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SPACES LIVING WELL IN THE TWIN CITIES
June/July 2010
OUTDOOR LIVING ISSUE
Urban Oasis Minneapolis back yard is foodie’s playground A second career in landscape design
JUNE/JULY 2010
LAWN TRENDS Less mowing, more growing {Plus} EAT patio dining SHOP fashion finds PLAY farm charm
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eat
TABLE OF CONTENTS
66 | 23 great patios
Features
It’s time to take it outside. Here are our favorite restaurant patios.
42 | Urban Oasis Landscape designer paves the way to a bit of paradise in his own back yard.
shop
52
52 | A Place for Everyone
60
At this renovated 1930s home, kids big and small play in the pool, college friends take over the hot tub, Mom cooks on the terrace and Dad naps in the screen porch.
60 | Turning Over a New Leaf With her new landscape design firm, top wedding photographer Hilary Bullock turns in her camera for a trowel.
Departments 12 | Editor’s Letter 17 | Noon to Three Downtown Wayzata makes shoppers ask for shore leave.
28 | High-Tech Home Products with byte
36 | Accents Fun finds
82 | Bright Ideas Make your yard a 10 10 | JUNE/JULY 2010 SPACES
69 | Season Openers Right off the bat, fashionistas will notice this spring resembles many springs past. But that’s like saying Target Field is just another ballpark. 36
play 73 | Farm Lite At the historic Oliver H. Kelley farm, visitors get a glimpse of what it was like to live off the land 150 years ago. .
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To Our Readers
W
hat do you think of when you hear the phrase “outdoor living”? Gardening springs to my mind. But while digging in the dirt can be pleasurable, can you really call something that takes that much work “living”? When my garden chores are done and the lawn is mowed, my family enjoys our little patch of the outdoors by playing Wiffle Ball, having backyard cook-outs or just sitting outside with a cold drink and chatting with the neighbors. Often, those chats become conversations about ways to improve the outdoor experience — with plantings, walkways, decks, patio furniture, tree houses and the like. The people featured in this Outdoor Living issue of Spaces have done a lot more than talk about changes: ● Landscape designer Eric Baldus used recycled landscaping materials — and even old hotel mirrors — to create an urban oasis (complete with masonry oven) where he can indulge his foodie pastimes. He hosts pizza parties, bakes bread and even grows hops for his home-brew hobby in his easy-to-maintain outdoor kitchen/patio/yard. ● Maximizing family time outdoors was a key consideration in the Wright family’s whole-house remodel. The heated pool is open half the year, poolside cabanas offer a great place to snooze and a bikes-only “garage” makes access to Big Wheels easy. ● Former wedding photographer Hilary Bullock was contemplating a career switch when she had an epiphany: She wanted to work outside. Now, she’s a landscaper and many of her former wedding clients are hiring her to make their outdoor spaces picture perfect. For more ideas on improving your landscape, check out our back page on lawn trends. It seems lots of folks these days want to spend less time on lawn care and more time living it up outdoors. Here’s hoping you can do plenty of that this summer.
Vol. 6, No. 4 June/July 2010 Publisher Martha Severson Editor Heidi Raschke Art Director Ellen Thomson Contributing Maja Beckstrom, Writers Holly Berecz, Allison Kaplan, Molly Guthrey, Kathie Jenkins, Nancy Ngo, Bob Shaw, Andy Steiner Copy Editors Cheryl Burch-Schoff, Dana Davis, Kathy Derong, Tim Mahoney Photographers Ben Franzen, Tim Nehotte, Greg Page, Chris Polydoroff, Scott Takushi Creative Barb Pederson consultant Stylist Barbara Schmidt Advertising Martha Severson Sales 651-225-1217 Ad Design Annie Maus
Sincerely, Publisher’s Kelly Rogers Assistant 651-225-1175
Heidi Raschke
Twin Cities Spaces is a Northwest Publication. Editorial, Sales and Back Issues Offices
CORRECTIONS:
Spaces 345 Cedar St. St. Paul, MN 55101 spacesmag.com Questions 651-225-1175
Mark Anthony Design Group LLC was listed in the wrong category of the Resource Directory that ran on Pages 49-55 of our 2010 Spring/Summer Resource Guide. The business should have been listed under Architecture/Building/Remodeling.
The story “How to Come Clean with a Clear Conscience,” which ran on Page 25 of our 2010 Spring/Summer Resource Guide, recommended a Goodwill computer recycling program that is available in other states but not in Minnesota. Minnesota residents can find computer recycling locations at RethinkRecycling.com.
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On the Cover: The water feature in this Minneapolis back yard drowns out traffic noise. Story, Page 42. Photo by Chris Polydoroff
Information in this publication is carefully compiled to ensure accuracy. No recommendation regarding the quality of goods and services is expressed or implied. Contents of this magazine are copyrighted by Northwest Publications in their entirety. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise without the prior consent of the publisher, SPACES, 345 Cedar St., St. Paul, MN 55101.
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SHOP AND LUNCH BY ALLISON KAPLAN
Downtown Wayzata makes shoppers ask for shore leave
From boutique to beach: A selection of Havaianas at Dichotomy.
YOU MIGHT FEEL LIKE A TOURIST IN DOWN-
Lake Street in downtown Wayzata offers boutique shopping, sidewalk dining and scenic views of Lake Minnetonka.
Gleason Lake
Wayzata Blvd.
Heart of Wayzata’s shopping district
Lake St. Wayzata Bay
101 lvd. or B i r e Sup
101
(G Co le . R as d Bl on . 15 vd La .) ke
12
Broa dwa y Av e.
Wa yza ta B lvd .
Barry St.
Downtown Wayzata
Ferndale Rd. S.
town Wayzata, and that’s a big part of the appeal. This intimate western suburb on Lake Minnetonka is the Twin Cities’ very own beach town. The pace is more leisurely, the look is more resort-y, and preppy has never been out of style. Summer is definitely Wayzata’s finest season, so take advantage. Just minutes from downtown Minneapolis, it’s the perfect place to shop and eat while enjoying a sunny afternoon. Before you get to the heart of downtown Wayzata — scenic Lake Street on Lake Minnetonka’s Wayzata Bay — consider stopping on the more utilitarian Wayzata Boulevard. This is where locals do their grocery shopping and grab takeout. In the center anchored by Lunds, visit Martin’s for casual, contemporary women’s clothing and Bananas for gifts
101
N
Lake Minnetonka
P H OTO S BY S C OT T TA K U S H I SPACESTWINCITIES.COM | 17
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NOON TO THREE
Volnay Bistro serves up French cuisine with casual ambience.
and upscale infant and toddler apparel. Across the street is Watermark, a destination for invitations and stationery as well as grab-and-go gifts like journals and tote bags. As you veer down Superior Boulevard and approach Lake Street, you’ll be greeted by Jan’s of Wayzata, which has long outfitted the country club crowd in smart tweeds, fine jewelry and designer cocktail dresses. A couple of doors down is one of the Twin Cities’ most exclusive shops, Lussuria Lini, selling ultraluxurious Italian bedding from Pratesi. If that’s too intimidating, don’t worry — more-accessible shopping is just around the corner. The posh Oh Baby! recently transformed its Wayzata location into Oh Baby! Outlet, open Thursday through Saturday and offering significant discounts on designer children’s clothes and furniture. Across the street, d.f.s. Home is filled with decorative accessories and whimsical gifts. Steele Fitness is more than a personal training studio — it sells stylish workout apparel, too. Half apparel for women and children, half home accessories and gifts, Blanc de Blanc stays mostly true to its white and cream theme (just a few splashes of color). It is situated around the corner from Volnay Bistro, a romantic sidewalk cafe featuring French cuisine. On the lake side of the street is Sunsets,
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Lakeside seating makes Northcoast a popular lunch spot on sunny days.
