Trees, Flowers Add Character To MLB Parks

I came across an unusual story this morning about 14 black spruces at the Minnesota Twins’ Target Field in Minneapolis. The Twins had 14 black spruces planted in center field for their inaugural season at Target Field last season, but the trees were recently removed for 2011 because batters found them distracting as they tried to follow the baseball out of the pitcher’s hand.

Fortunately, those trees have a temporary home at Bergen’s Greenhouses, a Top 100 Grower, and they’ll eventually be relocated to state parks and other parts of Target Field.

I’m a huge baseball fan and I’ve always believed the trees, shrubs and flowers you find at ballparks across the country add tremendous character to them. Here in Cleveland, Progressive Field had the Davey Tree Backyard Picnic Area for a number of years, and Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. (pictured above right)and Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia have flower boxes atop their outfield walls.

I haven’t seen Minnesota’s Target Field yet but the article I read on the Forest Lake Times online indicates Bergen’s is putting geraniums and pansies in the outfield there this season.

“Hopefully they’ll make it to the postseason and we’ll have postseason mums,” says Kevin Johnson, co-owner of Bergen’s Greenhouse.