Welcoming Spring with Tangletown Gardens 

With the worst of the Winter behind us, many of us are seeking out those first blushes of Spring fun- walks by the lake or a bit of time in the sun. But Minnesota weather is a tricky mistress, and even at the date of this publishing, it may be a bit too soon to put away your entire winter wardrobe. Still the buds are coming out and the birds are chirping- the energy of new life is in the air! 

So how can we find a happy medium? How can we welcome in the Spring while still dealing with tricky weather conditions? For Tangletown Gardens owner Scott Endres, the answer is quite literally all around him. 

“We have been kind of a definite anchor of the horticulture and garden community for so many years, actually decades, so it’s really been fun to watch the trends come and go.” 

Scott owns Tangletown Gardens with Dean Englemann, and the two have been at it for almost twenty years- in fact their 20^th year anniversary will be coming up this June! They have managed to build quite a community, not just of return customers, but also the children of those returning customers. Scott loves to see the next generation find that community. 

“I think one of the welcome things that has come back is just the resurgence of house plant enthusiasts.” He says.  

This trend seems to be especially popular among younger generations. Smaller living spaces, combined with growing eco-consciousness make plants the new pets for many Millennials and Zoomers. As one of those apartment dwelling Millennials, the desire to nurture some bit of greenery has certainly hit me in the past.

For those with big yards and open lawns, options are even more plentiful- you could fill up your flowerbeds or start a little garden for herbs or vegetables. Regardless of what kind of space you are working with, Scott had a few key insights for those who are wishing to better connect with nature. 

Do: Talk to the Experts

I get it- with the Internet at our disposal, it feels like we should be able to teach ourselves anything! But trust me when I say that people like Scott know what they are talking about, and they are eager to share their knowledge with you. 

Don’t: Overload Yourself

It’s not so easy to just start a project from scratch, and sometimes we bite off more than we can chew in our excitement to see the project finished. 

            “You don’t have to commit to all your gardening in one trip to the garden store.” Scott advises, “I think that’s one of the things that induces the most guilt in a gardener’s life, is when they over buy, or buy more than they can really get planted in a weekend.” 

Do: Expect Some Setbacks

When it comes to caring for a living thing, there are no guarantees of success, and plenty of hurdles to overcome. In Scott’s words, 

“I think it’s important to let people know that they are going to have all the benefits and…tribulations of growing plants but every once and a while there’s going to be a trial too where things aren’t quite up to what they had hoped or dreamed, and that’s okay. You’ll appreciate the high notes much more by having your very first plant casualty. It’s not going to be the end of the world.”

Don’t: Give Up

As cheesy as it sounds, if gardening and plants are things that you love, you shouldn’t give up on that, even if there are setbacks. Remember nothing great is accomplished overnight, and a greenery, more lively space is definitely a great thing to accomplish. And if you are feeling particularly stuck, try visiting Tangletown Gardens, or whatever garden center is near you. 

Whether you live in a studio apartment or a house in the suburbs, there are a million ways to express your creativity. Maybe it’s a pot full of perennials on your doorstep or a shelf full of succulents by the window- the point is to find what you love. And as Scott says: 

“When you need inspiration the most, that’s when you come to the garden center.”