Author: Sarah Jackson

Need a last-minute Valentine’s Day gift? How about an After Hours With the Flowers Date Night?

In the Twin Cities metro area — and beyond — holiday light displays abound. But Winter Lights at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, open most nights through Dec. 31, is perhaps the only one with botanical themes at its heart. “Blooms” featured along the one-mile walk-through displays include virtual sunflowers, lavender, roses, azaleas and lilies (above). And that’s not to mention the colorful flowers (bracts, actually) of the Poinsettia Tree (aka Cuetlaxóchitl Tree — “kwet-la-SHO-she”), featuring 500 live plants (below) in the shape of an evergreen tree in the Oswald Visitor Center Great Hall. Its irrigation system is an engineering feat! Another…

The Farm at the Arb is a destination within the destination that is the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Though the Farm at the Arb is a few miles from the main entrance — visitors get there by taking a spur road off Three-Mile Drive or a short hike using Three-Mile Walk — the hilltop spot is a favorite for Arboretum fans. It includes a restored, iconic Red Barn; an award-winning Bee and Pollinator Center; crop plots showcasing grains, seeds and U of M-bred apples and grapes; and — new this year — an adult education center, complete with a new state-of-the-art…

The Annual Gardens at the Arboretum bloom until early October!