Shopping in Minnetonka

Scrawled across shirts, pint glasses, and stationery, 30 Watt's collection of humorous quips and phrases elicit laughs by playing to the cynics inside all of us. Someecards' distinctive greeting cards feature pencil drawings of genteel men and women declaring such truisms as "If we were snow monkeys, I'd pick dead skin and insects off your fur even if I wasn't looking for a mate." These offbeat sentiments also grace pint glasses, mugs, and holiday cards featuring apathetic santas. 30 Watt rounds out its eclectic offerings with hats, shirts, and apparel for the golf course that might not fit every country club's dress code.

The gem gurus at EverGreene Jewelers have dispensed, crafted, and repaired an abundant array of jewelry out of fine gold and silver, pearls, and diamonds for more than 27 years. Past the building’s green awning, adornment aficionados individually guide patrons through EverGreene Jewelers’ collection of chunky, multicolored Rebecca rings, hand-assembled Citizen Watches, and Tin Cup pearl pendants, made popular by Renee Russo’s breakout role as the necklace in the movie Tin Cup. Bauble beautifiers spruce up jewels during complimentary cleanings, an award-winning jewelry artist fashions personalized accouterments at the in-house shop, and a certified gemologist inspects patrons' pieces during appraisals. Visitors to EverGreene Jewelers can also swap pieces of unwanted silver or gold in exchange for cash or kiddie pools filled with Ring Pops.

For more than 50 years, Tonka Cycle and Ski has paired bikers, skiers, and winter athletes of all stripes with equipment and maintenance services. The shop's team members not only specialize in equipping customers with properly fitting apparel, they also fine-tune skis and cycles to suit individual needs. With a Montana Stone Grinder, the specialists flatten and structure the base of each ski and snowboard before hand-beveling each edge. Bicycle-maintenance services provide two-wheeled steeds with similar care, along with a level of service perfected during the shop's initial years as Tonka Schwinn in Glen Lake. In addition to carrying new items from select manufacturers, the shop hosts a children's trade-in program for skis and boards that refuse to grow along with their owners.

On a secluded ranch near the Cotopaxi volcano, the powerful Ecuadorian sun nourishes Las Rosas' rose bushes before they are carefully harvested and shipped to the Minneapolis store. Rare rose varieties, grown in the ranch's temperature- and humidity-regulated greenhouses, range from 45 centimeters to six feet in length, so customers can use them to measure a kiddie pool to the depth of a fathom. Their flowery palette in hand, the shop's resident floral artists can craft arrangements or bouquets for weddings, holidays, and other events.

Since 1942, Halla Nursery and Garden Center has boosted the natural beauty of home interiors, yards, and gardens with an impressive expanse of houseplants, shrubs, bushes, mulch, and tools, as well as expert advice and friendly assistance from trained garden professionals. The nursery proudly equips visitors with only certified Minnesota Hardy plant material, with trees specially adapted to thrive in the area's clay soil and perennials clothed in hand-knit angora sweaters. Hundreds of varieties of annuals and perennials grace the 12-acre garden center, and acres of trees and shrubs sweeten the air with fresh oxygen and verdant beauty. In addition to supplying gardeners and green thumbs with thousands of flowers and plants, Halla's certified landscape design team can realize any homestead redesign with yard and garden design and installation. :m]]

As winter thaws into spring, Jerry’s replaces its inventory of wood, kindling, and bird feeders with a kaleidoscopic spread of annuals, perennials, vegetables, and shrubs. This cycle has perpetuated itself 53 times over at this year-round home and garden emporium. The one-stop shop carries an arsenal of gardening tackle that accompanies enough seed, mulch, and fertilizer to transform an empty lot into a time-share for vacationing Tarzans. Jerry’s crew—adept at land- and hardscaping—provides project consultations for those looking to spruce up patios and yards with their selection of fountains, birdbaths, and planters.