WELCOME TO HISTORY of RICE CREEK GARDENS
Rice Creek Gardens is moving again in the spring of 2007 we will begin to develop a new nursery in Southern Minnesota. Stay tuned as we make updates throughout the project available on this site.
Something new is always happening at Rice Creek Gardens. Over 40 years ago,
when plant selection in Minnesota was extremely limited, Betty Ann Addison began
to trial plants from more temperate climates, many of them mailed to her by her mother, a
legendary gardener, on Long Island. Encouraged by each success, more plants were added from
seed exchanges and travels. Many times clothes were sent home in a box and the plants got to
travel in the suitcase. Rice Creek Gardens started as a way to share the exciting fruits of these
successes. One acre of terraced gardens on Rice Creek in Fridley, MN provided the test ground
for many rock garden alpines, wildflowers and conifers.
22 years ago Charles Addison moved from Connecticut to marry Betty Ann and brought his
laboratory and expertise in plant tissue culture to Rice Creek Gardens. He added a raft of hardy
Rhododendrons from New England breeders that he was the first to culture, and that had never
been seen in this state. Daylilies were another passion of his, bringing some of the best at the
time with him to add to the plant mix at the new location in Blaine. His discerning eye, dedication
and knowledge of business brought a new level of sophistication to Rice Creek. His courage and
vision inspired expansion of the nursery to 16 acres, its present size.
Sadly, Charles passed away in 1996, but before he died, he and Betty Ann asked Harvey Buchite
to join Rice Creek Gardens as a partner. They could have searched the world over and not found
someone as qualified as Harvey to help carry on these unique traditions. While he was the Anoka
County Extension Agent he shared a deep interest in the nursery and encouraged its growth. His
knowledge of alpines from his many trips to the Alps has been bolstered by extensive reading and
expanded by growing rare plants both at home and at the nursery. Daylily and now Peony breeding are
more consuming passions and some of his seedlings are the equal of much-touted new plants on the
market with the added benefit of extreme hardiness and high bud count. Lately the peony collection
at Rice Creek has grown to over 400 varieites including many rare and unusual hybrids and species as
his interest has been spurred on by the blooming of his first peony seedlings planted some 15 years ago.
The fall of 2004 additonal peonies were added with the purchase of the Tischler Peony Farm peony collection
that featured many of the Brand Peony Farm cultivars as well as a great many
seedlings of Bob Tischler's hybridizing work including his latest introductions.
A significant part of the outflow from Rice Creek Gardens is the public and private rock gardens
built by Betty Ann and the staff for over twenty years. The Rock Garden at Lake Harriet in
Minneapolis (now called the Peace Garden) has reached maturity and a new waterfall crowns its beauty. The Minnesota
Landscape Arboretum is the setting for another rock garden built by Rice Creek Gardens.
Display gardens are integral to our nursery and continue to be added. The Woodland Garden grows hundreds of
shade-loving plants. Rock Gardens, Perennial and Grass Gardens, Shrub Rose Display and
Rhododendron Walk are some of the attractive ways we allow the plants to show you what
conditions they enjoy. The 100+ foot long waterway with three waterfalls built of tufa, creating one of
the largest tufa displays in the US. Our loyal staff prepares horticultural specialties year round in our six
greenhouses and field growing areas. The spring of 2004 we began production
of blooming annuals to meet the demands of our customers to round out their garden enjoyment and provide flowering annuals to compliment the wide selection of perennials that they find at Rice Creek Gardens.
Encouraged by past supporters, we invite you to become part of the next 40 years
of Rice Creek Gardens history!
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