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NOON TO THREE
Jessie Frost tends to the flowers outside her quaint gift and garden store, Frost & Budd.
with a big patio and a crowdpleasing menu of American classics, including burgers, pasta, steak and seafood. Back to the shopping. Just down from Blanc de Blanc, Edina-based chain Hot Mama has a Lake Street outpost for its maternity and mom-friendly clothing. Side Door caters to a more mature but still fashionconscious shopper with mid to high-end casual and dress apparel and shoes. Maha!, specializing in streetworthy yoga and active wear, is new to the block and a welcome complement to Dichotomy, which sells contemporary women’s clothes from denim to dresses. 20 | JUNE/JULY 2010 SPACES
The Bookcase, which counts itself as the Twin Cities’ oldest independent bookstore and is connected to a Caribou Coffee, is a great place to linger — you can take in the scenery from one of its sidewalk tables. A block off Lake Street on Minnetonka Avenue is Fleurish, a custom gift-basket company that recently expanded to a full retail shop filled with gourmet foods, stationery, monogrammed gifts and more. Around the corner on Indian Mound Street is an unexpected find: Circa Vintage, selling funky apparel and retro furnishings. Continuing on Lake Street, you’ll discover Five Swans, family-owned for more than 40 years, selling tableware,
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NOON TO THREE
home accessories and wedding gifts. At the corner of Lake and Barry, the charming Frost & Budd offers fresh flowers and plants outside and personalized gifts inside. What doesn’t fit into the store, located in a tiny house, can be custom ordered. The neighboring Judd Frost Clothiers is where the area’s boat owners buy their fine men’s dress clothes and custom suits. Now you’re near the lunch spot with the best lake views: Northcoast has dock-front seating and a menu focused on salads and soups. Afterward, treat yourself to Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, best enjoyed on a bench or in the grassy area at the shore. Don’t leave town without hitting the east end of Lake Street. It’s less picturesque, but the strip malls feature a few noteworthy shops. Bargain hunters know the fancier the town, the better the consignment stores, and that’s true for Fashion Avenue and Rags to Riches, boasting deals on designer clothes and accessories. Lulu & Luigi is an upscale pet boutique and grooming center. Unmentionables, part of Extrados brow and body salon, specializes in sexy lingerie. I Do & Baby Too features modern bridesmaid dresses and baby gifts. It’s on to the next stage of life at Zelaz, one of the few boutiques catering to tweens, teens and their moms. It is somewhat hidden, along with artist market Anne & Friends, in the Wayzata Bay Center, which is planning a major overhaul that could begin later this year following several delays. Allison Kaplan writes about shopping and style for the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Visit her Twin Cities shopping guide, AliShops.com. 22 | JUNE/JULY 2010 SPACES
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Stephanie Patineau brings contemporary style to Lake Street at her store, Dichotomy.
Interesting home accessories are a mainstay at Five Swans.
Recent Lake Street arrival Maha! specializes in chic activewear.
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Restaurants Sunsets, 700 E. Lake St., 952-473-5253
Volnay Bistro, 331 S. Broadway Ave., 952-345-6100
Ben & Jerry’s, 539 E. Lake St., 952-473-1705
Northcoast, 294 E. Grove Lane, 952-475-4960
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Shops Martin’s, 1155 E. Wayzata Blvd., 952-473-0238
Fashion Avenue, 810 E. Lake St., 952-224-7014
Maha!, 631 E. Lake St., 952-873-7001
Bananas, 1157 E. Wayzata Blvd., 952-473-3383
Lussuria Lini, 795 E. Lake St., 952-746-5826
Dichotomy, 611 E. Lake St., 952-476-0668
Watermark, 1160 E. Wayzata Blvd., 952-473-7130
Jan’s of Wayzata, 765 E. Lake St., 952-473-0747
The Bookcase, 607 E. Lake St., 952-473-8341
Zelaz, Wayzata Bay Center, 927 E. Lake St., 952-920-1044
Oh Baby! Outlet, 743 E. Lake St., 952-404-0170
Five Swans, 309 E. Lake St., 952-473-4685
Anne & Friends, Wayzata Bay Center, 612-382-8774
d.f.s. Home, 728 E. Lake St., 952-473-6700
Fleurish, 240 S. Minnetonka Ave., 952-476-2296
Rags to Riches, 848 E. Lake St., 952-473-1435
Steele Fitness, 714 E. Lake St., 952-473-8001
Circa Vintage, 521 Indian Mound St., 952-583-2389
I Do & Baby Too, 846 E. Lake St., 952-476-0046
Blanc de Blanc, 691 E. Lake St., 952-473-8275
Frost & Budd, 339 S. Barry Ave., 952-473-1442
Unmentionables, 824 E. Lake St., 952-473- 9369
Hot Mama, 687 E. Lake St., 952-224-9985
Judd Frost Clothiers, 339 S. Barry Ave., 952-473-4633
Lulu & Luigi, 812 E. Lake St., 952-929-5858
Side Door, 647 E. Lake St., 952-473-1937 SPACESTWINCITIES.COM | 25
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P R O D U C T S W I T H B Y T E B Y H O L LY B E R E C Z
Pro Power our lives more comfortable and convenient. And products like these — a sensor that lets you grow the perfect garden, an automatic camera to snap photos while you enjoy your party and the world’s most accurate measuring cup — also put the knowledge and expertise of the professionals right at our fingertips.
