Wild Ones Twin Cities Summer Tours:


Saturday, August 6   

South Minneapolis, Seward, Longfellow, Corcoran

The tour is free, pick up a tour map from
Mon Petit Cheri Bakery & Cafe
2401 E Franklin Ave
beginning Friday afternoon until 4:00 pm.
Notice the Cafe boulevard plantings. Planted by WOTC members, they are salt, bike and pedestrian tolerant, yet have slowed traffic on Franklin Ave. when they attract swarms of monarchs that come to feed.



Tour 1 : Marilyn Jones’ Garden (co-chair TC Chapter)
10:00 am to 11:00 am
As a Mother's Day gift in 2008, Marilyn's children removed the turf from the front yard, made a rain garden, and planted almost her entire yard in native plants.Then 5 years ago, the yard was declared an EPA superfund site (part of the arsenic triangle of South Minneapolis), and the EPA removed the natives, trees, and soil down 20 inches. Most of the yard has been replanted with natives. Half the roof drains into a rain garden and half into rain barrels watering the new plants.Come see the rebirth of the yard!





Tour 2 : Common Ground Meditation Center 
10:30 am to 11:30 am
In keeping with Buddhist philosophy of non-harming, Common Ground is committed to minimizing their footprint on the earth. The site renovation removed most of the impervious surfaces, and included plantings of primarily native species. The extensive rain garden system contains runoff and provides on-site storm water infiltration.


Tour 3 : Liz and Bill Blood’s Garden
11:15 am to 12:30 pm
Bill and Liz have co-partnered a sunny yard with 100 prairie plants and 2 rain gardens. A curvilinear path thru the lush side yard leads to a labyrinth and water feature in the back yard.



Tour 4 : Julia Vanatta’s Yard (co-chair TC Chapter)
12:15 pm to 2:00 pm
Over the past 25 years, Julia’s small city lot has gradually changed from lawn and ornamental plants to paths, terraces and a diverse selection of native plants. The boulevard is nearly 100% native transitioning from part sun to full shade. Thirty foot fence is covered in Virgin's Bower, a pollinator magnet that will be in full bloom for the tour. Chilton rock terrace in front has a secret rain garden and shady back yard is a mostly naturalized woodland with two rain gardens. Side yard is still a work in progress, all gardens have remnant ornamentals.

Refreshments will be served for those who wish to linger, enjoy the peaceful back yard or look for visiting pollinators, including Rusty-Patched and Northern Yellow Bumblebees.

Photos by Julia Vanatta 

About the Tours

Our yard tours are casual. Just join us at the allotted time, enjoy the
yard, then move on to the next. You plan your transportation. Take a risk, 
reach out and bring a person with you. Hope you enjoy the tours.


REVISIT GARDENS TOURED ON JUNE 11
Mondays, August 8 and September 12   

Gardens change throughout the season. Maleah and the Mayberg's have invited you to revisit their gardens.

Tour 1 - Maleah Maynard's Garden
(August 8)
6:00 pm to 7:00 pm | 4453 Washburn Ave S, Minneapolis MN

Tour 2 - Jeremy and Amy Mayberg's Garden
(both dates)
7:15 pm to 7:45 pm | 4501 Lakeview Dr, Edina MN


Crex Meadows Member Only Tour!

Saturday August 13, 2016 | 9:30 am - 11:30 am
Twin Cities Chapter has arranged for a tour, guided by Kim Wheeler, of Crex Meadows Wildlife Area near Grantsburg, WI. Carpools will be arranged for transportation to and from Crex Meadows visitor center, where we will board a school bus to travel to various sites within the large, natural area. Cost for this tour is $15 (covers bus and guide) plus shared cost for transportation per person ($10 for each passenger in carpool). Carpools will leave Minneapolis around 7:30 am, return time may vary, depending on driver and lunch option. Lunch is not included, but there are several options in Grantsburg or you can bring a lunch. If you have questions, please contact Jan Coleman.

Limited number of seats available, reservations are required.
Tickets for the tour can be purchased here.

Must be a current member of Wild Ones. If you are not sure if your membership is current, contact the membership chair for your chapter. You may also purchase or renew a Wild Level ($37) Household Membership with your ticket. All those living in household are admitted as members. If you would like to join or renew at a higher level, visit WildOnes.org.

Note: Total cost to process your ticket via Eventbrite includes a processing fee. To avoid this fee, please reserve your ticket online and bring a check payable to Wild Ones day of the event.



And here's a preview of Fall 2016 Wild Ones Twin Cities meetings:

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016

A Walk through the Trespasser's Garden
Join us for an evening with award winning artist Emily Gray Koehler, who will share her work on The Trespasser's Garden, exploring the history and consequences of natural landscapes compromised by introduced invasive plants and animals!

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016

Grow Native: Bringing Natural Beauty to Your Garden
Learn from author Lynn Steiner, whose latest book shows how to transform your yard into a beautiful landscape using native plants!

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2016

Annual Board Meeting and Potluck
Where the Wild Ones Have Gone: A Potluck Travelogue
Come tour spectacular native landscapes from the Midwest to Hawaii with Wild Ones members who will share beautiful photographs and experiences from their recent travels!
And if you, too, have visited somewhere of interest in terms of native plants or landscapes, please consider participating! To contribute your stories and images, please contact program co-chair Holley Wlodarczyk.

All meetings are free and open to the public.

Social 6:30-7:00 pm, Program 7:00-8:45 pm
Wood Lake Nature Center, 6710 Lake Shore Drive, Richfield, MN