A Zone-4 Garden in St. Paul, Minnesota

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We head to Minnesota to chat with Mary Schier, the editor of Minnesota State Horticultural Society’s magazine, Northern Gardener—a magazine dedicated to gardening in USDA Zones 3 and 4.

Schier is a Minnesota gardener and the author of 'The Northern Gardener, From Apples to Zinnias, 150 Years of Garden Wisdom.'

She gardens in St. Paul, where she crams as many plants as possible into her urban lot. Schier says that St. Paul is an urban heat island, so creative gardeners often try to push zone 4 limits.

Schier says that when it comes to growing fruit, it’s very important to take the time to research varieties well suited to cold zones. For example, the Evans Cherry does very well in Minnesota. Sweet cherries do not. Another important tip in cold zones is not to start seeds indoors too early. Schier only plants out her tomato transplants on June 1—so she works back from that date and starts her transplants later than gardeners in warmer zones.

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