ABOVE: Sylvia Peterson is thankful for the raised garden bed she plants in. LEFT: A hummingbird and a butterfly get acquainted in Peterson’s garden.
(Submitted photo)
People of all ages and backgrounds who live or work in Eden Prairie have enthusiastically sought to snap up community garden spots each year since the early 1970s at one of three Eden Prairie locations.
“We have 159 total spots, and seven plots with raised garden beds,” said David Keys, recreation specialist in Eden Prairie. “Every year we’ve filled all the spots and have a waiting list. It’s become a popular hobby with pretty high demand.”
The three community locations, open from May through October, include:
Pioneer Trail Gardens, 13180 Pioneer Trail, across from Flying Cloud Airport (leased from the airport), is the largest, offering 20-by-30-foot standard size plots with a few larger spots at 20-by-60-foot, for a total of 84 plots.Duck Lake Trail Gardens, 16591 Duck Lake Trail, through an agreement with Eden Prairie Assembly of God, where all 36 plots are 20-by-30 feet.Pioneer Park, 8940 Sutton Drive, behind the Eden Prairie Senior Center and owned by the city since the 1980s, where the 38 plots are 20-by-30, 20-by-40 and 20-by-20 feet, plus some accessible raised beds.
The city provides the land and water, and gardeners are responsible for providing their own seeds and additional equipment, Keys said. When the gardening season ends in mid-October, people are asked to remove items from their plots and then the city plows the sites.
Many of the gardeners plant vegetables, Keys said, adding that “tomatoes are very popular,” along with lettuce, kale, squash. Others use their gardens for flowers, such as sunflowers. “We don’t see too many fruits planted,” he said.
The city doesn’t monitor the garden sites, but suggests that gardeners keep their plots as natural as possible, and that they keep anything they raise for their families, rather than as a profit venture. “Some people donate their produce to food shelters,” Keys said.
Each of the gardeners pays a cost for their plots, depending on the size. “It’s quite affordable,” Keys said. “We offer an 18% discount for people over 55.”
Pioneer Trail
Arne Rairamo says he’s become known as “the onion guy.”
(Submitted photo)
Aarne Rairamo, a retired 34-year Eden Prairie resident who now works part-time, has maintained the same 20-by-30-foot plot every year for more than 25 seasons at the Pioneer Trail gardens. He started gardening at his home, but the trees got so full, resulting in a lack of sunlight, according to Rairamo.
“I’ve gotten to know my neighboring gardeners,” Rairamo said. “It’s kind of like a little community. My wife pitches in. Everyone helps each other out. We have a lot of different nationalities represented; it’s like the U.N.”
“There’s no rule that we can’t use pesticides, but most of the people try to keep it organic. Everyone tries to keep it natural.”
His specialty is tomatoes, and he’s always trying new varieties, Rairamo said. He also plants lettuce, radishes, peas, and beans, with some flowers along the border. Every year is different, Rairamo said, adding that this year, he’s trying turnips and parsnips.
After a friend told him about a company that sells onion sets, Rairamo says he has become known for his onions, four different varieties. “I have a reputation as the onion guy; it’s fun,” he said.
In fact, Rairamo’s onions took fourth place at the 2025 Minnesota State Fair.
He gives a lot of the onions away, he said. Others are harvested and chopped and frozen. “I make big batches of French onion soup and freeze it,” Rairamo said. “I caramelize some of the onions to use in soups and stews.”
He credits the city with doing a good job of maintaining the garden plots in the spring, and again in the fall when the sites are dismantled and re-plowed.
The Butterfly Gardener
Sylvia Peterson moved from Prior Lake to an Eden Prairie condo in 1995, and found that she missed gardening. So, she checked out a 20-by-60-foot community plot and began to grow a variety of vegetables at first, before adding flowers. “It gets in your blood,” Peterson said. “You’re out there every day, and people get to know each other by name. It’s a good community get-together. You’re out there talking to people and solving problems the right way.”
In 2013, Peterson requested a smaller space at Pioneer Park, behind the senior center.
“I’ve enjoyed it so much,” Peterson said. “It’s right by the park, and people walk by. I’ve gotten to know my neighboring gardeners. I grow just what I need; I don’t need two rows of beans anymore. I don’t want to eat them every day. You use what you want, and donate the rest.”
“I became known as the butterfly gardener,” Peterson said. “The butterflies, and also the hummingbirds like the zinnias and cosmos. I’ve become fascinated with the habits of bees, too. It’s very interesting.”
She retired from the large garden seven years ago, and now has gotten involved in the senior center gardens, where there are six raised beds. “Accessible gardens are a bonus to me,” Peterson said. “They’re out in a good community area where you’re out in nature and can see people.”
In 2017, Peterson was asked to be on a committee to organize a Community Garden open house. “We did that for three springs,” Peterson said. “People brought pictures from their gardens, and we answered questions with the help of a master gardener. I really enjoyed the whole process.”
A retired nurse who grew up on a farm in Detroit Lakes, Peterson said she has always enjoyed being outside. She remembers growing flowers and carrots when she was growing up.
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