by Sarah Daniels
Thisweek Newspapers

Jean Poeschl, of Apple Valley, is a Dr. Frankenstein of sorts.

She takes in ailing plants from neighbors and nearly dead plants from nurseries and administers plant first-aid.

"I like taking a plant on its last leg and see if I can try to bring it back to life,î Poeschl said.

Just call her the reanimator.

Poeschl's garden will be one of the stops in the Trinity Care Center's 10th annual Garden Tour July 16 and 17.

Proceeds from the event will be used to purchase a piano and dining room chairs for the residents at Trinity Care Center in Farmington, said Tracy Donovan, one of the coordinators of the event.

"We're hoping for a record turnout this year,î Donovan said.

Poeschl's cheerful cottage garden didn't exist four years ago. When she and her husband, Jim, moved to their Apple Valley home from New Mexico, a tree and vast quantities of sod were the only plants to grace the back yard.

With the help of her husband, Jean Poeschl has been adding beds and plants to the yard every year.

"Gardening is therapeutic -- the plants don't talk back,î she said with a grin.

Much like Poeschl, gardening is a form of therapy for Lakeville resident Tammy Martin, whose yard is also part of the Garden Tour.

"It started as a stress-reliever,î Martin said.

Her flower-filled country garden, which features a pond and a waterfall, has been 16 years in the making.

In total, 10 gardens in Dakota and Scott counties will be featured on this year's tour:

ï 9180 195th St. E., Prior Lake;

ï 5299 Candy Cove Trail, Prior Lake;

ï 4301 Hanrehan Trail, Savage;

ï 16776 Ides Circle, Lake‚ville;

ï 16762 Ides Circle, Lake‚ville;

ï 15919 Gardenview Drive, Apple Valley;

ï 851 Haralson Drive, Apple Valley;

ï 12529 Danbury Way, Rosemount;

ï 1605 160th St. W., Rosemount;

ï 3410 213th St. W., Farmington.

What: Trinity Care Center in Farmington is holding its 10th annual Garden Tour of gardens in Dakota and Scott counties.

When: July 16 and 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Where: The first Garden Tour site is 9180 195th St. E., Prior Lake.

Admission: $15, payable at any Garden Tour site

Information: (651) 460-4685

Sarah Daniels is at av.thisweek@ecm-inc.com.