, two trellises support giant scarlet beans. Poles across the trellises hold containers for strawberries, which enjoy a plastic rain gutter watering system.

Underneath, the worm-filled compost pile has warm soil for the worms to work throughout the winter. John’s homemade “biochar” holds moisture and fertilizer better than commercial products, breaks down more slowly than wood chips, and removes CO2 from the air. This garden is a must see!

I design and create luxury backpacks, purses, accessory bags, wallets, and pouches. I love designing items that don't cost a

large amount of money, but still provide one piece that will give

someone a luxurious look. I use quality, durable fabric that will last

more than a week. My life goal is to build my way up to head

designer of my own brand, and the Garden Tour is a kick-start to my dream.

In 2014, this yard was totally overgrown with weeds and shrub

trees. In just 3 years the owners have created a peaceful retreat where they entertain family and friends around the fire pit, or just relax and admire their beautiful flowers. Anyone who enjoys gardening will appreciate this garden’s variety of colors, sizes, and species of plants and the peacefulness they generate.

Highlights are large ferns and canna bulbs, a raised vegetable garden, and a 2-tiered deck. Come enjoy this backyard hide-away nestled in the center of town and imagine what you

could create in your space.

I love making jewelry, especially the challenge of working with vintage, recycled, repurposed, and unconventional found objects and turning them into unique one of-a-kind fun pieces. Most of my jewelry has vintage parts & pieces. They may look rustic, weathered, unpolished, may have missing stones and have some

patina & show general vintage wear, which is the look I'm going for, not a mistake or bad workmanship. Clasps are new unless I have a vintage one that works.

A true pie shape, this property curves into the privacy of city

woods, with much buckthorn removed⎯thanks to Dave! The

owners have rehabbed and maintain city apple trees separating

the lot from a park. Bagged, “perfect” apples are offered to

walkers each autumn. Boulders of all sizes anchor, guide and star. From the entry area, follow around the house through the serene fire pit “room” with its copper art, down the gravel past the hostas, ferns, milkweed, kiwi trellis, and blueberries to the rain garden, fruit trees, and veggie garden. Exit via the public trail passed the sun-loving prairie and pollinator plants. Quilts add color, weather permitting!

My work is intended to chronicle the world around us while giving a glimpse of its past. Age is not always the great destroyer, but often creates a beauty of its own. I paint nature in all its glory,

from the serenity of a pastoral field to its effects on our man-made world. Painting brings me serenity, which I attempt to return to the viewer. My format is small-scale paintings in watercolor and ink. I believe a small-scale draws the viewer in. I like combining the boldness of ink with the fluidity and unpredictability of watercolors.