TODAY’S TECHNOLOGY MAKES
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Flower Power Wonder why your begonias don’t blossom or your gardenias don’t grow? The EasyBloom sensor will read and record sunlight exposure, temperature, moisture and humidity. After monitoring the spot for 24 hours, plug it into your computer for a complete readout of your garden conditions, plus recommendations. Selling for $50, it even chirps to let you know when to water. easybloom.com
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Measure Up Candid Camera Missed capturing that key party moment because you were refilling the chip bowl? Party-Shot from Sony is an innovative camera dock that captures those candid moments all by itself! Used with Cybershot cameras (sold separately), it pans the room detecting faces, then tilts and adjusts composition to take the perfect shot for you. Available for $150. sonystyle.com
The world’s most accurate measuring cup is also a handy food scale. From Taylor USA, this all-purpose measurer automatically converts five preset ingredients (flour, sugar, milk, water and oil) from weight to volume. Selling for $30, it allows accurate readings on a digital display in fluid ounces, milliliters, ounces, pounds or grams. taylorusa.com
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HIGH-TECH HOME
Home Theater You may look silly in 3-D glasses, but thanks to Samsung’s lineup of 3D TVs, you can enjoy the full 3D experience in your living room. Sizes range from 19 to 65 inches and are priced from $1,200 to around $7,000. Their innovative technology uses full color and high resolution for images that practically leap off the screen, delivering the most immersive cinematic quality 3D experience. samsung.com
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Speak To Me Why settle for speakers when you can have speech balloons? The high-quality multimedia Speak-er set plugs directly into your computer or MP3 player and includes a left and right speaker and a power adapter. Each Speak-er measures 4 x 6 x 2 inches; the set sells for $120. thinkofthe.com
Shop Smart Save time making your grocery list and streamline your shopping trip. Just tell SmartShopper what you need. It uses voicerecognition technology to record your items, organizes what you need by category and store layout and then prints a handy list for you to carry in your pocket. Retails for $100. smartshopperusa.com
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Accents *
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FUN FINDS
> BROWN JORDAN TAMIAMI CHAIR
casualcontract.com, $300 > GOLDFISH TOWEL
target.com, $10 > WATER MISTING FAN
Kraemer’s Hardware, $7.50 > OFF SKINTASTIC BUG SPRAY Kraemer’s
Hardware, $7.50
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Pool Cool Photographer Tim Nehotte
l
Art Director & Stylist Barbara Schmidt, bstyle
> INFLATABLE TUBES
target.com, $3 > WHITE LACQUERED TABLE Blake Antiques,
901 Mainstreet Hopkins, 952-930-0477, $40 > PAPER PLATES (pack of 32) Kraemer’s Hardware, 861 E. Lake St., Wayzata, 952-473-2501, $7.50 > STYROFOAM CUPS
(pack of 51) Kraemer’s Hardware, $2.50
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FUN FINDS
> CRUZ CHAIR
roomandboard.com, $299 > INFLATABLE JUMBO BALL
Bayer Hardware, 4312 Upton Ave., S., Minneapolis, 612-926-1605, $7 > POOL ROPE WITH FLOATS
mnpools.com, pricing upon request
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> ACRYLIC TABLE
Roam, 813 Glenwood Ave., Minneapolis, 612-377-6465, $263 > RUBBER VASE
Roam, $34 > PLAY BALLS
target.com, $2.55 LOCATION:
Custom-designed pool by www.lifespace interiors.com
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urban
oasis
L
andscape designer Eric Baldus res- < The masonry cued a 19th century Victorian in Northeast Min- oven, which the neapolis from its status as a condemned crack homeowner built, is used often for house, renovating the interior and turning the pizza- and breadback yard into a modern take on a classical Per- making parties. sian garden oasis. The eclectic combination of Victorian architecture and Middle East landscaping defines Baldus’ style. “I have a world garden perspective,” says Baldus, who has done landscape construction for Walker Art Center. Although the mechanically inclined gardener rehabbed the interior of his home first, he couldn’t wait to reshape the yard. Exteriors are Baldus’ specialty — he has a degree in horticulture from the University of Minnesota and is the owner of TerraVista, a landscape design and installation firm in Minneapolis specializing in sustainable designs for the urban environment. “Before I did anything else, I came up with a grand vision for the back yard,” he says. “What ended up happening is that the majority of the yard is hardscape — mostly patio.” Water is also an important element. “The koi pond was one of the first things to go in,” he says. “It’s 4 feet deep, 20 feet long and 4 feet wide. It’s a formal design, based on a Persian garden tradition called ‘hayat,’ an organization of spaces
42 | JUNE/JULY 2010 SPACES
Landscape designer paves the way to a bit of paradise in his own back yard. B Y M O L LY GUTHREY
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> This small back yard off a busy street in Minneapolis has been transformed into a Persian garden oasis; the sound of running water buffers traffic noises.
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> The reflecting pool and tree lilacs are stationary, but the fire can be moved around as needed — the homeowner, landscape designer Eric Baldus, thinks built-in firepits take up too much room.
< The back yard is all patio and no grass, as the homeowner wanted to keep it low maintenance.
showcasing man’s ability to control nature. “The pond is rigid and rectangular, and there’s also a runnel, a very shallow stream, that runs through the surface of the patio,” Baldus says. “It’s 2 inches deep and 4 inches wide.” Baldus was inspired to create his own Persian oasis after visiting the Alhambra, a Moorish palace in Spain. “The thing I thought was super cool was the irrigation channel that was built into the patio, running right along the surface of it,” Baldus says.
Water and fire Baldus constructed the award-winning project as frugally and sustainably as possible. He used lots of recycled materials. “The majority of the patio is made of old granite cobblestones from Central Avenue and old red brick Purington pavers,” he says. “The pavers are the means of motion, the pathway, and the granite cobbles are the 44 | JUNE/JULY 2010 SPACES
main body of the patio, where all the relaxation happens. Really, there are two separate patios — a larger one made for relaxation and eating and a smaller one where the kitchen is.” The patio’s runnel came about by accident. “The iron rail of the trolley line wore its way into the granite cobbles, creating a groove,” Baldus says. “When we started to harvest the cobbles, I kept throwing those off to the side, thinking, ‘These are no good.’ But then I was sitting there, looking at them one day, and I realized how awesome it would be to have them be the runnel in the patio.” The shallow river leads to a retaining wall featuring a small waterfall. “We’re right off Broadway, right off two very busy streets, but the water completely cuts out the sound of traffic,” Baldus says. “Most people are amazed at how serene it is. It’s a real oasis.” The retaining wall also is constructed
from landscaping leftovers, a mix of limestone from dismantled projects. But the most unusual reclaimed material isn’t a typical choice for a garden. “I had a friend who had a hotel and he was redoing all the rooms, so he had all these mirrors left over and he said, ‘Hey, do you want them? I don’t know what to do with them.’ I didn’t know what to do with them, either, but then I had another one of those epiphanies,” Baldus says. “The yard is so
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“THE IRON RAIL OF THE TROLLEY LINE WORE ITS WAY INTO THE GRANITE COBBLES, CREATING A GROOVE. WHEN WE STARTED TO HARVEST THE COBBLES, I KEPT THROWING THOSE OFF TO THE SIDE, THINKING, ‘THESE ARE NO GOOD.’ BUT THEN I WAS SITTING THERE, LOOKING AT THEM ONE DAY, AND I REALIZED HOW AWESOME IT WOULD BE TO HAVE THEM BE THE RUNNEL IN THE PATIO.” SPACESTWINCITIES.COM | 45
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> Japanese forest grass frames a variety of paving — red cobbles for the path, granite cobbles for the sitting area.
small — 40 feet across and 35 feet deep — it was such a confined space that I wanted to open it up and bring more light in there, and the mirrors do a great job with that.” The mirrors are affixed to the fence, behind a row of serviceberry trees. “They’re not perceived right away,” Baldus says. “You get glimpses of light from them. Some people think I’ve cut a hole through the fence. Sometimes, they’ll jump when they see themselves. But the whole idea is to try to increase the size of the space. It’s all so modern that I can get away with doing unusual things like that.” What truly brought the patio back yard to life, though, was the element of fire. “I built a wood-fired pizza oven — a barrel-vaulted masonry oven — because I had the space, and my girlfriend, Janna Schneider, and I really like entertaining,” Baldus says. “We also really like food — we are total foodies — we like to cook and we like to bake bread.” That has translated to a monthly event. “We have a pizza party on the second Sat46 | JUNE/JULY 2010 SPACES
urday of every month,” Baldus says. “We send out invitations to tons of people, and we get anywhere from 40 to 60 every time. The way it works is that the guests bring their drinks and toppings; we provide the crust and sauce. On pizza day, when we fire up the oven, it heats up to 900 degrees and cooks the pizzas in 90 seconds. The next day, we have a bread-baking day because the oven is still at 400 degrees. At the end of Sunday night, it’ll be 325 degrees. The next Saturday, it will still be warm, 100 degrees.” Still, it’s not quite enough of a fire for a crowd to gather around on a chilly night. “The oven puts off only enough heat for two people to sit in front of it, but I’m not a big fan of built-in fire pits, because that eats up the space,” Baldus says. “Instead, I have a little fire pan from Target, and I can move it around as I like.” Baldus needs the extra room for his latest plan. “This year, I’m building an outdoor kitchen, a fully functional kitchen,” he says. “It will have a custom fabricated grill, a sink
and an outdoor wok burner, because my girlfriend enjoys Asian cooking, and to do Asian cooking properly, you have to have a wok burner — normal burners don’t get hot enough. This one will be 70,000 BTUs. “The kitchen will be adjacent to the oven, with a slate top that was an old pool table,” he says. “Mounted under the counters will be cabinets with rust faces and stainlesssteel handles welded onto them. “There will be a built-in cooler, because an outdoor fridge is too expensive, and we won’t be keeping things out there all the time,” Baldus says. “Our intention is to use it whenever it’s nice enough out to cook. “It’s an old idea,” he says. “The home that
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PHOTO BY BEN FRANZEN
> Granite curbing sculpture and old hotel mirrors make this backyard garden a more modern space.
