The International Peace Garden has been a bustling place this summer.

Communities in Bloom judges recently toured the site and were pleased with what they saw, says CEO Tim Chapman.

"They were real impressed with our horticulturalist and what we're putting on, and gave us some good pointers and some really good ideas so we can grow and keep improving," he said.

The judges provided landscaping tips that save time and thoughts on tree care.

Chapman noted that the judges were especially stimulated by the cacti and succulent garden.

"One of them actually sent me an email and said that's the jewel, or I can't remember if that's the exact word, but they were blown away by it, and a lot of people are being that it's on the North Dakota-Manitoba border," Chapman said.

Additionally, the 9/11 Memorial has been refurbished.

"The information on these boards hadn't been replaced, I don't think, since they were first put in around '02 or soon after that. So just over time because of weather and moisture they needed to be replaced. The font's a little bit big bigger, it's a little more colourful, and it's still got all the great information and some new information to really explain the importance of this site," he said. "It's a great memorial we have here at the garden."