“When you pull into our parking lot, it all seems so small and quaint,” said Kelly Lorenz, general manager of The Mustard Seed Landscaping & Garden Center. “But once you begin to explore, you realize just how much open space lies beyond our buildings.
“You’re surrounded by endless shades of green as you meander up and down the rows of plants. Soon you’ll notice a chatter – the resident chickens and guinea fowl, who graciously provide us with free pest control and fertilizer. If you let the croaking frogs draw you near the pond, you’ll see the fantails of koi shimmering in the water. If you walk through the greenhouse, you’re almost overwhelmed by the symphonic smell of thousands of herbs. It brings back sweet memories of all the things you take for granted.
“The senses come alive here.”
The Mustard Seed provides whatever you need to make your own little Elysium back at home. Every annual, perennial, shrub and tree that can be plugged into Eden Prairie’s soil is hale and hearty there. Every material that could bring a landscape to perfection is in stock. The resident Certified Landscape Professionals are standing by to offer everything from general guidance to full-service landscaping, replete with the garden, retaining wall, gazebo, pool, deck and fence that would transform your home into Xanadu. And if you would rather leave your Xanadu’s upkeep to the experts, The Mustard Seed’s crews are available to weed, prune, mulch, fertilize, compost, mow and chase away pests for you.
There are even bees at The Mustard Seed, but it is best just to leave them be.
“More and more people are making the shift toward pollinator gardens these days,” said Kelly. “They tend to follow a more natural theme, with less heavily manicured yards and flower beds, but it’s just as easy to create a classical garden that’s friendly to native hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. We offer a huge selection of salvia, liatris and monarda flowers that are just as colorful as they are inviting to nectar-loving creatures.
“We have dedicated over 6,000 square feet of greenhouse space to annuals and perennials, with regular shipments of new flowers arriving weekly. Goodness, where to begin? Well, the zinnias are always a crowd-pleaser. They are an annual, so you have to plant them every year, but they’re well worth the effort for all the lush shades of red, pink, purple and yellow they add to a garden from late spring until first frost. Lobelias are a royal blue trailing flower, perfect for any spot in a garden which could do with a little more volume. But if I had to pick a favorite, it would have to be the calla lily. It doesn’t bloom nearly as long as I would like it to – but when it does, it sure is a beauty.
“No matter which flowers you fall in love with here, they’re all available in custom planters that will brighten your porch or patio. If they’re destined for your garden instead, we would be delighted to explain how you can help them flourish. We can make any guest’s thumb just a little greener.
“If you’re looking to add more height or privacy to your landscape, we have an abundance of medium plants as well. The chokeberry is a wonderful one because it’s always changing. In the spring it bursts with delicate white flowers; in the summer it produces its signature fruit, which you can turn into jam or leave for the birds; and in the fall, its leaves take on a brilliant red. We also have a variety of hydrangeas, which present massive, brilliant, globe-shaped bunches of flowers from late summer well into fall.
“Everyone needs a little shade – or, to put it a slightly different way, everyone needs a shade tree. Whether you want a smaller accent at the corner of your home or a larger traditional tree to shield your deck from the sun, the best time to plant is right now. We have the Ohio buckeye, which shoots up gigantic cone-shaped clusters of flowers. We have the autumn blaze maple, which truly lives up to its name every fall. I especially adore the sunburst honey locust. Its smaller leaves dapple the ground below with sunlight, and it holds its bright gold throughout the growing season.
“Bring photos and measurements of your landscape when you visit! We’ll recommend the plants that would complement it best. Or if you’re in love with another house in your neighborhood, steal a few photos of it when its owners aren’t looking. We’ll clue you in to their gardening secrets so you can bring them back home.
“Many of our guests stop by after visiting the nearby Minnesota Landscape Arboretum so they can turn all that inspiration into a course of action. We carry many of the same plants the Arboretum features, but if you can’t find something you want, just ask us. We can sometimes special order a hard-to-find plant!”
Discover The Mustard Seed at 10,000 Great Plains Blvd in Chaska, or visit themustardseedinc.com to learn more about their services and upcoming special events. If you would like to engage a landscape consultant, The Mustard Seed’s designers are available to come to your home and tailor an estimate that aligns with your budget. You may also visit hagenll.com if you would like professional lakefront and shoreline design and maintenance by Hagen Lawn and Landscape, the other arm of The Mustard Seed’s business.