June 17-23, 2024 is Pollinator Week! Initiated and managed by Pollinator Partnership, National Pollinator Week was designated in 2008 by the U.S. Senate as a necessary step toward addressing the urgent issue of declining pollinator populations. In the years since, Pollinator Week has grown into an international celebration of all that pollinators do for our… Read More →
The growing season is finally here! Spring brings the excitement of seeing perennials return to our gardens. Soon, native plants will be busy providing resources for wildlife, sequestering carbon, and continuing to filter stormwater runoff with their roots. But with new growth comes new weeds. Weeding is an inevitable part of maintaining a native pollinator… Read More →
Organic Lawns by LUNSETH, a Blue Thumb partner, is an organic lawn care company specializing in high-quality commercial and residential landscaping services in the SW Twin Cities Metro Area. We recently sat down with co-owner Shay Lunseth to learn about the story behind Organic Lawns by LUNSETH and benefits of organic lawn care: How… Read More →
After a dry and mild winter, Minnesota is ushering in an early spring. By mid-March in the Twin Cities, fuzzy catkins already emerged from pussy willows and buds formed on maple trees, and robins have been hopping about in parks and yards. Sprinkle some late March snow on top, and the strangeness of this unprecedented… Read More →
What do the yards look like in your neighborhood? Depending on where you live, you may see swathes of turfgrass lawns in shades of greens to browns, or perhaps neatly arranged garden beds with neon-bright flowers. But maybe you’ve noticed a different kind of yard starting to spread, less flashy but with something different always… Read More →
It may be the middle of winter, but now is the time to plan for changes you want to make to your yard this spring. How would you like to support pollinators and clean water this year? If you are a first-time gardener, starting a pollinator garden from scratch can feel intimidating. In this blog… Read More →
Our community is what makes the work of planting for pollinators and clean water happen. As we wrap up the year, we’re feeling grateful for everyone who’s been involved with Blue Thumb, whether you’ve explored our resources or dived into a DIY planting project. We gathered and learned from each other in many ways this… Read More →
Late autumn in the pollinator garden is bittersweet. As flowers fade into shrunken seed heads and trees drop vibrant carpets of leaves, a silence settles in the air. Summer’s buzz of activity has subsided, but wildlife still stirs, hunkering down for the long winter ahead. We can make it easier for overwintering pollinators to survive… Read More →
It’s easy to appreciate native plants for their colorful and varied blooms. But as autumn drifts in, petals wither and flower heads dry out. In their place, seeds are released that carry the promise of future generations of plants. Seeds are an under-appreciated part of native plants that deserve our attention. Beyond their beauty, we… Read More →
On a summer day at Lake Minnewashta, Conservation Corps of Minnesota & Iowa and Metro Blooms Design+Build crew members gathered in a resident’s yard to remove a large patch of sod and shape out a new garden bed. After a long day of digging, mulching, and planting, a new spread of small green tufts dotted… Read More →
