One of the great things about stone is that there are such distinct regional differences. Stone one might find just laying about in a field in one region is often devalued by the local residents because they see it everywhere. In Minnesota, what we call “field stone” is a random assortment of rounded rock in all different colors and sizes. We also call it “glacial boulders”, which defines more closely the character and source of this rock.

The rounded shape and colors that range from pink and white, to blue and dark red, define its geologic past. This rock we see stacked in huge suburban retaining walls and the “river rock” we see in shopping mall shrub plantings is the result of the glaciers pulling rock from a variety of northern sources, tumbling it over thousands of years and dropping it randomly on the landscape. Its kind of like “stone washed” jeans - these rocks have a lived-in look.

While its ubiquitous nature leads to it feeling kind of common, it really is our “native rock” and can be used in ways to accentuate its nature rather than just to solve maintenance problems or cover space.

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.