Blue Thumb – East Metro Water

Give me a home where the bees and butterflies roam

By: angiehongmn November 26, 2021November 23, 2021

Yards and LandscapingBlue Thumb, featured, lawns to legumes, native plants, prairie, prairie restoration, Washington Conservation DistrictLeave a Comment

A native plant revival is underway and Lawns to Legumes grants are here to help.

Bee Lawns are Green Lawns

By: angiehongmn July 22, 2021July 22, 2021

Yards and Landscapingbee lawns, bees, Blue Thumb, drought, featured, lawns, pollinators, water conservation1 Comment

Unlike typical lawns, bee-friendly lawns feature a mix of drought-tolerant fine fescue grasses and low-growing flowers such as Dutch white clover, creeping thyme, and self heal.

Let the gardening begin!

By: angiehongmn April 15, 2021April 14, 2021

Keeping water clean, Yards and LandscapingBlue Thumb, featured, gardening, landscaping, native plants, raingardens, shoreline plantingsLeave a Comment

Thanks to a relatively early start to spring this year, many people are already beginning to dream about gardens and planting projects. Here is a run-down of upcoming workshops and other support for eco-friendly gardening projects.

A walk in the woods, a planted seed, new skills to learn

By: angiehongmn March 17, 2020

Outdoor Adventures, Yards and LandscapingBlue Thumb, featured, gardening, landscaping workshops, native landscaping, pollinators, veggie gardensLeave a Comment

We went to the woods on Sunday afternoon to enjoy fresh air, warm sun reaching through frostbitten air, and no other humans in sight. For the dog, it was just like any other day. She had no idea that the world was turning upside down as she galloped across the blackened prairie, still charred from…

Give me a home where the butterflies roam

By: angiehongmn July 17, 2019July 17, 2019

Wildlife, Yards and Landscapingbees, Blue Thumb, environment, featured, gardening, monarchs, native landscaping, Pollinator Friendly Alliance, pollinators, prairieLeave a Comment

On May 11, 1858, the United States of America welcomed its 32nd state to the union – 18 million acres of prairie, 21 million acres of wetlands, 31.5 million acres of forests, and 11,842 lakes, now lovingly known as Minnesota. Over the years, Minnesota has grown and prospered. Settlers drained wetlands to make way for…

Visions of Gardens Danced in Her Head

By: angiehongmn April 4, 2017

Yards and LandscapingBlue Thumb, composting, lawn care, pollinators, raingardensLeave a Comment

The Ramsey and Washington Conservation Districts provide site visits to homeowners to help plan and design Blue Thumb projects and area watershed districts provide cost-share grants for raingardens and shoreline planting projects as well.

Join the PolliNATION

By: angiehongmn August 23, 2016

Wildlife, Yards and Landscapingbees, birds, Blue Thumb, clean water, monarchs, native plants, pollinators, Washington Conservation DistrictLeave a Comment

Since your own lawn is small, you might be surprised to learn that turf grass covers more acres of land in the U.S. than the eight largest agricultural crops combined. Imagine what a difference it would make if all of us converted ¼ of our lawn to native plantings that provide habitat for pollinators, birds and wildlife.

Spring Dreaming

By: angiehongmn March 21, 2016

Yards and LandscapingBlue Thumb, gardening, native plants, pollinators, Washington Conservation DistrictLeave a Comment

On Saturday, March 26, Master Gardeners in Washington County will hold a spring gardening program at Stillwater Area High School, 8am-noon. During this free workshop, participants will learn about sustainable gardening, landscape design, and landscaping with native plants.

All about Insects

By: angiehongmn March 9, 2016

Yards and LandscapingBlue Thumb, gardening, insects, native plants, planting for birds, pollinatorsLeave a Comment

One example, wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa – also known as bee balm), is one of the best forage plants for bumble bees. Bergamot also provides nectar for honeybees, black sweat bees, mason wasps, great black wasps, eastern tiger swallowtail butterflies, silver spotted skipper butterflies, monarch butterflies, great spangled fritillary butterflies, moths, snout moths, hummingbird clearwing moths, long-horned bees, cuckoo bees, green sweat bees, wool carder bees, small resin bees, leafcutter bees, and sweat bees.