One flowering tree can provide as much nectar and pollen as an entire garden. Fruiting shrubs and trees offer multiple other benefits to our yards: habitat, shade, height and structure, food for people and other wildlife, and seasonal interest throughout the year. Large trees can even intercept hundreds of gallons of rain before it becomes…
Pocket Plantings are a great way to introduce biodiversity in your yard. Starting small makes the project more manageable. It’s also easier to care for your garden as it establishes.… Read More →
Have you created pollinator habitat in Minnesota through a pocket planting, tree planting, pollinator lawn, pollinator meadow, or other type of native plant landscaping project? If so, add your project to our map so we can track our collective impact! All Minnesotans who map their project can opt-in to receive a Lawns to Legumes yard…
Lawns to Legumes is a planting for pollinators grant program that Blue Thumb facilitates with the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources. Any Minnesotan can apply to receive reimbursement for native planting projects and support at-risk pollinators like the monarch butterfly and rusty patched bumble bee. Each spring and fall, a new cohort of…
Low-Maintenance Turf functions as a typical lawn but is composed of species that require less water and fewer inputs. This option may be appealing if you want to keep the appearance of a traditional lawn and have areas of frequent or intense use. Back to Turf Alternatives Home
Perennial Ground Cover can be created from a mix of tightly-knit grasses and flowering plants. If you have low-use, low-foot traffic areas and welcome a non-traditional look, this option offers the maximum ecological impact—though it requires an investment of planning, time, and money, and has higher maintenance needs at first. Back to Turf Alternatives Home
A Pollinator Lawn introduces a diversity of low-growing flowering plants into a typical lawn. This provides forage for pollinators, and the plants have deeper roots that need less watering. If you are not concerned with having a uniform carpet of green lawn in frequently-used areas, this may be the best option to help restore the…
Do you have areas in your yard where grass doesn’t want to grow? A native garden may be the solution.
To become a Blue Thumb Partner, please download and read through the 2025 Partner Agreement. Then submit the form below.
Our Blue Thumb Partners are a collection of public organizations and private companies committed to funding, designing, creating, maintaining and teaching about landscapes that contribute to a healthy ecosystem and… Read More →