> The waterfall is carved out of a retaining wall constructed of limestone left over from past landscape jobs.
PHOTO BY CHRIS POLYDOROFF
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I have was built in 1905, and back in the day, people used to have a winter kitchen inside and a summer kitchen outside — because the homes got so hot you cooked outside.”
Plants and fish When he gets home from a day of work in the summer, Baldus would rather spend his time cooking than gardening. “The back yard is mostly patio, and I got rid of the grass in my front yard. There’s no grass on my property. Grass takes more maintenance than anything else,” he says. “There’s just a big perennial garden out front with specimen plants. I probably spend four hours a year maintaining the front.” The plants must meet a certain criteria before making it into Baldus’ garden. “I love flowers, but they bloom for two weeks at most, and then you’re stuck with the foliage,” he says. “So, I’d rather select something that has interesting foliage and texture.” The plants that made the cut include
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Japanese forest grass, coral bells, hosta and tiarella. Baldus also grows strawberries and blueberries, as well as something more unusual. “My neighbor had a big, beautiful silver maple that fully shaded my yard. It was wonderful. But then one branch fell down — a really, really big branch, 36 inches around. It opened up all the sunlight, and it’s super bright back there,” Baldus says. “So, I ended up building a trellis that has hops growing on it. I’m a home brewer, and I’m growing them hydroponically, so they crawl across a sky wire and provide some shade.” The koi are also being replaced with something more suited to a Minnesota guy’s garden. “The koi didn’t make it. I have only one left, because I didn’t know anything about koi when I built the pond,” Baldus says. “I’m going to be stocking the pond with trout this year. They’ll stay in the pond until I fish them out and eat them.” The trout will sometimes have to share
the space. “After you’ve spent a day working outside and you’re hot and sweaty, there’s nothing so relaxing as hopping in the pool,” Baldus says. “It’s cleaned with a UV filter now, so it’s crystal clear.” Baldus uses his back yard as much as possible in the summer. “We’re out there all the time. We eat dinner out there, I use my laptop out there or I design gardens out there with my portable board. On weekends, we’ll invite friends over and sit around and commune over cocktails,” he says. “It’s basically another living space.” For Baldus, it feels natural to spend as much time as possible outdoors. “When I was 16, I got a job at a golf course, and that sealed the deal for me,” he says. “I didn’t mind waking up early, I loved being outside, being in a beautiful, manicured area.” ✴ Molly Guthrey is a Pioneer Press reporter and frequent contributor to Spaces.
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A Place for
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or Everyone E
At this renovated 1930s home, kids big and small play in the pool, college friends take over the hot tub, Mom cooks on the terrace and Dad naps in the screen porch.
ven when they’re inside their Lake Harriet home, the Wright family enjoys the outside. ● “Every single morning, we have a breakfast picnic in our new master suite, which has a beautiful view of the lake,” says Robin Wright. ● “Our twins, Abe and Charlie, who just turned 3, come in, and we lay a special blanket on the floor in our room or out on the terrace, depending on the weather. My husband, Dave, gets cups of tea for the two of us, and the boys have juice and toast or fruit and breakfast bars. ● “As the boys get older and start school, it probably will be more difficult to do, but I hope it will remain a weekend tradition, because I want the boys to always remember the breakfast picnics in their mom and dad’s room. It’s such a beautiful way to ease into the day.” ● The breakfast ritual sums up the spirit behind the renovations of the family’s 1930s-era English country revival home. ● “Dave and I wanted it to be a gathering space, to make sure there was enough space for everyone,” she says. ● Both Robin, a divorced mom of three, and David, who had never been married, each had homes in the Lake Harriet neighborhood when they started dating. For the couple, a new life together meant selling each of their homes. ● “We wanted to start new, to buy a home and create something new for this family,” says Robin. ● “But we wanted to stay in the neighborhood. We love biking and running around the lakes. We had each lived in the neighborhood a long time. We had friends here. And we liked older homes,” says David, owner of Breadsmith Artisan Breads. “But we were really disappointed with the basic interiors of a lot of the homes we looked at — they looked nice from the outside, but
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This Lake Harriet mansion, which had not been updated since it was built in the 1930s, underwent extensive renovations in 2006. The lion water fountains in the pool are a fun place for Robin and David Wright’s 3-year-old twin boys to play. “Nothing is for show in this house; it all has a purpose,” says Robin Wright.
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Metal sculptures representing the four seasons overlook the deep end of the pool.
then when you saw the inside, you thought, ‘How could they have done this to this house?’ ” And then they stepped back in time — sort of. “This home was not on the market yet. Our Realtor knew it was coming on the market and that it would be for sale ‘as is,’ ” Robin says. “It was built in 1930-31, and in 75 years, only two families had lived in it, and nothing had been done,” David says. “It was like walking into a museum,” says Robin. “There were still World War II uniforms hanging in the closets and old baby buggies in the attic.” “The rugs were 60 years old, every window needed to be replaced, the heating, the plumbing. … It was an unbelievably huge project — it was really far gone,” David says. “But the flow of the house was beautiful. The basic bones were fantastic.”
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month renovation. “The original architectural drawings were found in the attic and a scaled, hand-built model. We all worked from that,” says David Kopfmann of Yardscapes, Inc. “We were all driven to keep everything looking like it was from that time period, like it had always been there.” There were some “new” elements, though: During the remodeling, the couple learned they were expecting twin boys. “When we were designing the home and thinking about it, we asked, ‘How can this be a gathering place for everybody?’” says Robin. “Everybody” includes her son Steele Arundel, 28, and his wife, Nan; son Shane Arundel, 26; and daughter Dakota Arundel, 19, who still lives at home. Plus the twins. Fast forward to 2010:The new family is settled in their “fresh start” home, renovated with all the children in mind. That is especially true in the summer. “The pool provides that gathering space,” says David. “It was Robin’s idea — she thought it would help make the home a
focal point for all the kids, from the twins to the three grown kids, as well as the grandparents and other family and friends,” says David. “We keep the pool open five to six months out of the year because we heat it well, using the heating system from the boilers of the house, which is not costly and so efficient. We also don’t chlorinate the pool — we use salt — so you don’t have that
smell, that residue of chlorine under your skin,” he says. The pool is both beautiful and functional. “It’s an older, European style, with not a lot of pool deck, and big steps down into the water,” Kopfmann says. “It was especially designed with kids in mind, with the steps being large enough to sit and play in,” Robin says. “The kids love sitting there and playing
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The screened porch off the pool is new, but like the rest of the renovations, it was designed to look like the original 1930s-era Lake Harriet house.
with the three lion heads that shoot water out.” The spa, located on the shallow end of the pool, gets plenty of use by the grown-ups. “From the screen porch, there is a walkway to the hot tub, which we use year-round,” Robin says. “Our oldest son and his college classmates have a reunion here every year during the pond hockey tournament. In the middle of winter, they’ll be
all sitting in the hot tub after playing hockey; they’ll come in the house and make pizzas to cook in our pizza oven. “In the summer, our daughter loves having her college friends over to hang out on the terrace, where there’s a wood-burning fireplace and a built-in gas grill. And we’re outside with the younger boys from morning till night this time of year,” she says.
