Working in south Minneapolis trying to finish up the installation of a small fountain, we really needed a downspout angle piece to insure that rainwater would go to the side of the house and not into the fountain basin. I zipped over to Settergren Ace Hardware and of course they had one (in two colors).

Five minutes later I was back on-site only to find that we needed a yard stick or something similar so the client could easily test the water level in the cistern. Back to Settergren I went. “Do you sell yardsticks,” I asked. And was ushered to the paint section where they had a whole box of yardsticks printed with the Settergren logo and address. Back to job site I went and we successfully completed the project and handed it off to the client.

I can’t imagine how hard these little requrests would have been at a big box hardware store. And how long it would have taken to drive there, and walk through the vast store to get my items. A week later, we subcontracted a tree removal with Vineland Tree Care. The removal inadvertenly led to a crack in a storm window. Fortunately, the crew were able to remove the window, drive to Welna II Hardware on Franklin. They were able to replace the glass on the spot, allowing the guys to take the window back and re-install that same afternoon.

The local hardware stores in our service area are a true cultural gem. The owners and employees are authentically enthusiastic and helpful and have an incredible knowledge of what they have and don’t have. I have no idea how they cram all the things into these small stores.

Shannon and I were driving to a client site yesterday via 42nd St. in south Minneapolis. WOW! The entire street is lined with crab apples - and, in this high season, is literally draped in pink and white flowers. I think our crab apples must rival the Japanese cherries in this glorious time. The flowering doesn’t last long so if you have time head down 42nd St. between Hiawatha and the river, or the east side of Lake Nokomis, or the MN Landscape Arboretum or the Japanese Garden at Normandale College.

Sometimes it takes a grove of a particular tree to express its positive characteristics. If you are driving down Colfax somewhere around the 48 hundred block you will suddenly notice a grouping of trees that give the block an ethereal feel. These are tamaracks - a tree that can easily look out of place by its lonesome, but in natural clusters takes on a totally different hue.

Many Minnesotans share a fondness for tamarack trees built up from trips to the cabin where the trees bright green early season leaves and especially the trees brilliant gold fall color make it remarkable. But few take advantage of these characteristics in their urban homes. Take a drive by the trees on Colfax and see what you’re missing.

Rick Darke is the keynote speaker at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts “Art In Bloom.” The event, which invites floral designers to pair their work in relation to art works at the museum, takes place from April 30th to May 3rd. Always try to get there early when the floral arrangements are freshest.

Rick Darke is my absolute favorite garden personality. I have seen him speak twice and always leave inspired and engaged. Darke cuts through the noise of the debates around environmentalism, sustainability and the design of beautiful, natural spaces with candor and matter-of-factness.

At one talk I asked him, since his designs often include lots of tall grasses, whether his clients express safety concerns about the grasses. He paused and said simply that he wouldn’t work with anyone who expressed that concern.  To clarify he said that we each need to put our foot down against the “fear-of-everything” thinking that is gripping our society, especially when the concerns don’t hold up to firm reason.

If you haven’t read his books - go get one at the library or local bookstore. His “Ornamental Grasses for Livable Landscapes” and “The American Woodland Garden” are intelligent, multi-faceted feasts for both the eye and brain. The books feature his careful and studied photography, so they are great to leaf through. But, while most garden books are all pictures and little substance, his text his completely unexpected, personal and full of unique morsels of thought that could only come from a lively and incisive mind.

Like his books, his presentations are always full of surprises. He has a speaking style that resists easy definitions and solutions, and builds slowly from unexpected starting points to uncommon conclusions.

If you are looking for a transplendent garden excursion any time of year, take a trip out to Noerenberg Gardens on Lake Minnetonka. In this crown jewel of the Three Rivers Park System, head gardener Arla Carmichiel has put together what we think is the best public mixed perennial garden in Minnesota. The late summer garden is especially rewarding - every time I visit, I notice new combinations.