2021 GARDEN TOUR
What is the Garden Tour?:
Each July, selected homeowners in the Northfield area open their gardens to the public. This garden tour is organized, advertised and hosted by the Garden Club. This is a ticketed event, the proceeds from which go to support the grants program and other charitable activities of the Northfield Garden Club. See photos from the most recent Garden Tour HERE
2021 TOUR:
Garden Owner
118 Madison -- Kathryn Jamison & Robert Cox, Gardeners
This garden had 40 years of neglect before they bought it in 2014. The south side (next to 2nd St.) of the backyard is in deep shade. They kept the native woodland wildflowers and added many more natives and trees (including Hairy Solomon’s Seal, Virginia Bluebells, Wild Ginger, Nodding Trillium, a Golden Shadows Pagoda Dogwood, Elderberry, Tiger-eye Sumac, and various ferns). On the sunny side you’ll see flowers and grasses from Anemones to Salvia. Their neighbors created the stone wall, slate stepping-stone path and patio that leads to the garden room next to the cutting garden and fruit trees.
ARTIST: Jesse Hohman, Sotastone
Hardscapes in stone and metal.
Garden Owner
110 Madison -- Jesse & Brianna Hohman, Gardeners
For four years they worked on weed-trees, drainage issues, and years of neglect. Now there is an abundance of different shrubs and perennials from native to cultivated. After collaborating with neighbor Kathryn Jamison to link both backyards, it’s difficult to tell where one property ends and the next begins. In addition to building a dry creek bed with moss-covered rocks thoughtfully placed, gardener Jesse is a skilled stone mason with a passion for using locally sourced stone and reclaimed metal to create raised beds, retaining walls and pathways.
ARTIST: Jesse Hohman, Sotastone
Hardscapes in stone and metal.
Garden Owner
505 Ivanhoe Ave / Bob Thacker & Karen Cherewatuk, Gardeners
These gardeners wanted a low maintenance Forever Home with a large terrace as an outside room. Karen’s friends gifted many divided perennials and, 400 plants later, come see their woodland escape. Bob repurposed the dreaded buckthorn to form a wattle fence to screen the compost while Red Twig Dogwood and wild vines form a wattle ring around a tree. The large rain garden and the side garden are planted with pollinator-friendly plants. In front, the perennial garden’s retaining wall and planter were created from repurposed stones and architectural objects.
ARTIST: Rick Swearer: Glass pieces, glass flowers and welded architectural antiques as art pieces and benches.
Garden Owner
1115 Spring Street -- Jeanne Fischer, Gardener
Here is a free-form garden with annuals, perennials, shrubbery, and lots of eclectic art and tchotchkes throughout. Have a treasure hunt to find all the art and artistic-shaped plantings.
ARTIST: Jennie Autonoe: Botanical Yoga -- Gouche on paper paintings feature plants hiding figures doing yoga and acrobatics.
Garden Owner
607 St. Olaf Ave -- Steve Gegg & Julie Stoesz, Gardeners
Steve really enjoys discovering new and unusual plants, but most of the beds are dedicated to hummingbirds and pollinators. This garden provides housing with a variety of feeders for birds, Minnesota farm-field rocks, walking paths lined with pea gravel, an eclectic collection of family treasures, hostas, and an occasional garden gnome.
Garden Project
Northfield Depot
Enter off 2nd St. Many benefactors created this public space.
Depot Garden patio: Two Pagoda Dogwood trees, low-growing Bobo Hydrangeas and Dwarf Viburnum, interspersed with Salvia add color. Three patio entrances are planted with Barberry bushes edged in gold, and a large rain garden with Native Plants sits east of the Depot driveway.
ARTIST: Sculptures by Nick Swearer, John Maakestad
Depot sculptures: "Tree" was created by 14-year-old Nick Swearer using discarded railroad spikes from the Depot. The rotating sculpture "Windpiece" was created by John Maakestad. Nearby are low Japanese and Andorra Junipers, and potted Geraniums.