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A Garden of Art
By Katie Sauck
Photos by Katie Sauck
As you enter Dick and Marion Sonnek’s driveway, a giant horse statue built of scrap metal greets you. On their farm south of Mapleton, Minnesota, Dick creates and sells metal garden ornaments and works of art. He displays more than 50 pieces throughout their many gardens. Standing 11 feet tall and weighing in at 3,000 pounds, the horse is one of his largest projects.
Rustic, weathered ornaments hand-crafted by Dick give the gardens personality: Silhouettes of their granddaughters flank either side of a bench, a miniature Humpty Dumpy sits on a railroad tie and a large caterpillar made out of air cylinders relaxes in the backyard. Dick looks at an old scrap piece of metal and instantly sees potential. What may look like a worn out piece of metal transforms into a work of art at the touch of his hands. He makes trips to area junk yards in search of inspiration and ideas for creating new patterns. Throughout the year, many guests visit the Sonneks to view the gardens and purchase his designs.
In the gardens they work as a team, with Dick serving as the visionary and landscaper. Marion enjoys being more of the gardener and groundskeeper. He designs the shapes and layout of the multiple gardens while she finds it relaxing to weed and tend to all the plants.
The gardens include nearly 110 varieties of hostas, making up more than 1,000 plants. A beautiful pond laden with lily pads also graces the Sonnek gardens. Dick and Marion schedule morning and afternoon breaks from their work to rest by the pond with the view of the Maple River just down the hill from their house.
The many gardens are connected by walking paths and there’s something new to discover around every corner. From metal accent pieces to flowers of every kind, Dick and Marion’s creative touches are everywhere.
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