Rochester Garden & Flower Club

2025-2026 CALENDAR

APRIL

Diane Blazek, the Executive Director of All American Selections and the National Garden Bureau will share the newest and top performing flowering plants and veggies. Learn how the National Garden Bureau at Columbia College, Chicago, Illinois is your invaluable, all-around garden resource. https://all-americaselections.org/, https://ngb.org/

MAY

Carpool to Menonite Greenhouses, Pine Hill, Hoovers, and K & R. Meet at 7:30 at the Kohl’s parking lot near Sterling State Bank. Bring a lunch and beverage.

Carpool to Menonite Greenhouses, Deerfield, Rose Arbor, and Oak Grove. Bring a lunch and beverage. Meet at 7:30 at the Kohl’s parking lot near Sterling State Bank. Bring a lunch and beverage.

Carpool to Pork & Plants near Altura. Meet at the east parking lot at the Heintz Center at 8:30 a.m. arriving about 9 a.m./9:15a.m. Leave Pork & Plants about 11 a.m. heading to Utica for lunch at Brewski's. A table will be set and ready. They will be notified that we are coming. After lunch, we will head back to St Charles, taking CR 74 to the Amish Greenhouses, Sunset View and Gingerich's.

Carpool to Iowa Greenhouses, K & K Gardens (Hawkeye), Fox Greenhouse (Randalia), and Cannons Greenhouse (Westgate). Leave at 7:30 a.m. from the Kohl’s Parking Lot near Sterling State Bank in SE Rochester. Lunch at Bent’s BBQ in Westgate.

This is the one you just can’t miss. Club members will have their Minnesota hardy perennials for sale along with veggies and native plants. Cash, Check or Card.   https://www.rgfc.org/plantsale.html

JUNE                        

Speaker to be announced.

JULY

The bus trip will leave at 7:00 a.m. from the Walmart/Sam’s Club parking lot by Kwik Trip. Bring your lunch. Bottled water and snacks will be provided.

• First Stop: Tom Carlson’s Hosta Farm and Gardens (Roseville, MN). Tom is the former owner of Hosta Direct and IDeal Garden Markers and will be sending a list of hostas available for sale.
• Second Stop: Ascent Flower Garden (Champlin, MN). Yee Lee and Bryan Johnsen, First Place winners of the 2023 Star Tribune Most Beautiful Garden. They have a greenhouse for sale.
• Third Stop: Garden of Barbara Burgum on Lake Minnetonka (Deephaven, MN). Landscape artist Barbara Burgum’s unique garden has been honored by the Smithsonian Archives of “Gardens Across America.”
• Fourth Stop: Dynasty Drive Gardens of Gary Mosiman and Julie Carly. Explore the expansive gardens of longstanding hostaholics, Gary Mosiman and Julie Carly. These gardens were visited by SOGHS ten years ago.

If time allows a stop at Gertens Greenhouse (Inver Grove Heights, MN) on the way home. Arrive back in Rochester at 6:00 p.m.

SOGHS members: $30.00, Non-members $35.00. Sign-up sheets available at April meeting or contact Dorothy at (507) 208-5680.

The garden tour starts at the RCTC Heintz Center at 10:00 a.m.   https://www.rgfc.org/gardentour.html

AUGUST

Date and Location to be announced.

SEPTEMBER

Presented by Margaret MacNeal. Margaret is a past president of the American Daffodil Society, current president of the MN Daffodil Society, a frequent presenter at national gardening events, and an author of many gardening articles in the popular press. While daffodils are her passion, she is an expert in fall planting and all fall bulbs. The MN Daffodil Society maintains a daffodil garden at the MN Horticulture Society. The garden features hybrids by MN Daffodil Society members that are so rare that they are not available for retail sale. Ms. McNeal will bring daffodil bulbs to sell. Proceeds benefit the MN Daffodil Society. https://www.daffodilmn.org/

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

More information will be available at https://www.olmstedhistory.com/mayowood

DECEMBER

JANUARY 2026

Mike Grossmann and Kathleen Nordstrom of West Concord, Minnesota will present. Mike and Kathleen have been growing and hybridizing lilies for many years. The farm has produced many spectacular and national award-winning hybrids. Mike focuses on “toothy” edges and big eyes. Kathleen creates lilies with patterned eyes. https://northernlightsdaylilies.com/

Presented by James Bearsley, Northern Rosarian, American Rose Society Master Rosarian and Accredited Rose Judge, growing roses in Maplewood, Mn. A member of the Minnesota Rose Society, the Lake Superior Rose Society, the Minnesota State Horticultural Society and the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum where he is a Rose Expert. Besides roses, James grows hostas, lilies, daylilies, peonies, native shrubs, wildflowers and maintains butterfly and hummingbird gardens. https://www.northernrosarian.com

Jenna Mundahl, owner of Northern Aroids will share tips & tricks for your houseplants and introduce us to the newest, trendiest, and most exotic houseplant varieties. Jenna will have some plants to sell. Be prepared, you will want to collect all of them! NorthernAroids on Facebook or @palmstreetap

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