The three fives

Whenever I teach home landscape design classes I always tell participants how to get ideas and I always talk about the three - fives. The first of the three is to check out five good books at your local library (unless you live in North Mankato), visit five garden centers or related landscape companies and finally to visit five great gardens. These can be public or private, but you can learn a lot. Take lots of notes and photos. Four gardens that I have learned a great deal from are the Reiman Gardens on the Iowa State University campus, Munsinger/Clemens Gardens in St. Cloud, MN, the Minnesota Arboretum, and the Enger Tower Gardens in Duluth, MN.