A Visit to Marge Hols Garden

For texture and color, Marge uses conifers and perennials.
For texture and color, Marge uses conifers and perennials.

Last week, about 100 eager gardeners and supporters of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society descended on Marge Hols’ gorgeous St. Paul garden. The occasion was the Garden Gathering, a special garden tour for those who have donated $200 or more to MSHS. Previous gatherings have been at Heidi Heiland’s garden, Soni Forsman’s garden, Lynn Steiner’s garden and other beautiful spaces.

Art work and containers are often made of metal in Marge's garden.
Art work and containers are often made of metal in Marge’s garden.

For about 10 years, Marge was the gardening columnist for the St. Paul Pioneer Press and she has written several articles for Northern Gardener over the past few years. (My favorite was this piece on using dwarf evergreens in your landscape. Marge takes her own advice as there were some beautiful specimens in her beds.) Marge and her husband, David, live in a 1905 Tudor-style home and the gardens compliment the architecture of the home perfectly. The plantings are formal enough, but also relaxed. The lawn in the front yard is encircled with a mixed bed of shrubs and perennials. The backyard includes a large patio space, a sunroom filled with tropical plants and several beds to explore. Marge even plants the far side of her back fence, which faces an alley and parking lot. Talk about making the world a more beautiful place.

It was a perfect evening. Thank you, Marge Hols, for sharing your lovely garden.

Purple coneflowers look even more striking in front of yellow daylilies.
Purple coneflowers look even more striking in front of yellow daylilies.
Giant allium add fun to the landscape.
Giant allium add fun to the landscape.
An urn planted with annuals and a fine adds height to the shrub and perennial border.
An urn planted with annuals and a fine adds height to the shrub and perennial border.

2 Comments

  1. Shirley Friberg says:

    Hi to Marge Hols for the article in the St Paul Sunday Life. How wonderful to have her garden
    accepted into the Garden Club of America Collection at the Smithsonian Institute’s Archives of American Gardens. Much was learned from her newspaper articles on gardening.

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