Yards and Landscaping – Page 3

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, stormwater1 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.

Building resiliency, one garden at a time

By: angiehongmn September 12, 2023

Keeping water clean, Partners and Updates, Yards and Landscapingclimate resiliency, community forestry, featuredLeave a Comment

As community stewardship facilitators, Peterson and Maxfield will be working with homeowners’ associations, community groups, and local schools in Washington County.

When gardening with native plants, be prepared for change

By: angiehongmn July 28, 2023July 25, 2023

Yards and Landscapingfeatured, gardening, native plants1 Comment

If you’re willing to embrace the change inherent in a mostly native garden, you’ll be rewarded with a landscape that is constantly evolving, vibrant, and full of life. It’s almost like getting a new set of gardens every month!

Even with rain, lawns remain brown

By: angiehongmn June 30, 2023June 28, 2023

Groundwater, Yards and Landscapingbee lawn, drought, featured, lawns, native plantsLeave a Comment

Lawn irrigation creates the largest demand from municipal water supplies during the summer.

What can you do to keep your yard looking good, without draining the water supplies we all depend on?

For love of forests

By: angiehongmn June 23, 2023

Buckthorn, Yards and LandscapingBelwin Conservancy, climate resiliency, featured, forests, Washington Conservation District, woodlands1 Comment

On this evening in June, our group is gathered at Belwin to learn about managing woodlands for resiliency, and one of the key take-aways is that a love of forests requires landowners to actively engage with and care for their forests and woodlands.