Region
Northeast MN
City
Ely
Project Type(s)
Pocket Planting
Template(s) Used
None
Site Conditions
Shade
Gardener Name
Johnnie
Gardener Comments
I learned which plants are native and am continuing to learn which appeal to the pollinators in my area. I have a goldenrod that the deer or hares apparently can’t get their fill of – nibbled right down to the ground. I tried a rabbit repellent and that didn’t work, although it rained hard shortly after I applied it and although the label said rain enhances its performance, probably a flood doesn’t. At first this spring I didn’t dare weed because I didn’t know what might be a planting, but I’ve learned more through the summer.
The people who helped me work on this are going to bring another dozen plants to replace those not doing well now that we know what is thriving. Other parts of my yard are getting wilder, making less of a lawn footprint. There are several more spots that I expect to convert to pollinator-friendly perennials. It is fun to have people ask about the sign and my project and share the Lawns to Legumes opportunities.
Wildlife Observed
Chipmunks, a Franklin ground squirrel, snowshoe hares, deer, even a coyote has wandered by. I am not good at identifying insects, but have had bees – bumble and other, the flies that look like bees, hummingbirds, butterflies and moths. Do ants count?
