Object Details
- General
- This .4 acre property features an urban residential garden landscape surrounding an English Tudor Villa style home. When the current owners purchased the property in 1968, the entire front landscape was obscured by a tall buckthorn hedge that lined the property. The current garden was established in 1972 after the owners replaced the hedge and massive trees with gardens. The owner is formally trained as a Master Gardener and enrolled in University of Minnesota horticulture and landscaping courses to expand their knowledge of landscape design. They also designed gardens for the Dale Street Greenhouse and started their own business as a garden writer and designer.
- The garden design combines the formal hardscape elements of an English garden such as iron fencing, bluestone pathways, terrace, and brick wall, with the informal plantings indicative of English cottage gardens. The property features 8 garden areas: the front yard garden, the main garden, the east side woodland "wild garden," the back gardens, the herb garden, the terrace garden, conservatory indoor garden, and alley garden. The front yard garden, established in 1972, is surrounded by black iron fencing and garden beds edged in double running brick. This area features dwarf evergreen trees and shrubs, flowering deciduous trees, perennials and colorful annuals. Inside the front fence are 'White Lights' azaleas, "Jack Korbett' dwarf Korean pine, and a "Louisa" weeping crabapple that partially shades the perennials below. The main garden is bordered by Chicagoland Green boxwoods and features seasonal plantings. The "wild garden" along the east side of the home memorializes the owner's mother and features wildflowers and ferns inside its 80 by 20 square feet. The herb garden is structured with diamond shaped bluestone paths and a central armillary. The 40x23 foot, two-tiered bluestone terrace displays brick and ceramic planters of annuals. The conservatory indoor garden was designed by local architect Kathryn Olmstead and built in 2000. It features a collection of rhizomatous begonias and succulents. The 7-foot wide and 65-foot-long alley garden is edged in cobble stone and features Standing Ovation serviceberry. It also houses roses, flowering shrubs and prairie wildflowers.
- Persons associated with the garden include: George Van Slyck (former owner, 1909); Emmalyn Van Slyck (former owner, 1909); Harold and Dorothy Nesbit (former owners, 1930 - 1940); Dorothy Nesbit and Paul Webster (former owners, 1940 - 1945); Ephraim and Grace Holmgren (former owners, 1945); David and Marjorie Hols (owners, 1968– ); Holm and Olsen (designer, 1972); Ed Reed (designer, 1975); Sally Ross and Marge Hols (designer, 1992); Rose Hassing (gardener, 2008- ); Madeline Pojar (gardener, 2008-present).
- The garden submission includes an extensive bibliography.
- Former owner
- Van Slyck, George
- Van Slyck , Emmalyn
- Designer
- Holm and Olsen
- Reed, Ed
- Ross, Sally
- Architect
- Olmsted, Kathryn
- Gardener
- Hassing, Rose
- Pojar, Madeline
- Photographer
- Wahlstrom, JoAnne
- Albertson, Dylan
- Riedel, Michelle Mero
- Provenance
- St. Paul Garden Club
- Collection Creator
- Garden Club of America
- Place
- United States of America -- Minnesota -- Ramsey County -- St. Paul
- Topic
- Gardens -- Minnesota -- St. Paul
- Hols Garden (St. Paul, Minnesota)
- Former owner
- Van Slyck, George
- Van Slyck , Emmalyn
- Designer
- Holm and Olsen
- Reed, Ed
- Ross, Sally
- Architect
- Olmsted, Kathryn
- Gardener
- Hassing, Rose
- Pojar, Madeline
- Photographer
- Wahlstrom, JoAnne
- Albertson, Dylan
- Riedel, Michelle Mero
- See more items in
- The Garden Club of America collection
- The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Gardens / Minnesota
- Sponsor
- A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.
- Custodial History
- The St. Paul Garden Club facilitated the submission of this garden's documentation in 2021.
- Archival Repository
- Archives of American Gardens
- Identifier
- AAG.GCA, File MN047
- Type
- Archival materials
- Collection Citation
- Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
- Collection Rights
- Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
- Bibliography
- Garden featured in article, "Summit Avenue Garden Preserved in Smithsonian Archive," in Twin Cities.com, May 29, 2021 and "Garden for the Age," by Susan Davis Price in Northern Gardener, Jan/Feb 2022.
- Scope and Contents
- This file contains 32 digital images and 1 folder. Images 029 and 032 are restricted.
- Collection Restrictions
- Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
- Record ID
- ebl-1643208220039-1643210181330-1
Related Content
View Slideshow
