This Isn't Your Grandmother's Flower Show
- Diana Pierce
- Feb 4
- 4 min read
Inside the Arb's water-themed spring show that transports you Up North.
By Diana Pierce | February 4, 2026
The Arboretum’s Spring Flower Show has always been beautiful.
But this year, it’s immersive in a new way – reconnecting visitors with Minnesota’s Up North landscape and all the sensory memories that come with it. Scent, sound, sight – everything works together. The moment you walk in, you’re hit with the fragrance of daffodils and tulips, the sound of running water, even bird calls echoing through the space.
Michael Strengari, assistant director of horticulture at the Arboretum, designed it that way. This year’s theme – water – shapes nearly every decision.
For Strengari, who moved to Minnesota just last year, our state’s connection to water was impossible to miss. “From the headwaters of the Mississippi to the Great Lakes, it’s one of Minnesota’s greatest natural resources,” he told me. “People connect to water here in a powerful way.”
A Different Kind of Flower Show
If you’re expecting the traditional wall-to-wall carpet of blooms, prepare to be surprised. This year’s show leans into something more naturalistic, more reflective of how we actually experience spring in Minnesota.
The Wildflower Walk, in the entry area, captures that delicate, just-emerging feeling of early spring perfectly. A moving stream winds through loosely planted drifts of snowdrops, soft daffodils, ferns and grasses – suggesting growth rather than shouting it. But don’t worry – there are still bold tulip displays and lush beds of color throughout. The show gives you both: quiet moments and showstoppers.
Water features anchor the experience. Two indoor streams run through the Oswald Visitor Center Great Hall, including one designed to replicate the Grace B. Dayton Wildflower Garden.
One vignette pairs naturalistic plantings with Martha Bird’s stunning basketry artwork. Bird calls her work Essence and the figure welcomes you into the lobby area with open arms. She says she uses 6-10 foot chromatic varieties of willow that she grows and harvests locally utilizing sustainable practices.
The headwaters of the Mississippi get their own tribute – complete with a mural backdrop and a carefully recreated Lake Itasca sign using the same language and typography. Even the U of M’s biological station recreated their sign for the display. Standing there, you can almost feel the pull to plan a summer road trip north.
The indoor bog vignette particularly caught my photographer’s eye.
Using grasses, ferns, pitcher plants and sphagnum moss, it highlights the bog’s essential role in water purification and oxygen production. I personally loved this area as I heard Loon calls on their speaker system while I was taking photos of the Pitcher plants. A true “Up North” experience for me. If you've never seen a pitcher plant up close, here is your chance.
There’s also a rustic cabin scene – because honestly, what Minnesotan doesn’t have a lake memory tied to a cabin somewhere?
The Work Behind the Wonder
Here’s what also impresses me is the behind-the-scenes labor: this show runs six weeks. To keep something always in bloom, Strengari says the horticulture team forces bulbs in succession, starting new batches weekly. Bulbs are pre-chilled in early fall, potted, and brought out in carefully timed waves.
“There’s always uncertainty,” Strengari admitted. “Light levels, weather, timing. Bulbs can sit quietly for weeks and then suddenly explode.”
At the time of my visit, the Paperwhites (Strengari’s favorites) weren’t blooming yet because of our January overcast days. But, perhaps when you visit, they will be.
Weekly refreshes include rotating cut-flower displays, Ikebana arrangements in the library, and a Kokedama arch in the Skyway – those beautiful Japanese moss balls suspending plants to create a walk-through canopy of hanging greenery.
When I asked Strengari what he hopes visitors take away, he didn’t hesitate: “Respite. From the cold, from the noise of the world. A sense of awe, relaxation and learning.”
If you seek floral arrangement inspiration, many professionals like Jenn Hovland of Studio Louise Flowers will display floral installments you’ll dream of.
If you need a reset from this long Minnesota winter, this is exactly what you’re looking for.
PLAN YOUR VISIT
Spring Flower Show:Jan. 31–March 15, 2026
Where:University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Chaska
Admission:$20–$25 (includes full Arboretum access)
What You’ll See:
Indoor running streams
Spring bulbs, orchids, tropicals
Kokedama Skyway installation
Family workshops & activities
_________________________________
BLOOM WITH ME WEEKLY TICKET GIVEAWAY
I’m giving away two free tickets to the Minneapolis Home + Garden Show (February 25–March 1).
This is week three of the giveaway. I’ll draw another name this week and that winner receives two tickets to the show.
Drawing closes February 18.
Enter by replying to this email or emailing diana@dianapierce.com
Wishing you a flower filled visit.
Diana
© 2026 Diana Pierce
Comments