Garden Tours - and I'm on one!

 the backyard with the client's sculpture

My garden design for a St. Paul residence was included on the Minneapolis-St. Paul Home Tour this past weekend. The home was one of 18 homes on tour in St. Paul, and the backyard featured the redesign I completed last summer. I can't take credit for the installation, which was contracted out by APL Landscape Solutions, but I did design the graceful curves and intimate spaces that define the garden.

The Home Tour was an exciting opportunity for me, because it was my first chance to represent myself and network with people. I arrived on Day 2 of the two day tour with a stack of business cards, looking forward to discussing the garden with people. It was a welcome challenge for me, because self-promotion is something with which I regularly struggle. The experience was even more challenging being that most of the tour goers are do-it-yourselfers who don't necessary want or need the help. I hesitantly offered my card to a couple people, but I still had a sizable stack of cards left after three hours. It was a learning experience for me, and I do feel that I'm slowly coming out of my shell. One networking day at a time.

Though I didn't shake everyone's hand or make myself particularly well known, the tour was really encouraging for me. Most everyone complimented some aspect of the garden. One of the lines I overheard over the course of the afternoon, and which particularly touched me was, "Oh, what a peaceful space!" I'm glad I conveyed some things clearly through all of this!