How Blue Thumb Partnership Works The Blue Thumb Partnership is a state-wide network of clean water and native plant stewards creating change to bridge the gap between knowledge and action by offering resources and programs to Minnesotans. Blue Thumb Partners include local governmental units, non-profit organizations, and private companies all working toward the same goals. The Blue Thumb Partnership supports…
A Lawns to Legumes Story A recipient of a state Lawns to Legumes cost-share grant shares how she came to plant her pollinator garden. Lawns to Legumes, a program through… Read More →
Pollinator Meadows are expansive areas full of a diversity of native plants, much like the original prairie that covered the Great Plains. These can be started from seed, all at once. You may find, though, that establishing one is easiest “bite by bite” by starting a smaller garden and then converting more turf to native…
Lawns to Legumes Individual Support Cost Share Grantees For grantees who are requesting reimbursement, click here to go to the grantee reimbursement page. Self-Installed Pollinator Habitat (not funded by Lawns to Legumes) Fill out the form below, selecting the appropriate “No” answer to the first question, and get your planting on the map. You may…
Minnesota residents are eligible to apply for Lawns to Legumes cost-share funding of up to $400 to create pollinator habitat in their yards. The application deadline for the Fall 2024 Lawns to Legumes Individual Support program is May 15, 2024. Grant recipients will be notified in late May. Lawns to Legumes is no longer rolling over…
What is Perennial Ground Cover? With a diverse matrix of native grasses and forbs, perennial ground cover can be adapted to almost any growing condition. It can be low-growing if desired. Why should I plant Perennial Ground Cover? Converting lawn into perennial ground cover offers the maximum ecological impact. In theory, you could turn your…
Explore the tabs below for free downloads on a variety of topics related to planting for clean water and pollinators. For guides on specific types of native planting projects, you can also visit our Rain Gardens, Shoreline Stabilization, Turf Alternatives, and Steps to Plant for Pollinators pages.
The problem Rain is natural. Before we built roads and buildings, it would fall on deep-rooted native plants that helped it infiltrate into the ground, to be naturally cleaned and cooled before entering the water table. As we’ve developed the landscape, we’ve also dramatically altered the path those raindrops follow. Now they fall on roofs,…
Diane Hrabe Jason and Nancy Rich of Savage like to garden much more than they like to mow. So instead of grass, their yard includes a number of basins of… Read More →
