Rochester Garden & Flower Club

2025-2026 CALENDAR

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                        

As outside temperatures heat up so does the threat of wildfires. Michael Palmer, Firewise Communities Specialist for the Department of Natural Resources will present on what actions we can take to minimize the risk of fire on our property and to our homes. Michael works with communities to implement Firewise Best Practices on individual properties and on a broader community scale. The more we work with our neighbors, the lower the fire risk. His goal is to educate and help people understand the tools and projects that can reduce the fire risks. Michael will also have take-home literature that we will be able to share with family and neighbors.

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

This year’s summer garden party will be held again at the History Center of Olmsted County picnic shelter—starting at 5:30. There will be a silent auction and a plant swap so bring your items to auction and your plants to swap!  Any used garden-type item that needs to find another home can be added to the silent auction.  This makes for fun shopping!  Please note that only cash and check will be accepted for your purchases as using a credit card for payment is not necessarily secure therefore will not be used this year.  For the plant swap: a variety of plants that you may have divided from your personal garden or even extra veggies from your garden will be accepted.  New and different plants are always an added bonus for one who has a new garden!

This event will be a potluck, so bring a dish to share!  We will have ice to keep items cold.  Iced tea and lemonade will be provided, bring water if you prefer.

We hope that you come out to socialize with your garden friends!  Bring a plant to swap and a dish to pass!

We hope to see you there!

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

To be announced

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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