A Growing History, Part I

On the Home-front

By Eric Johnson

Those of us who dig in the northern dirt owe a lot to the 18th century, New York journalist Horace Greeley. When the Easterner proclaimed "I would not live in Minnesota because you cannot grow apples there," hardy Minnesotans took what he said as fightin' words. It was 1860, and Minnesota was a new and sparsely populated state with just under 200,000 homesteaders. With hopes of making Minnesota as attractive as possible, as well as sweetening their own lives with the fruits they grew to love back home in the East, the spirit of the northern gardener surged. Ardent efforts paid off, and in 1866, 20 varieties of Minnesota grown apples were exhibited at the Minnesota State Fair, held in Rochester that year.

Inspired by success, a small group of aspiring orchardists met on a rainy evening of the 1866 fair to discuss creating a forum to share their ideas and experiences. The result was the formation of the Minnesota Fruit Grower's Association. Two years later, the group's name was changed to the Minnesota Horticultural Society (MSHS) to recognize the importance of all aspects of horticulture in the development of rural and urban Minnesota. In 1873, the official and current title of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society was adopted and publication and distribution of the society minutes commenced. These published minutes grew into Minnesota Horticulturist (now Northern Gardener), making the official publication of the society the longest continuously published magazine in Minnesota.

The road from hardy apples to hardy azaleas wasn't built overnight, however. Though the development and growing of apples continues to be alive and well in Minnesota, other pursuits have taken the lead over the last 135 years of outdoor efforts. Around the turn-of-the-20th century, attentions turned toward the growing of ornamentals (plants whose primary purpose is decorative). This attention to beautifying one's home was no doubt a byproduct of the gardener's newly discovered confidence in the ability for things both bold and beautiful to grow in the North. With only a few strong diversions along the way, most notably the growing of vegetables to aid in the efforts of the world wars, MSHS has focused the greater portion of it's efforts throughout it's 135 year history on the growing of ornamentals, particularly for the home landscape.

Probably the greatest surge of interest in home landscaping and the use of ornamentals followed the post WWII housing boom. Young GIs returning home from over-seas, turned their attentions to education, careers, family and creating a home. Thanks to President Roosevelt's GI Bill, these dreams were made possible through free education and guaranteed loans to buy a house. In a few years, the suburbs were born, filled with newly constructed homes and barren, muddy lots. The sense of victorious pride which filled Americans during the economically strong, post war years inspired homeowners to turn their new homes into comfortable, attractive showplaces. Plus, the babies being born at record pace would soon need a place to play. The American love affair with the lawn began.

In her entertaining, enlightening and nostalgic book Minnesota Gardens, Susan Davis Price writes; "Generous weed-free lawns typified the post-war years. A well groomed carpet of grass outdoors was an extension of the plush, indoor wall-to-wall carpeting in newly built ranch-style homes." Not only did grass feel good under the feet, it looked good and solved the problem of what to do with all the space around the house. It also gave the kids a soft landing when they played.

Condensed from a U of M Extension publication and featured in the April 1953 Minnesota Horticulturist, Leon Snyder proclaimed: "A good lawn is the most important single feature of any home landscape. It's like the canvas on which an artist paints his picture--a pleasant background for the flower and shrub border and the cool shade of the lawn trees."

So, with what were homeowners covering their blank canvasses? An early 1950s Minnesota Horticulturist proclaimed a "More Flowers, Less Shade Mode for Modern Homes." It stated "Modern houses with their picture windows and complete absence of visible foundations, do not require a continuous band of green to conceal a high foundation and tie the house to the ground as the landscape designers used to say." The article went on to say "To relieve the appearance of the house from bareness, a frame about it is desirable. This is now being supplied in most cases by flowers, with a few shrubs and evergreens used as accents at the house corners, where two walls meet, and at similar focal points."

A thumbing through of the Minnesota Horticulturist of the 1950s reflects a pre-occupation with colorful annuals in the home landscape. Oft-featured favorites include: zinnias, marigolds, petunias, asters (all colors, except, most notably, yellow), ageratum, pansies, violas, phlox, salvia and verbenas. Color ruled, as homeowners began to concern themselves with how the landscape appeared from the inside as well as to the passerby. An April 1949 issue of the magazine sang the praises of the modern front-yard garden: "Modern door-yard gardens are as simple as possible in design, in order to center attention upon the beauty of the flowers. These are grouped in masses of one color, so arranged that each mass harmonizes with and sets off the others, and all provide a pleasing decoration for the house."

So, were people planting anything but annuals? You bet they were. Daylilies, iris, mums and peonies were the frequently reported perennials at the time with a particular emphasis on the growing of roses. A regular column, "Roving with Roses" by Richard S. Wilcox, a past director of the American Rose Society gave down to earth advice and introduced new varieties to readers. Flowering shrubs such as lilacs, mockorange, honeysuckle and spirea led the pack of woody plants. It's easy to see why nearly every pre-1970s yard has a trio of bridal wreath spirea, lilacs and peonies The tree with the most buzz surrounding it appeared to be the "Radiant" flowering crab introduced by the U of M in 1958. It was described as "compact and upright in growth habit with sturdy, wide angled crotches. This form makes the variety ideally suited for landscape purposes on smaller properties." The foliage had a reddish cast, the flowers a deep pink and the fruits stayed on the tree to feed the birds.

The executive committee of MSHS, prompted by the Men's Garden Club of Minneapolis (an affiliated garden club of MSHS), recognized the ever-growing interest in hardy ornamentals. Together they determined that there was a fervent need for further research and development, as well as a place where northern gardeners could observe these plants in their ideal settings. The committee passed a resolution in 1955 to sponsor the Landscape Arboretum Project. The Landscape Arboretum Project had five solid objectives: to intensify research for hardy ornamentals, to create interest in existing and new plant materials, to provide a living library for study of ornamental plants, to demonstrate proper utilization of Minnesota ornamentals: and, to promote further testing and use in all areas of the state.

Major fundraising to make the arboretum a reality was soon underway. Along with numerous private donations and a large sum raised by the Lake Minnetonka Garden Club (an affiliated garden club of MSHS), the society purchased 160 acres of land across from the University of Minnesota Fruit Breeding Farm in Chanhassen. A year later it turned the deed over to the University with the understanding that the objectives set forth by the society would be carried out and the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum was born. Dr. Leon Snyder was named Executive Director and poured his heart and soul into creating a place where Northern gardeners could learn and enjoy. An additional 142 acres were purchased in the early 1960s.

In 1985 the Horticultural Research Center of the University (known as the U of M Fruit Breeding Farm and located just across the road) merged with the Arboretum. The Arboretum continues to focus its efforts on the objectives laid out in 1955 and has introduced over 80 new hardy fruits and landscape plants.

Quite possibly the most exciting ornamental introduced by the U of M is the Northern Lights Series of Azaleas. With a somewhat exotic, tropical look (and hardiness to -45 degrees Fahrenheit), one can only imagine what our ancestors who struggled to develop a hardy apple would think of a hardy azalea. My guess is they would be proud of the work that is still going on in the name of Northern gardening.

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