Today we’re visiting with Matthew Kunnari, who gardens in chilly Zone 4 in northern Minneapolis.
Grass flowers are wind pollinated, so they lack the showy large petals of those that need to attract insect or bird pollinators. They are still beautiful, however. These big bluestem flowers (Andropogon gerardii, Zones 4–9) clearly show the dangling anthers shedding pollen.
Allium ‘Millenium’ (Zones 4–8) is a fantastic perennial, and the bees clearly agree. Here they are busy working the flowers for pollen and nectar.
Here’s a view of the back garden from above in summer.
Sea holly (Eryngium planum, Zones 5–9) is a biennial or short-lived perennial. What a cool floral display!
The sea holly looks pretty incredible in a flower arrangement as well.
The winters in Minnesota are long and cold, but this is the reward—everything bursting into bloom and growth at once, with a beautiful crabapple (Malus hybrid, Zones 3–8) in full bloom on the left.
Pasque flower (Pulsatilla sp., Zones 4–8) bursts into bloom early in the spring, and the flowers are followed by silky seed heads that are nearly as beautiful.
Liatris (Liatris spicata, Zones 3–8)is a wonderful summer-blooming perennial native to the eastern half of North America. Here the typical magenta form is mixed with a white variant.
The liatris growing throughout the garden looks stunning.
Crabapples are typically planted for their spring floral display, but how is this for some incredible fall color?
If you want to see more of this garden, check out Matthew’s instagram: @garcongardener
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Comments
What a delightful garden. Love the Pasque flowers! Well done.
Yay zone 4 gardener!!! I always see such lovely gardens on here….all in nice warm zones flaunting the beauties I can’t even think of growing. Glad to see an extremely beautiful zone 4 garden!! Thank you for sharing such beautiful pics!!! The rock pathway is gorgeous too!!!
You did such a nice garden design- I love the photo looking down at the garden layout. Such an excellent flagstone path!
I saved your photo of Allium ‘Millenium’ to think about squeezing them into my garden. I so hoped for a close up of the birdbath fountain sculpture as it looked so interesting but I couldn't make it out. Wow all that beauty and in zone 4! Amazing!
So very pretty.
Hi Matthew, Thanks for sharing your beautiful zone 4 garden. I also love the flagstone walkway. It serves as a major feature in the design of your garden and looks like it is very well crafted in addition to being a useful path across the garden. It seems you are providing plants for pollinators with your plant choices and lack of lawn too. Well done!
What a lovely design for your pollinator friendly garden. Add me to the list for those loving your flagstone path. You live in a very challenging planting zone, but you have succeeded in creating beauty and the needed nourishment for all the winged visitors passing through your neighborhood!
What a charming, colorful garden you've created! I miss my two gorgeous crabapples from my previous garden in northern NJ - people would stop on our street to look at them when in full bloom!
I especially love that you combined colors (white and purple) of your liatris. It gives the bed more depth. And your vase combination of sea holly and delphinium is lovely. I think I will try that combination in a garden bed. Thank you for sharing.
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