The Spring Garden Gala moved from Lake Elmo to the more expansive Vadnais Heights Commons in 2025 to account for a growing desire of area gardeners to kick off the spring season in style. After nearly doubling the amount of available tickets, we’re pleased to say the generosity of attendees and our community partners—along with the beauty of Mother Nature—did not disappoint.

Seeds of excitement

Planning for the 2025 Spring Garden Gala began in the fall of 2024, with the hard-working Friends of MSHS committee gathering at the Roseville office and online to begin discussing logistics. After a quick sell-out in 2024, the group knew that a few pieces were required: a larger space and more seating opportunities. In little time, they settled on the Vadnais Heights Commons with a capacity for around 350 seats—nearly double what was available in 2024.

The planning then moved on to finding local community partners to provide exciting new plants for the show, with three stepping up immediately: Bailey Nurseries, Monrovia and Proven Winners Color Choice. With a large part of the event hinging on the generosity of these partners, each one stepped up (and then some) with a plant list worthy of endless swoon. All of us at MSHS and on the Friends Committee remain in awe of their support!

After a few more months of planning, ticket sales opened in early January with little expectation of another quick sell-out. Everyone working on the Gala was quickly proven wrong, however, with tickets once again running out in just under a week. A good problem to have, to be sure, but one that is sure to create new puzzles for planning in the months to come!

In no time at all, it was the end of April and time to start gathering volunteers and staff to arrange a successful and streamlined event. Between returning gala vets and brand-new help, everything from the Wall of Wine and table place settings to the Silent Auction was set up in just hours, creating the warm, welcoming and delightfully green environment worthy of our gala attendees.

Sprouting generosity

The event began with a question from the hosts, Belinda Jensen and Dale Bachman: “How many of you are here for the first time?” Staff, committee members and volunteers looked on in surprise as over a third of hands raised in the air. After such a quick sell-out, it was expected that a large majority of attendees would be seasoned gala aficionados. The amount of new faces was encouraging, to say the least!

Lara Lau-Schommer, Executive Director of the Minnesota Horticultural Society, kicked off the program with a discussion titled “Growing Together”. In her inspiring talk, Lara covered the importance of the event and why we bring together local gardeners and industry leaders each year—with public funds uncertain, it’s important to bring visibility to the success of our programs to inspire future involvement and support. “Just like healthy plants need good soil,” remarked Lara, “our work depends on strong foundations.”

A large part of the program included presentations on MSHS signature programs: Garden-in-a-Box and Minnesota Green. The discussions infused the event with heartwarming stories of children learning about food production and getting to grow their very own harvest. One highlight of the day featured a student of the Le Seuer Children’s Garden in Residence program, Christian Ikonitski, discussing his favorite parts of using the tools provided by Garden-in-a-Box. He even brought his friend, Jeremy!

It was a new feature of the event, the Fund-a-Need Paddle Raise, that truly brought to light the generosity of the community. Led by MSHS board members Jill Rulli and Paul Markwardt, attendees were asked to raise their live auction paddles to support these MSHS programs at various amounts.

Once again, those who planned the event could not have expected the number of people who generously raised their paddles in amounts as high as $1,000, $500 and $100 to support these important programs. After all the stress and worry that comes with planning a live event, it was this moment in the program that truly filled our hearts and made all of the work worth it.

Abundant celebration

The program continued with presentations from community partners and event sponsors, each of whom make our northern gardening community what it is today. Local industry leaders and Gala financial sponsors, Bachman’s, Gertens and Heidi’s GrowHaus, each shared why they choose to support MSHS, while the community partners listed above brought their A-Game to the plant fashion show—a key element to the event each year. Many of the plants discussed were also up for grabs in both a live and silent auction, leading to final event fundraising totals that blew away previous years.

From the delicious food to the signature cocktails, we hope all of our guests enjoyed the festive spring spirit brought on by the beautiful weather and surrounding live plants.

What’s next?

After gathering feedback and debriefing on the event, committee members, staff and the MSHS board of directors will meet to discuss the future of the Spring Garden Gala. We’ll be looking for ways to make the event more inclusive and available to everyone in our gardening community while also honoring our longtime supporters and donors. Soon, the Garden Gala will truly be the signature event of the Minnesota Horticultural Society as well as the premiere spring event in the state.

If you’re interested in attending a future Gala, the best way to stay informed is to subscribe to our bi-weekly E-News for save the date and ticket sales announcements. If you’re part of a garden club or master gardener community, be sure to reach out and let us know you’d like to be notified when tickets launch. Donating, becoming a member or volunteering for our other events are other great ways to stay in touch with us once next year’s event approaches.

Until then, happy spring!

Photo credit: Michelle Mero Riedel