The Sunken Garden offers beautiful floral shows, updated seasonally. This ever-changing display is as artful as it is fragrant. Perfect for a romantic walk or a curious exploration.
Enjoy amazing azaleas and festive poinsettias in winter, multicolored tulips in spring, prized roses and geraniums in summer and cheery chrysanthemums in autumn.
Visit our current exhibit today.
Spring Flower Show 2024
March 22 through April 28, 2024
The spring flower show will feature early spring favorites such as blue delphinium, purple foxglove, and snapdragons. Fragrant white hyacinth, Spanish bluebells, white daffodils, purple crocus, blue grape hyacinth, along with a blend of purple and red tulips will adorn this spring floral display.
With more than 12,000 tulip, hyacinth, daffodil, crocus, and muscari bulbs grown especially for the Sunken Garden, The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory’s Spring Flower Show is always one of the Twin Cities’ most colorful rites of spring.
But this season, the plant list in “Minnesota’s most beautiful room” is also taking its cues from Minnesota’s springtime color palette. “Our goal is to make it look a little bit more like a forest,” says Como’s horticultural curator Dr. Lisa Philander.
For the show, Philander and horticulturists Bo Akinkuotu and Katie Horvath are introducing plant material that reflects Minnesota’s boreal forests and prairies. Visitors will notice birch logs and larger trees, milkweed, catchflies and black-eyed Susans, black pansies, columbine, snap dragons and delphinium, and even mini bogs that mimic the look of Minnesota’s wetlands. The show will also feature skunk cabbage provided by the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden, and the showy lady’s slipper orchid, a recent gift from the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.
Summer Flower Show 2024
May 3 through June 9 and June 14 through September 22 , 2024
Sunken Garden will be closed for the mid-show change June 10 -June 13
The Summer Flower Show is the longest of the five flower shows. Cherry red and pink annuals adorn this hot summer show. Floral favorites such as angelonia, petunias, bengonias, impatiens, coleus, salvia and verbena will be on display
Fall Flower Show 2024
September 27 through October 27 and November 1 through December 1, 2024
Sunken Garden will be closed for the mid-show change October 28 – October 30
While many Minnesota gardens are winding down for the winter season, the Sunken Garden at the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory will be in full bloom! Part one fall show features a sunset color scheme of yellow, white, orange, and purple chrysanthemums. Dwarf sunflowers, swiss chard, and ornamental peppers accent the show.
Part two fall show inspired by Como Zoo lions, Mumford and Maji, will be a golden color scheme. Chrysanthemum selections will include gold, white, red, and bicolor red/yellow. Accent plants include leonotis aka lion’s tail, ornamental peppers, soft grasses, and swiss chard.
Holiday Flower Show
December 6, 2024 through January 5, 2025
This year our pink themed holiday show is inspired by our flamingo flock at Como Zoo. Plant selections include pink and yellow poinsettias, golden euphorbia, and pink kalanchoe.
Winter Flower Show 2025
January 10, 2025 through March 16, 2025
Color scheme and flowers TBD
Spring Flower Show 2025
March 21 through April 27 and May 2 through June 8, 2025
Sunken Garden will be closed for the mid-show change April 28 – May 1
Color scheme and flowers TBD
Summer Flower Show 2025
June 13 through September 14 , 2025
The Summer Flower Show is the longest of the five flower shows.
Color scheme and flowers TBD
Fall Flower Show 2025
September 19 through October 19 and October 24 through November 30, 2025
Sunken Garden will be closed for the mid-show change October 20 – October 23
While many Minnesota gardens are winding down for the winter season, the Sunken Garden at the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory will be in full bloom!
Color scheme and flowers TBD
Holiday Flower Show 2025
December 5, 2025 through January 4, 2026
Color scheme and flowers TBD
Winter Flower Show 2026
January 9, 2026 through March 15, 2026
Spring Flower Show 2026
March 20 through April 26, , and May 1 – June 7 2026
Sunken Garden will be closed for the mid-show change April 27-30
Summer Flower Show 2026
June 12 through September 13 , 2026
Fall Flower Show 2026
September 18 through October 18 and October 23 through November 29, 2026
Sunken Garden will be closed for the mid-show change October 19 – October 22
Holiday Flower Show
December 4, 2026 through January 3, 2027