Last year I had the most delightful opportunity to photograph a Twin Cities garden that was brimming with iris, hostas, peonies, and other flowers and plants. Patti and Lloyd Weber put all their love of gardening into their yard and garden beds, and the end result is a delightful respite of color and beauty. With numerous gardens throughout their yard it was a challenge as a photographer to capture each one. The “Parents and Grandparents Garden” has shrubs and flowers that have been passed down through the families, or ones they remember their relatives tending. The “Grandchildrens Garden” has round stepping-stones with each child’s footprint and name. The “Fairy Garden” is a delightful miniature garden with a sign reminding one to “Believe.” There’s even a “Hosta Hospital” where Lloyd cares for those plants needing a bit more TLC before going back into the main gardens. Everywhere I looked there was something to catch and delight my eye and cause me to slow down and capture the photograph. I visited the Webers many times last year and each time there was something new to see and photograph. It was a challenge to narrow down my submission images for the feature article that has just been published in the May/June issue of Northern Gardener Magazine. The iris on the cover shown here is “Orangutan Orange” and is one of over 100 different iris that grace their gardens. If you’re in the Minnesota area pick up a copy of the magazine and enjoy the beauty of the Webers’ gardens, their personalities, and their passions that are featured in the article. Northern Gardener Magazine is published by the Minnesota State Horticultural Society. For more information, please check their website at www.northerngardener.org.
spring
Mens collegiate rugby playoffs
The Mens Division I College Rugby playoffs were being played this past weekend. One of the rounds of the Sweet 16 was played in Blaine, Minnesota at the National Sports Center. I don’t normally follow the sport of rugby, but I have a nephew that plays for the Kansas State/Fort Riley Rugby Football Club. The team was ranked 9th in the country and had earned a spot in the playoff rounds. With family traveling north to Minnesota to enjoy the weekend playoffs we were looking forward to spring weather and good competition. Saturday’s schedule had the University of Minnesota playing the University of Davenport, and Kansas State University playing Texas State University. Under a torrential downpour and strong winds, the teams battled each other as well as the elements. Kansas State University and the University of Davenport advanced to play one another Sunday for the opportunity to travel to the finals in California in two weeks. While 
everyone thought the elements couldn’t be much worse than Saturday, Sunday’s games were played in a bone-chilling 35 degree temperature with steady winds of 25+ mph howling across the fields. The fans’ rain gear, boots, and umbrellas that were required for Saturday’s games were traded in for layers of long underwear, multiple coats, gloves, hats, blankets, and scarves. Both teams played hard and long, and in the end the University of Davenport won, 44-5. I admire the effort and the conditioning required for rugby, and I would have loved to see the Kansas State University team advance to the Final Four, but they can be proud of their record and their accomplishments this year.
Little cabin on the prairie
This past January, in the middle of freezing temperatures and feet of snow, we were planning a spring trip to a Minnesota state park. We decided that mid-April would be a perfect time to go to the prairie lands of western Minnesota and enjoy a warm sunny weekend with the opportunity to photograph early wildflowers. Of course, this past winter has been harder and longer than usual, and the snow has only recently melted. So it wasn’t altogether a major surprise when we drove to Lac qui Parle State Park on Friday night and arrived in the middle of a snow squall. The snow continued throughout the night and into the morning, with the winds howling around our little camper cabin. As “frightful” as it was outside, we were warm and snug on the bluff overlooking Lac qui Parle Lake, which is a broadening of the Minnesota River. The winds continued throughout the day Saturday, blowing the clouds across the prairie sky. Eventually the front passed us by early Sunday morning and we awoke to blue skies and warmer temperatures. Lac qui Parle was named by French explorers who lived with the Dakota Indians and means the “lake that speaks.” This weekend the area was “speaking” with a plethora of pelicans, geese, ducks, and cormorants. We were even treated to the sighting of a coyote and the olfactory “sighting” of a skunk. With the recent spring snowmelt the lake has flooded the lowlands and even closed some of the roads in the area. However, we were still able to explore this part of the state that borders South Dakota, meet some fascinating people who shared their knowledge and history of the prairie and the area, and brush up on the history of the fur-traders and missionaries that settled here with the Dakotas in the early 1800’s. We will certainly return to this wonderful state park and prairie land again, perhaps in the fall when over 150,000 Canada geese migrate through the area. Although our original plans and expectations did not come to fruition, we had a truly wonderful and enjoyable weekend.
Yellow of spring
The one color that sums up everything about spring is yellow. It’s the color of sunshine, the color of warmth, and the color of daffodils. These bright flowers shine with color and promise and brighten any day. Although we don’t have daffodils blooming outside just yet, I was fortunate to find these lovely blooms at the McNeely Conservatory in Como Park. They speak to me of warmer temperatures, the end of winter, the hope of spring, and the promise of summer.
The return to a liquid landscape
We have turned the corner here in the Twin Cities — back to a liquid landscape. Our snow has melted (mostly) and we’ve even had some rain. It’s been music to our ears to hear the sounds of dripping snow and ice, and to once again see and hear rain falling. However, it does mean that we have quite a bit of standing water as well as flood threats on a substantial number of rivers. With sunshine and blue skies above, I set out on a long walk to the library yesterday. Now that the snow is mostly gone there is evidence remaining of what a harsh and early winter we had. Our lawn is filled with leaves that were unraked before our first snow – that first snow that never melted and was followed by another 80+ inches throughout the winter. Many trees are showing damage because of the excess weight of the snow. I’m sure some will recover, but it appears that others may not. Yet there’s a lightness in the air and the hope of spring. Just like me, there are people finding excuses to be outside and enjoying the warm sunshine. The birds are busy chirping and singing, and many of the migratory birds are coming back into the area. I was especially thrilled to hear the honking of a small flock of Canada geese as they flew over our house. They too know that spring has returned to Minnesota.
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