Easy access As with the interior, the exterior of the home required extensive renovation to make it more livable for a modern family. In the new design, the servants’ quarters — two bedrooms and one bathroom — were turned into a new kitchen that opens onto a new backyard terrace overlooking the pool. “The terrace is a way of
bringing the ground up in the air,” says Brian Nowak of Sharrat Design Co., who was the project coordinator. “We had them redo the terrace so we could get outside from the kitchen,” David says. “Before, you had to go downstairs through the basement to get to the back yard.” “We had to make it easy to get outside,” says Robin. “I’m an outdoor person. I like to be outside SPACESTWINCITIES.COM | 55
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as much as possible, so outside access was a priority, because I couldn’t imagine going down an interior set of steps with the kids all the time to get outside.” The kitchen and terrace are on the “second floor” of the walkout-style home. Under the terrace is a screened porch. “Given that this is Minnesota, the screen porch is necessary,” Robin says.“It’s not heated, so it’s basic shelter, but we use it all the time this time of year.” “We like to be outside a lot, and the terrace gives us a place to sit, cook, eat and just be outside, and the screen porch has a hanging bed, it’s a good place to take a nap on a rainy day or sleep on a rainy night,” says David. The project coordinator says it wasn’t just a simple matter of replacing one terrace with another. “The original stone terrace was nice for what it was, but the new one is a much more complicated structure, with an internal drainage system and a waterproof membrane to keep the screen porch beneath it dry,” Nowak says. Underneath the terrace, the screen porch serves as a gateway to the water. “To get to the spa, you walk out of the porch, with no steps down, making it easy to get to even in the winter, says Kopfmann. The lower level of the home was designed to complement the pool and spa. “I guess you could call it an indoor pool house,” says Robin. “It’s set up for company and family, with racks of towels and robes and a changing area with drapes and a bench, a sauna and a steam shower and heated floors,” Robin says. 56 | JUNE/JULY 2010 SPACES
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The couple also has another outdoor-related space on the lower level. “Dave wanted a special room for our bikes, and that was a challenge,” Nowak says. “We ended up putting it next to the screen porch. From the outside, it looks like it’s part of the screen porch, but it’s not.You can access it from the garage or the outside.”
Home to lions and angels, too The grounds were also refashioned to suit a family with young children. “Originally, the whole focal point of the back yard was a reflecting pool with a fountain,” Robin says, “but you can’t really have 2-foot-deep water with little ones running around — our swimming pool has an automated cover that we keep on whenever we’re not using it — so we temporarily filled in the reflecting pool with begonias. But we kept the fountain. We call it ‘the lion fountain’ because it has a stone lion face where the water comes out.” The lion theme is repeated in the spa and pool, which have lion fountains that re-circulate the water. “Everything is connected,” Kopfmann says. An angel overlooks the pool, too. “We wanted her incorporated into the design. She’s a very crude iron form I found in an antiques shop in Florida. She came from France by way of England,” says Robin. The sweeping staircase that splits into two on the way down from the house to the pool serves as the backdrop for the angel.
“On summer nights, we eat out on the terrace or by the pool. We are outdoors as much as possible,” says Robin Wright.
Robin also wanted to include four metal sculptures representing the seasons. “They are located at the deep end of the pool, underneath a grouping of older pine trees, with a stone wall serving as a backdrop,” Kopfmann says. In the front yard, instead of steps up from the public sidewalk and a straight-shot path to the front door, the natural stone path is now elevated and meandering. “It now looks more like the original model,” Kopfmann says. The front stoop was enlarged, in keeping with the overall mission of the home. “There’s now more of an area to greet guests,” he says. In addition to new design, the house also needed a good scrubbing. “We did a historic cleaning and restoration of the outside,” Nowak says. “Before, the brick was dirty and dingy, and the slate tile roof was in perfect condition but had developed this dingy color over the years – a dark pond-scum green. It was chemically cleaned, and when I was flying over Lake Harriet
after visiting my family in Massachusetts, the roof was so clean that I could pick it out.” The grounds also have been remade to suit Robin’s tastes. “The style of the garden is very feminine, with a lot of color, because Robin is very feminine,” says Hannah Simons of Bluebird Gardening. “Robin wanted fullimpact color all season long, with a combination of perennials and annuals that really pop.” How does Robin’s garden grow? Think peonies, climbing roses, shrub roses, azaleas, delphinium, Dahlberg daisies, wax begonias, pink begonias. There will be plenty of time to smell the flowers this summer. “On a daily basis, almost immediately after the breakfast picnic, we come down to the pool,” Robin says. “The kids will ride their big wheels or we’ll pile onto the large, double chaise lounge that we either pretend is a boat or a bus.The kids will play while we enjoy the beauty of the yard.” ✴ Molly Guthrey is a Pioneer Press reporter and frequent contributor to Spaces.
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turning over a new leaf With her new landscape design firm, top wedding photographer Hilary Bullock turns in her camera for a trowel.
â?§ BY ANDY STEINER P O R T R A I T B Y C H R I S P O LY D O R O F F PHOTOS BY HILARY BULLOCK
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F
or 21 years, Hilary Bullock
loved her job. But after achieving success with Hilary N. Bullock Photography, she wanted a change. She knew she wanted to make a career switch while she still enjoyed documenting her clients’ wedding days. The only question was: What next? “In my gut, I felt like I had a good run,” says Bullock. As owner of Hilary N. Bullock Photography, she had pioneered the artful documentary-style wedding album, and influenced others in her field to move away from stodgy lineup shots. Nowadays clients expect wedding photographers to take in the event and the activity surrounding it, says Liz Banfield, a Minneapolis-based commercial photographer who also shoots weddings. “Hilary paved the way,” Banfield says, “She gave the photojournalistic style of wedding photography a lot of prestige. She was out there before anybody else — doing it and doing it really well.” At her busiest, Bullock ran her own studio in downtown Minneapolis and employed as many as four assistants. In prime nuptial season, she was booked years in advance. As her photography business expanded to include family portraits, Bullock was so
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taken up with documenting other people’s lives she had no time for her own. Less than a decade into her marriage, she spent little time with her husband. “I never saw him because he worked during the week and I was working every weekend,” Bullock says. “I needed a new way of living,
and so I told myself that by the time I turned 50, I’d find a new career.” Because she sees the world through an artist’s eyes, Bullock thought about careers that would put her natural composition skills to work. She considered — and dismissed — several jobs, including interior
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“I SPENT 21 YEARS RESPONDING TO THE MOMENT. NOW, I CAN PULL BACK AND THINK BEFORE I DO MY WORK. THAT’S A REALLY GOOD CHANGE FOR ME.”
