Great Garden Centers: Tangletown Gardens

Tangletown Gardens in south Minneapolis is a haven for the design-focused gardener and undeniably one of Minnesota’s great garden centers. It’s perennially listed on “Best of” lists and recently was one of three Minnesota garden centers honored as one of 32 memorable midwestern garden centers by Midwest Living magazine. (We previously profiled Kelley and Kelley and will write about Gertens, the other winners, next week.)

Owners Dean Englemann and Scott Endres describe Tangletown Gardens as “an urban oasis,” and it is that and more. Tangletown has become a central part of its community. Located at the corner of Nicollet Avenue and East 54th Street in a former gas station, Tangletown offers a large selection of plants for both conservative and adventurous gardeners on the outside and a plethora of garden decor ideas and objects inside. The center is known for its container designs, which grace some of the most posh addresses in Minneapolis.

Its annual Tangletown Garden Tour, held the fourth Saturday of July, takes visitors inside some of the most gorgeous gardens in the area. Many of them are gardens that Tangletown helped design, and all of them feature unusual plants and exciting ideas. If you are looking for inspiration, this tour is one of the best.

A few years ago, Tangletown began growing produce at its growing facility near Plato, MN, (the farm has been in Dean Englemann’s family for generations) and offering Community-Supported Agriculture shares.  Later, Englemann and Endres opened Wise Acre Eatery in the form ice-cream parlor next door. The restaurant uses produce from the farm in its food and waste from the restaurant becomes compost on the farm. Englemann and Endres have been lauded by green industry leaders for their innovative approaches — but for regular gardeners, Tangletown is just a great place to buy plants, pick up on-trend decor and gather ideas for your own garden.

—Mary Lahr Schier