North Dakota Garden Parties
Gardens Abound in North Dakota
Gardens are important to North Dakota; so important, in fact, that there is a 2,300-acre floral wonderland dedicated to peace straddling the border of North Dakota and the Canadian province of Manitoba. And that’s only the start to the floral displays to be found around the state.
International Peace Garden
Any tour must include a visit to the International Peace Garden, located in the Turtle Mountains north of Dunseith. The garden encompassing 2, 300 acres is a great place to stroll around over 100,000 flowers and floral displays. The Floral Flag includes the colors of red, white and blue for the American flag and white and red for the Canadian flag. The gardens represent the friendship and promise of peace among the two countries. The International Peace Garden also features a large display of cactus. The collection includes more than 1,000 different sizes, shapes and varieties, all located in a specially-built conservatory. The garden also offers groups a restaurant, gift shop, large parking, interpretive center and attractions like the Carillon Bell Tower, Peace Chapel, 911 Memorial and Sunken Gardens. Please contact the International Peace Garden for entrance fees, document requirements, step-on-guides and for lunch arrangements.
Japanese Garden
A garden of gratitude comes with a helping of natural beauty at the Japanese Garden in Grand Forks. It commemorates the recovery from the 1997 Red River Valley flood and was a gift given by Grand Forks’ sister city, Awano, Japan. The lovely, unique garden features three lanterns made from granite rock, each with its own name and significant meaning, that grace the landscape of Sertoma Park. Parking is allowed on the street and there are no fees to enjoy the park.
Dakota Sun Garden
Dakota Sun Winery and Gardens in Carrington is not your typical garden, but a farmstead with more than 30 flower beds, fruit plots and a winery. Enjoy the spacious front deck with a glass of wine or lemonade while planning your route through the flower gardens. Do you like the wine you are sampling? Schedule a tour of the fruit plots and you may see some of the berries used in your favorite wine. Lunch can be arranged either on the patio or inside the event center. Visit the two 1950s wood grain bins and listen to running water of the small pond while gazing out onto the perennials, grasses, trees and shrubs that make this farmstead a must stop. Contact Dakota Sun Gardens for group rates for meal function, wine tastings and garden fun.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Gardens of a different kind await within the units of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Wildflowers, shrubs and trees abound in the North Unit near Watford City and South Unit at Medora. Trails with stream crossings and stunning overlooks let hikers get a close look at the diverse prairie ecosystem. The national park visitor centers offer several brochures highlighting self-guided tours and details of their unit’s geological, ecological and historical significance. National park fees are accessed for all types of transportation into the park, and parking is available throughout with designated pull-outs with some of the best viewing and photography opportunities in the park.