designer and sculptor. “I knew I couldn’t make a living at art,” she says, laughing, “and if I were an interior designer, I’d have to give all the samples back. That would be tough.” Then, one warm spring day, Bullock had a revelation. “My husband and I bought an old home in Dayton’s Bluff,” she says “It had gardens, so I started spending my spare time working in them. One day, I’d been gardening for hours. I was exhausted but totally satisfied on this cellular level. As I sat on my back step relaxing and thinking about what I’d just accomplished, I realized, ‘I’m really happy right now. This feels so good. This is what I want to do next.’ ” So Bullock researched how she could get paid to design and plant gardens. She immersed herself in the Twin Cities horticulture scene, reading up on the industry and taking courses at the University of Minnesota. Ultimately, she decided she wanted to be a landscape designer. After four years of study, she launched Hilary Bullock-Consultation, Land Care, and Garden Design LLC. Now, she designs and installs gardens and green spaces for her clients. For Bullock, it’s
a perfect match. “I love how humbling it is to work with the land. The weather is out of control, and you just have to learn to live with that,” Bullock says. “In this job, I’m not always responding to the moment. I spent 21 years responding to the moment. Now, I can pull back and think before I do my work.That’s a really good change for me.” Bullock’s first garden-design clients were former wedding clients. Since then, business has come through word of mouth. “When you’re in the neighborhood working on an installation, people see you,” she says. “They see my signs. They see my truck. They stop and talk.They are really interested in what’s going on. So far I haven’t had to advertise.” Bullock describes her new job as part art, part science. “I spend a lot of time studying the soil conditions and the sun vs. shade. I also love the education part of my job. I make a point of using Latin names in my invoices. I believe in horticulture, the value of understanding how the systems work and what makes plants thrive.” When Liz Piepho did an extensive remodeling project on her home in Minneapolis’ Bryn Mawr neighborhood last
summer, she hired Bullock to design a perennial garden that would fill in the tornup earth. “Hilary brings an artistic eye to her work,” Piepho says. “The garden she created for me is laid out with a lot of thought to color, composition, size, shape. The way the plants look together is very thoughtful and beautiful. It was a joy to see them start growing back this spring.” As a wedding photographer, Bullock says she spent her time capturing and freezing the joy of a specific moment. Creating gardens is different. A garden is something like a marriage, Bullock theorizes. Put the time into it, lavish it with love and attention, and it will flourish. “With photography, I’d capture a moment, and that would be the moment you’d remember forever,” she says. “That image would never change. As a landscape designer, I put my design down on paper, then I install it in the earth and it takes on a life of its own. It’s not static. It’s something that continues to grow, change and surprise you. And that can be a wonderfully exciting thing.” ✴ Andy Steiner is a St. Paul writer.
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eat . R E S T A U R A N T S Seven Sky Bar (Seven Sushi Ultra Lounge)
It’s time to take it outside. Here are our favorite restaurant patios. BY NANCY NGO
23 great Rooftop/Terrace > BRIT’S PUB 1110 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis; 612-332-3908; britspub.com: Choose between a sidewalk cafe along hopping Nicollet Avenue or a three-tiered rooftop patio with lawn bowling. Either way, you’ll get plenty of fresh air while drinking a pint and eating fish and chips. > JOE’S GARAGE 1610 Harmon Place, Minneapolis; 612-904-1163; joes-garage.com: A cool crowd, above-average bar food and rooftop views of downtown, Loring Park and the Basilica of St. Mary — what’s not to love? > THE LIFFEY (HOLIDAY INN) 175 W. Seventh St., St. Paul; 651556-1420; www.theliffey.com: Crowds love this Irish pub for its great downtown location, expansive deck and the beer and whiskey selection. > SEVEN SKY BAR (SEVEN SUSHI ULTRA LOUNGE) 700 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; 612-238-7777; 7mpls.com: The gigantic rooftop patio with two bars has become a scenester spot in the heart of downtown. 66 | JUNE/JULY 2010 SPACES
> STELLA’S FISH CAFE 1400 W. Lake St., Minneapolis; 612-824-8862; stellasfishcafe.com: Seafood spot in Uptown with a spacious rooftop deck and skyline views. > 20.21 (WALKER ART CENTER) 1750 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; 612-253-3410; wolfgangpuck.com: The contemporary patio at celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck’s Asian-fusion restaurant has views of the Basilica of St. Mary and downtown skyline.
Picturesque > DOCK CAFE 425 Nelson St., Stillwater; 651430-3770; dockcafe.com: One of the best scenic views of the St. Croix River and historic lift bridge. > I NONNI 981 Sibley Memorial Highway, Lilydale; 651-905-1080; inonnirestaurant.com: Fancy Italian restaurant takes the dining outside. > LORD FLETCHER’S 3746 Sunset Drive, Spring Park; 612-471-8513; lordfletchers.com: Whether eating chicken tenders or a walleye dinner, dining at this restaurant with a huge deck
patios overlooking Lake Minnetonka is as casual or fancy as you want it to be. > PIER 500 500 First St., Hudson, Wis.; 715386-5504; pierfivehundred.com: Overlooking the St. Croix River, Pier 500 is a great place to watch the sunset — there’s even a fire pit, bar and lounge area.
Classic > MOSCOW ON THE HILL 371 Selby Ave., St. Paul; 651-2911236; moscowonthehill.com: This Russian restaurant’s enclosed patio is one of the best-kept secrets on Cathedral Hill. > MUFFULETTA 2260 Como Ave., St. Paul; 651644-9116; muffuletta.com: This
perennial favorite is always colorfully decked out with hanging flower baskets. It’s also a popular neighborhood spot, so be prepared to wait for a seat. > NICOLLET ISLAND INN 95 Merriam St., Minneapolis; 612331-3035; nicolletislandinn.com: Overlooking the Mississippi River and downtown skyline, this small, quaint patio makes for a romantic dining spot. > JAX CAFE 1928 University Ave. N.E., Minneapolis; 612-789-7297; jaxcafe.com: This institution is not only known for its steaks but also for its backyard patio with a Zenlike garden and trout stream.
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Neighborhood
> PSYCHO SUZI’S 2519 Marshall St. N.E., Minneapolis; 612-788-9069; psychosuzis.com: This hipster spot with a gigantic patio makes you feel like you’re in the tropics, with tiki torches, thatched umbrellas, bamboo fencing and a menu of Polynesian cocktails.
> DAY BY DAY CAFE 477 W. Seventh St., St. Paul; 651227-0654; daybyday.com: The backyard, multi-tiered patio at this breakfast/lunch spot has a fishpond and waterfall adding to the charm.
> SAN PEDRO CAFE 426 Second St., Hudson, Wis.; 715-386-4003; sanpedrocafe.com: The two-story deck sports a waterfall, tropical plants and wrought-iron tables and chairs.
> GRUMPY’S 2801 Snelling Ave., Roseville; 651379-1180; grumpys-bar.com: The space has been KFAN, Big City Tavern and now Grumpy’s, but one thing remains the same — the shaded patio with its wrought-iron furniture, umbrellas and flowers.
> SWEENEY’S SALOON 96 N. Dale St., St. Paul; 651-2219157; sweeneyssaloon.com: A private backyard, two-tiered patio with a stone fireplace, bar and wrought-iron furniture — no wonder this is a favorite institution.
