Lawns to Legumes Garden Gallery

Region

Southern MN

City

Rochester

Project Type(s)

Pocket Planting

Template(s) Used

Other

Site Conditions

Part Sun

Gardener Name

René

Gardener Comments

This grant project has been a journey, but ultimately one of the unexpected challenges of transforming a stubborn patch of urban land. My property in a suburban neighborhood already featured established gardens, but a narrow strip along my driveway had become a battleground against a weed known as Vetch. This cattle crop seed is often carried by birds, of which I have many in residence. Vetch is an aggressive growing weed, and its continuous spread made me feel like I was in a losing fight.

I applied for and received a Lawns to Legumes Grant in the fall of 2023, motivated to tackle this problem. With the grant, I sought out expert advice from Bonnie at Sunshine Gardens Nursery in Pine River, Minnesota. She was so helpful and delightful! Bonnie’s encyclopedic knowledge was clear as she helped me select the right native plants for my project – all during a rainstorm. My sister and I spent days meticulously preparing the site—clearing the Vetch, augmenting the soil, laying down cardboard to smother roots we missed, planting each plant with hope, and finally mulching.

Despite our initial efforts, the Vetch returned with a vengeance in the spring of 2024. Its rapid regrowth and blooming felt disheartening, and solutions like chemical herbicides weren’t an option. In the fall of 2024, I hired a recent college graduate with experience in using discarded billboard tarps for solarization. We cleared the Vetch again and were heartened to find that some of the native plants had survived, even under the thick canopy of weeds. We carefully cut holes in the tarp to accommodate the existing plants, secured it along the edges of the driveway, and covered it with mulch.

In the late summer of 2025, the solarization tarp remains in place. While I still have to pull Vetch weekly, the native plants are finally beginning to thrive. Many of the grasses didn’t survive, but I plan to fill the bare spots with new plants this fall. Hopefully, next year, I can remove the old billboard tarp and let the plants continue the battle against the Vetch on their own. Without the motivation of this grant, I doubt I would have ever been so determined to successfully transform this space into a pollinator-friendly garden.

Wildlife Observed

While I haven’t yet observed butterflies on the property, the sheer number of bees of all different types has been a true joy. This grant experience has taught me a valuable lesson: urban gardens don’t need to be perfect. Sometimes nature throws a curveball, and it’s okay to ask for help when you’ve exhausted all other options. This journey has not only transformed a troublesome patch of my yard but has also shown me the power of resilience and the quiet, buzzing triumph of a thriving ecosystem.