Yards and Landscaping – East Metro Water

Three ways to help pollinators this spring

By: angiehongmn April 18, 2024April 18, 2024

Uncategorized, Wildlife, Yards and Landscapingbutterflies, featured, gardening, Minnesota, native plants, pollinators, prairieLeave a Comment

The single most important thing you can do to protect pollinators is to plant and preserve native habitat on your land and in your community. Washington Conservation District and Blue Thumb – Planting for Clean Water have resources to help you get started.

Pollinator Friendly Alliance, Washington County Parks, Washington Conservation District, and Wild Ones – St. Croix Oak Savanna are also seeking volunteers to help plant more than 1000 native plants at Lake Elmo Park reserve on Saturday, May 4 at 11am. Visit http://www.pollinatorfriendly.org to learn more and register.

Burn Baby, Burn

By: angiehongmn March 14, 2024March 12, 2024

Yards and Landscapingfeatured, habitat restoration, prairie, prescribed fire, wet meadow, Wetlands3 Comments

Prairie, oak savanna, pine barrens, and wet meadows all have something in common – they like to burn, baby burn.
This week’s East Metro Water blog explores the unique habitat found in wet meadows. If you’re interested in learning more about prescribed fire, visit the open house at Lake Elmo Park Reserve on Tuesday, April 2, 4-7pm. Yes! There will be fire!

Shorelines and Fish Tales

By: angiehongmn March 8, 2024March 8, 2024

Aquatic Biology, Yards and Landscapingfeatured, lakes, Minnesota, shorelineLeave a Comment

“Unfortunately, we’re seeing more and more people removing the vegetation along their shorelines and it’s causing a chain reaction in the aquatic food web that’s affecting fish, as well as insects and other wildlife.”

Leave some for the birds and bees please

By: angiehongmn February 29, 2024February 27, 2024

Uncategorized, Wildlife, Yards and Landscapingfeatured, gardening, native plants, pollinators, spring gardeningLeave a Comment

I pretended to eat a maggot in the name of science. Once you learn why, you’ll you’ll want to do it too.

Resource Highlight: Blue Thumb – Planting for Clean Water

By: angiehongmn February 15, 2024February 14, 2024

Yards and LandscapingBlue Thumb, featured, gardening, native plants, raingardens, shorelinesLeave a Comment

There is a growing (pun intended?) movement across Minnesota as more and more people begin to think of their yards, not just as a place to relax and recreate, but also as a living landscape that can help to support wildlife and keep water clean. One group of people helping to fuel this movement is the Blue Thumb – Planting for Clean Water partnership, which was formed in 2007.

Learn about upcoming workshop, native plant retailers, garden templates, and other resources to help you go blue & green!

Sowing Native Seeds in Winter

By: angiehongmn January 25, 2024January 23, 2024

Yards and Landscapingfeatured, gardening, native plants, winter seed sowingLeave a Comment

Though it may not seem intuitive, winter is actually a great time to begin sowing seeds for native perennial grasses and flowers. Learn how and get inspired to incorporate a new native plant into your gardens this spring!

In the battle against buckthorn, patience and plants are winning strategies

By: angiehongmn January 4, 2024January 3, 2024

Buckthorn, Yards and Landscapingbuckthorn, featured, forests, woodlandsLeave a Comment

Critical period cutting shows promise as an herbicide-free control strategy. Research shows it is also important to replant woodlands with native trees, shrubs, flowers and grasses after removing buckthorn.

Green infrastructure and its maintenance a mystery for many Homeowners Associations

By: angiehongmn November 30, 2023November 30, 2023

Yards and Landscapingfeatured, green infrastructure, HOA, Homeowners Associations, Minnesota, stormwaterLeave a Comment

There are 7,725 HOAs in Minnesota and nearly 27% of the state’s population lives in an HOA. These communities often struggle to budget for and properly maintain stormwater and green infrastructure practices such as ponds, raingardens, conservation easements, and native plantings.

A final push for pollinators before the snow begins to fall

By: angiehongmn October 26, 2023

Wildlife, Yards and Landscapingfeatured, gardening, Minnesota, native plants, pollinators1 Comment

Minnesotans can apply for Lawns to Legumes cost-share funding between now and November 30
at http://www.Bluethumb.org. The grants are up to $400 and can be put toward pollinator planting projects such as pocket gardens, bee lawns, and flowering native trees.

A tiny town gets a big dose of flower power

By: angiehongmn September 28, 2023

Uncategorized, Yards and Landscapingfeatured, Landfall, lawns to legumes, pollinators, Washington Conservation DistrictLeave a Comment

Landfall’s pollinator demonstration project features new native plantings on Tanner’s Lake, as well as at the Tot Lot playground, the community center, and a neighborhood cul de sac, and will also create a demonstration bee lawn behind the community center.