> W.A. FROST 374 Selby Ave., St. Paul; 651-2245715; wafrost.com: Classy and classic, W.A. Frost’s garden patio has two areas — restaurant and bar/lounge.
> HAPPY GNOME 498 Selby Ave., St. Paul; 651-2902338; thehappygnome.com: The wood deck in back is a favorite neighborhood hangout for the cool kids who want to catch some rays while sipping imported beers.
Nancy Ngo is a Pioneer Press reporter.
Pier 500
> LA GROLLA 452 Selby Ave., St. Paul; 651-2211061; lagrollastpaul.com: Italian spot on Cathedral Hill offers a twotiered patio with lots of greenery, umbrellas and a fountain. > PATRICK MCGOVERN’S 225 W. Seventh St., St. Paul; 651224-5821; patmcgoverns.com: The three-tiered brick patio with a waterfall is a great place to hunker down with a beer and check out the crowd. SPACESTWINCITIES.COM | 67
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shop. F A S H I O N
Right off the bat, fashionistas will notice this spring resembles many springs past. But that’s like saying Target Field is just another ballpark.
season openers IN TERMS OF FASHION, nothing is new this spring. ● Black and white? Timeless. Nautical? Classic. Floral prints? Done it again and again. Neutrals and military jackets? Call it urban safari or tribal chic — no matter the name, the trend is the same. ● Nevertheless, when you see what’s in store, you’re going to want to shop. This time around, the cargos are skinnier, the prints are louder and mixing things up — jewelry, patterns, boots with spring dresses — has never looked so fresh. ● Now’s the time to reinvent your staples. Pair a couple of prints. Add a scarf. Experiment with a bright orange bag. ● Have fun with fashion, and you’re sure to knock it out of the ballpark. BY ALLISON KAPLAN / PHOTOS BY CHRIS P O LY D O R O F F
● Break the rules: Mix patterns. Gregory Parkinson print skirt, $245, Matta striped blouse, $158, both from Intoto; gold-plated flower necklace (or bracelet), $105, Stephanie’s; fedora, $58, StyledLife.
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● Black, white and never boring. On Ashlee, left: Lilibleu jacket, $155, Stephanie’s; Tibi cutout dress, $392, Stephanie’s; acrylic cuff, $68, sunglasses, $38, both from StyledLife. On Gail: Vince shirt, $205, Citizens of Humanity jeans, $150, both from Bluebird Boutique; Fedaboa belt, $78, gold cuff, $118, both from StyledLife.
Effortlessly polished in the new summer essentials: cashmere and dark denim leggings. Demylee cashmere sweater, $202, Alice + Olivia denim leggings, $187, both from Bumbershute; Pono bangle, $150, Arafina; Dolce Vita sandals, $75, Ladyslipper.
●
● Use accessories to your advantage when wearing a blousy
dress. Glam silk dress, $68, Picky Girl; Mexican sterling cuff, $275, Guild; Streets Ahead belt, $129, OPM; multistrand necklace, $374, Style Minneapolis. 70 | JUNE/JULY 2010 SPACES
● Embrace nautical colors without sacrificing your edge. Liquid cropped
pants, $168, Picky Girl; knit hat, $12, Twins T-shirt, $39, both from Twins Majestic Clubhouse Store; gold bangles, $45 each, Arafina.
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● A dress makes dressing for spring a cinch. Tucker dress, $310, Arafina; Darvia Design Swarovski crystal and African opal necklace, $348, Guild; faux coral bracelet, $68, StyledLife.
What to buy for spring Lightweight cardigans ● Floral dresses ● Boy-cut blazers ● Tapered trousers ● Caged (i.e., strappy) sandals ● Anything striped ● Abstract prints ● Rounded bags ● Cuffs, bangles and layered necklaces ● Skinny cargos ●
● Dress for the seats you want, not the ones you have. Diane von Furstenberg dress, $325, OPM; belt,
$77, Bluebird Boutique; scarf, $58, cuff, $188, both from StyledLife; earrings, $115, Arafina; Melie Bianco bag, $62, Karma; Cynthia Vincent wedge sandal, $289, Ladyslipper.
STORES Arafina: Galleria, Edina ● Bluebird Boutique: 3909 W.
50th St., Edina and Shoppes at Arbor Lakes, Maple Grove ● Bumbershute: 5014 France Ave., Edina ● Guild: 4414 Excelsior Blvd., St. Louis Park ● Intoto: 3105 Hennepin Ave. S., Minneapolis, ● June: 3406 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis ● Karma: 867 Grand Ave., St. Paul ● Ladyslipper: 4940 France Ave., Edina ● Opitz Outlet: 4320 Excelsior Blvd., St. Louis Park ● Picky Girl: 949 Grand Ave., St. Paul ● Stephanie’s: 758 S. Cleveland Ave., St. Paul ● StyledLife: Galleria, Edina ● Style Minneapolis: 4501 Nicollet Ave. S., Minneapolis CREDITS Models: Ashlee Walker and Gail Lewis, Vision Management Group ● Stylist: Gwen Leeds ● Hair: Amy Clark and Steven Holien, Jon Charles Salon ● Makeup: Angela Evans, Jon Charles Salon ● Assistant: Megan Hanson ● Location: Target Field 72 | JUNE/JULY 2010 SPACES
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OUTING
At the historic Oliver H. Kelley farm, visitors get a glimpse of what it was like to live off the land 150 years ago.
farm lite IT WAS OBVIOUS FROM THE SECOND WE
stepped onto the farm that my kids are thoroughly urban. “I smell animal poop!” yelled the 3-yearold as she plugged her nose with her fingers and ran down the gravel path toward the barn. The historic Oliver H. Kelley Farm in Elk River offers a chance to experience a working 19th-century farm, complete with
BY MAJA BECKSTROM manure. We visited just as the land was coming awake. Rows of oats and rye were sprouting in the damp fields, like lines of bright green chalk traced on black paper. Lambs and chicks had recently arrived. Horses were shedding winter coats. And, in the farm kitchen, women costumed in 19th-century
PHOTOS BY SCOTT TAKUSHI
dresses and aprons were preparing the season’s first asparagus. The 189-acre site includes a small interpretive center with a gift shop, the old farmhouse, outbuildings and fields that are planted and harvested by costumed staff, using a team of oxen and the simple machinery of the that era. If you ignored all the visitors, it looked much as it might have looked more than 150 years ago, when Oliver Kelley and his bride settled on this wooded farm along the banks of the Mississippi River. Educated in Boston and seeking his fortune in the West, Kelley bought the land in 1849 on speculation soon after Minnesota became a territory and there was talk of selecting a site near present-day Elk River as the new capital.When St. Paul was chosen and his hopes of founding a new town were dashed, the city-bred Kelley settled down to farm. “Most farmers operated under the idea of what was good enough for Grandpa is good enough for me,” said site manager Bob Quist. “But Kelley was the son of a tailor. So he had to learn about farming by reading the latest agricultural journals. He tried the most modern farming techniques. He was an innovator.” SPACESTWINCITIES.COM | 73
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Still, Kelley is remembered today not so much for his farming methods as for founding the first national farmers’ organization, the Patrons of the Husbandry, aka the Grange. At its height in the 1870s, the Grange claimed as members one out of every three farmers, said Quist. Although the Grange’s popularity was short-lived, it sowed the seeds for later organizations that challenged railroad monopolies and established farm cooperatives.
