Lake Minnetonka Garden Stores

From black petunias to nostalgic hydrangeas, local garden stores offer new plant varieties for any garden you choose to create.

By: Shannon Slatton Schwartz | From the issue: April 2011

Photo: Tate Carlson

All across the lake area, green thumbs are itching. When the first crocuses, daffodils and tulips peek through the soil, gardeners start imagining their soggy, springtime yard full of green grasses and the flowering beauties of summer. After one of the snowiest winters on Minnesota record, gardening amateurs and enthusiasts alike will have plenty of new varieties and colors available to design a garden that will push any remnant of winter far, far away.

Black Beauty

Garden stores and nurseries all a-buzz over the most anticipated plant of the year: the black petunia. “It’s going to be a spring must-have flower,” says Kristine Uter, marketing manager at Otten Bros Garden Center.

Designers pair the black or sometimes dark purple flower with white for a formal look or with a hot pink bloom for a funky feel. Uter says schools and alumni are even requesting the flower to be featured in beds that finally can have a black flower to correspond with a school color.

“You have to see them,” says Vicky Greer, designer at Nature’s Harvest. “People will see them potted up and say, ‘I want that combination at my house.’”

Color My World

While black and dark colors may be the new ‘it’ thing in gardens, there are also many new varieties that boast vibrant colors and easy growing. “I have customers come back every year for Dragon Wing begonias because they are so forgiving,” says Patty Gregor, one of the owners of Gregor Farm and Greenhouse. Gregor says Dragon Wings are perfect for cabin-goers who need a plant that will perk up after a dry weekend.

Whatever your need, color scheme or desire for your garden, local nurseries and garden centers have been anticipating your desire get started on a backyard masterpiece. Here’s a look at what you can expect this spring:

Garden shops

Weber’s Westdale
15310 Minnetonka Blvd., Minnetonka
952.935.2134
Spring hours: Weekdays, 8:30 a.m.–6 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.

Weber’s Westdale is thinking yellow. The Minnetonka garden center showcases bulbs and pansies for the spring in shades of cheerful yellows. “Yellow is a bright and popular color,” says Mary Becker, design room manager. You can see the color featured in Westdale’s garden room during their various spring garden shows. “I hope people walk away with inspiration,” she says. “We highlight a few things so people can see different color combinations or learn how to use something. It’s one thing to see something on the shelf. It’s another to learn how to use it.”

Dick and Colleen Weber have been helping gardeners discover new ideas since opening Weber’s Westdale in1973. Their shop features plants as well as outdoor containers, pottery, fresh flower designs and nature-inspired permanent arrangements. “We are also known for our unique home accessories and gifts,” says Becker. Customers seek out Bulldog candles and Minneapolis-based Thymes products like soaps and lotions.

For the spring and summer, Becker recommends adding ferns to your garden. “They are perfect for outdoor container gardens, and work in both sun and shade,” says Becker. “People use the Kimberly Queen Fern in outdoor pots and love them.” The Kimberly Queen Fern originates from Australia and is very easy to grow. Weber’s Westdale sells the Kimberly Queen in pots starting at $19.95.