Master Garden Tour to be held in August

The Lake of the Woods Master Gardeners Garden Tour “Real Gardens for Real People” is coming up, Saturday, August 11, 2007 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Featured in this article are two of the five Host Gardens and their Gardeners that will welcome garden tourists. Lake of the Woods County MN has been blessed for decades with the talents and service of these two Baudette couples – Ruth & Otto Lee and Fern & John Lamberson.
In visiting with these Gardeners and walking with them through their outdoor living spaces – one is filled with a sense of inspiration and beauty, and artful personality in the variety of their garden beds and containers that have been designed and evolved throughout the years, adding continuing interest with new types of plants and ideas.
Ruth and Otto Lee - The Lee’s tell us that “visitors will have the opportunity to see a variety of perennials used in our landscaping design, including Minnesota Hardy Mums and Annabelle Hydrangeas. Colorful annuals are planted in numerous containers and we will share information on how to keep container plantings beautiful and growing by deadheading, pruning and fertilizing throughout the season. The majority of these annuals are started in our greenhouse set-up, which will also be a part of the tour. An informational handout will be available for each tour participant. Come and Enjoy!”
In asking to share advice they would give to those wanting to start and grow a garden, Ruth and Otto responded to start small and work up from there depending on resources of time, energy, money, ideas. Even starting and caring for one planter successfully will motivate you greatly to continue gradually as you are able to do so. Be resourceful in using what you have available to you. In coming up with your plan, review your location, current plantings, type of soil – and how you can work within that or make adjustments. Look to your taste in inside décor – as one would redecorate inside, gardeners can do the same with color, style and personality outside. One of their main encouragements to families is that gardening - whether it is one container or a whole yard - is something that brings the family together, bonds them, teaches responsibility, provides exercise and stress relief, a sense of satisfaction/accomplishment and also learning from disappointments in outcome - whether it was from something that could be changed or something beyond one's control. Whatever your age, it is all a learning process and in addition to your plants, you will also grow in many ways.
Fern and John Lamberson – The Lamberson’s garden areas are filled with many colorful annuals and perennials, as well as vegetables and shrubs. Fern enjoys growing flowers and plants from seeds –“keep them warm” when they are sowed. She starts them in the spring indoors and has nice sized plants when the weather warms up outside. She nourishes them with water from their rain barrels and regular plant feedings. John has built unique growing areas, including her Petunia tree which is filled with hanging containers and is a full of beautiful blooms. He also is the vegetable gardener, enjoying eating what he plants. It is pleasurable for them to sit outside and view the beauty in their yard – as well as – It makes them feel good when cars drive by slowly to view the colorful garden. Visited by a group of people on one occasion demonstrated that a garden is pleasing to many senses. Among the group was a partially blind woman who enjoyed the fragrance of the flowers and experienced its beauty in that manner.
Experienced gardeners face the same challenges as everyone, and include the wind and harsh hail / rain, and garden pests - They make the best of it by keeping the garden cleaned up and properly nourished to discourage disease and pests, and concentrating on what is working well and always trying something new. A good outlook on life itself.
Ticket/Brochures for the Lake of the Woods, MN Master Gardeners Garden Tour: “Real Gardens for Real People” can be obtained in advance from the Tourism Bureau in Baudette, or by contacting Tour Chair Elfreda Stangland at 218/634-9814. The tour of the five gardens is self-guided. Cost is $10 for Adults and includes a Dessert Package at Timbermill Park. Children supervised by an adult are very Welcome and will be admitted at no charge. Proceeds from the tour will go to the Lake of the Woods Master Gardeners for future Master Gardener scholarships.
If you are interested in becoming a Master Gardener, the horticulture course is taken through the University of Minnesota and is available locally online during a pre-established period each year. Volunteer Master Gardeners provide a positive contribution to their communities by inspiring and educating others in everyday horticulture through research based information. For more information on becoming a Master Gardener, please contact Nathan Johnson, Regional Director, University of Minnesota Extension – Roseau Ph: (218)463-0294  Toll Free: 888-241-4546 johns854@umn.edu
Submitted by Eileen Josack, Lake of the Woods MN Master Gardener Reporter (218/634-1840)