Hands-on experience Much of this history is invisible to visitors, unless they walk through a short exhibit in the interpretive center or ask ques-
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tions of the costumed guides. The main focus is to let people experience the daily and seasonal tasks of a farm in the decade after the Civil War, when half of the nation’s workers were farmers. My children and I pumped water from a well in the middle of the yard. My 6-year-old leaned into the metal handle and splashed water into a wood bucket. We carried it by its rope handle down to the cattle, and I hoisted it over a rail fence and poured the water into wood tanks. My mother had accompanied us, and she carried a pail for old times’ sake. She grew up on a farm in southwest Minnesota, and one of her daily chores was to carry five-gallon pails of
water to the chicken house. “You don’t want to splash on your legs,” she cautioned us. “Then, you’ll be cold, and I know what that’s like.” Next, we wandered into the barn. At this time of year, it’s nearly empty. Only small piles of straw and hay remained in the corners, left over from last year’s harvest. A costumed guide showed the kids how to hit stalks of sorghum on the edge of a barrel and watch the round red seeds fall out. Kelley would have processed the sorghum stalks to make molasses and fed the seeds to livestock. We followed the guide to the lower level of the barn, where he led in two Percheron horses and got them ready to harness for a
trolley ride. “You want to brush the horse?” he asked. My kids were too shy, but I dragged the brush through the furry winter coat as clumps of reddish brown hair dropped around his hooves. In nearby outbuildings, we saw lambs, a calf, three huge pigs and a flock of speckled chickens.
In tune with nature The farm’s activities follow the seasons, something some urban folk don’t quite get. “We have visitors who come in this time of year and say, ‘What are you harvesting right now?’ Or they want to plow all year round,” Quist said. In spring, farm workers plant
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corn, sorghum and buckwheat. Visitors might get a chance to walk behind the oxen, Coulter and Toby, and steer the plow. After planting is done, you might get a chance to help shear the sheep. In mid- to late June, it will be time to cut clover and hay, and visitors will get to help rake it with long wood rakes, stack it into the wagon and unload it in the barn. In July, visitors can help harvest grain, make bundles and gather them into a shock in the field to dry. Labor Day weekend is threshing time, and you can watch a horse on a treadmill power the threshing machine that shakes the oat kernels from their stalks. And there is always work to be done in the garden. One of the kids’ favorite things to do, Quist said, is to pick potato bugs and cabbage loopers off plants, put them in cans and feed them to the chickens. Kids even like to weed when they can carry their basket of weeds to feed to the cows. 76 | JUNE/JULY 2010 SPACES
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And, as the vegetables mature, visitors help make pickles and dig up carrots, onions and rutabagas to store under burlap in the root cellar. On the weekend we visited, we watched a woman in a long brown dress sit in the corner of the kitchen and rhythmically pound the long wood handle of a butter dasher into a ceramic churn. She showed one boy how to keep the steady beat and let him churn for a while. Then, she opened the lid and swiped her finger across the milky froth to see if the cream was beginning to clot. My 6-year-old son got a chance to knead bread on a low wood table. Still, trying out farm chores for 15 minutes on a family outing or field trip is quite different from living on a farm and performing such tasks day in and day out.And it seems Kelley wasn’t quite cut out for farm life. A restless and sociable man, Kelley dabbled in other pursuits.
After farming for 15 years, he used family connections to secure an appointment as clerk under the commissioner of agriculture. In this capacity, he toured several southern states in 1865 to collect facts to aid agricultural reconstruction after the Civil War. According to an article in Minnesota History Quarterly, it was during this tour that the idea of creating a national farmers organization came to mind. “I long to see the great army of producers in our country turn their eyes up from their work, stir up those brains, set them to thinking,” he wrote to a friend. “Let them feel that they are human beings and the strength of the nation, their labor honorable and farming the highest calling on earth.” More than 150 years after his vision, his old farmstead is teaching a modern generation about the honorable labor of farming. ✴ Maja Beckstrom writes about children and families for the Pioneer Press.
What: Oliver H. Kelley Farm Where: 15788 Kelley Farm Road, Elk River
Information: 763-441-6896 or mnhs.org
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and holidays between Memorial Day and Labor Day Cost: $8 adults, $6 senior citizens, $5 ages 6-17, free for kids younger than 6 Target audience: All ages Crowd pleasers: Trying farm chores — from holding a plow behind oxen to pounding the dasher in the butter churn. Also the horsedrawn trolley. Avoid: Missing the fun stuff. Activities are seasonal and dependent on weather. Call a day or two ahead to find out exactly what will be happening. Tip: Pack a picnic to eat at outdoor tables. The gift shop sells snacks but no meals.
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Bright Ideas
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FOR YOUR HOME BY BOB SHAW
10 ways to make your yard, well, a 10 1. Native plants. “The big trend is more color and pop with flowering shrubs and perennials,” said Colleen Moran, landscape design director for Gertens Greenhouses in Inver Grove Heights. Native plants usually don’t need as much water or fertilizer, she said. 2. New varieties of shrubs. These include the My Monet type of weigela, with white-edged leaves and pink or purple flowers; the Incrediball hydrangea, which starts with lime-green flowers that change to white; and the newest breed of ninebark called Center Glow, a shrub with gold or red leaves and white flowers.
JOHN DOMAN
SPRING HAS SPRUNG — BUT IT’S DIFFERENT this
year. Minnesota yards are a showcase for new trends, from bug-proof elms to $30,000 anti-swimming-pool ponds to Technicolored mulch. The top 10 landscaping trends, as identified by metro area landscapers, are:
3. Multicolored mulch. Mulch is eclipsing rock as the garden cover of choice, according to Moran. Gertens has as many as 30 varieties, including dyed mulch in such colors as crimson, gold and brown. 4. Swimming ponds — irregular-shaped water features that look and feel like a natural pond. Many use almost no chemicals and allow kids to swim among fish and water plants. Jack Dorcey, owner of Landscape Design Studios in White Bear Lake, described one in
KJPIMAGES.COM
Hudson, Wis., that features an eight-foot-wide waterfall that drops four feet into the pond. Dorcey said the ponds are lined with rubber sheeting. The cost varies from $10,000 to $30,000.
5. Varieties of edging. “We are moving toward invisible edging,” said Gertens’ Moran — metal edging that is flush with the level of the lawn. Edging in paver bricks or natural stone is also popular, she said. 6. Elms. They are back and have been bred to resist Dutch Elm Disease. Two popular varieties are Princeton and Accolade.
7. Water features. These include boulders drilled with holes that allow water to circulate and make a gurgling sound. 8. Rain gardens, sunken areas designed to hold runoff water to prevent lawn chemicals from washing into a street. “In the past, we have considered water a waste product to be channeled away,” said Carolin Dittmann, owner of Verbena Design and Landscaping, St. Paul. Now, she said, landscapers are finding ways to retain water, giving it a chance to soak into the ground and replenish water tables.
9. Permeable brick on driveways, patios and sidewalks. Rain barrels, which hold water that flows from rooftops, are another way to minimize runoff.
10. Landscape lighting. These include both solar-powered outdoor lights and low-voltage lighting systems. PHOTO BY JOSH STOKES COURTESY OF FUSION DESIGNED AND CAROL BOYLES INTERIORS
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Bob Shaw is a Pioneer Press reporter.
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