Guest writer Nick Voss, Education & Outreach Coordinator with VLAWMO, contemplates what the relationship between the cardinal flower and ruby-throated hummingbird can teach us about connection and perseverance through the challenges of environmental stewardship. The cardinal flower and the ruby-throated hummingbird share something special. Some know it as symbiosis, others by reciprocity, and others might… Read More →
Minnesota native plants play foundational roles in our local ecosystems. They strengthen soil, improve water quality, and support pollinators and other native wildlife. Perhaps you’ve added some native plants to your yard, and are enjoying the benefits of their beauty and low maintenance requirements. Do you know the names of the native plants in your… Read More →
Native plants are hardy. Well-adapted to Minnesota’s harsh winters and summer heat, they don’t need much care to thrive. Once established, they provide food for pollinators, strengthen soil, and clean water with little help from humans. However, a native garden will need some attention during the first few years of its life to thrive in… Read More →
MNL (Minnesota Native Landscapes) Restoration Ecologist Dan Tix shares the multifaceted benefits of bringing prairie habitat into small spaces. MNL is a Blue Thumb partner and sponsor. Planting a native garden is good for the earth, good for you, and easier to take care of than a lawn. There are many good reasons to convert… Read More →
Minnesota bees are rising from their winter slumber. Some native bees overwinter underground; others are cavity-nesters and find refuge in hollow sticks and stems. Different bee species emerge at different times, some as early as mid-April, others well into summer. But they all have one thing in common: when they emerge, they are hungry. Bees… Read More →
Lawns to Legumes projects have kickstarted countless neighborhood conversations around planting for pollinators. “We had so many people pass by while we were working,” one participant shared. “I am inviting my neighbors and friends to see my native garden now and next spring,” another grant recipient shared. “I hope this inspires them to plant native… Read More →
Kat Dickerson is like any other Minnesotan—she loves jumping headfirst into a lake. But during her old job as a water quality monitor, there were some lakes she refused to sample without gloves. “There was this one lake that had all manicured lawns right to the edge of the lake,” Dickerson recalls. As summer progressed,… Read More →
In the thick of Minnesota midwinter, dealing with snow is a way of life. Clearing snow and ice from roads and sidewalks helps us get around safely. Many of us rely on road salts and deicers to make the job easier, but these chloride-based products have harmful impacts on the environment, including the native plantings… Read More →
Cooler mornings, yellow-tinged leaves—the first signs of fall are in the air. As summer’s blooms begin to wane and the warm hues of goldenrods and grasses take their place, it may be tempting to pull out those blankets from the closet and make a cozy beverage. But late summer and early autumn can be one… Read More →
Maple trees can be wonderful denizens of the urban landscape, growing quickly to provide shade in the summer and glorious colors in the fall. But many home gardeners are challenged by what to plant underneath their maple tree. Horticulturist and native plant enthusiast David Pierson, of Pierson Garden and Landscape, provides some ideas below. Planting… Read More →
