Tips and tales about keeping water clean
If spring naturally has you dreaming of flowers and gardens, I’d like to encourage you to enhance your vision a bit this year to include native flowers, shrubs, and trees that can help to provide habitat for birds and wildlife and protect our water resources. March is the perfect time to begin planning, and there are numerous resources available to help you get started.
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In the coming weeks, there are several steps you can take to prep your yard and gardens for winter and continue to support pollinators, birds and other wildlife. But, you might be surprised to learn that fall is also a really great time to plant a native garden!
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The Natural Shoreline Award Program recognizes beautiful lakeshore, riverfront and streamside properties that incorporate native flowers, shrubs, trees and plants. Award-winning properties can be located in Chisago, Isanti, Ramsey or Washington Counties.
2025 Program Timeline:
– July 1 – August 7: Call for nominations
– August 7 – 31: Program judges will tour and evaluate shorelines
– September 9: Award recipients are announced
Learn more and submit your nominations.
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To plant a tree or a garden is an act of hope. We hope that the snow will melt and the sun will return. We hope that that neighborhood deer and rabbits will find enough food to eat, though not so much that our garden fails to grow. We hope that the earth will keep spinning, and the rain will fall, that there will be a warm home to live in, and hands to do the work. It’s a small act of courage in an uncertain world, though really, when you think about it, not so small at all.
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Learn how to create a bird-friendly landscape at your home.
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If you peruse the Minnesota Wildflowers online field guide, you will find an impressive 303 species of plants native to Minnesota that all have yellow flowers. Check out this weekend’s Master Gardener Garden Tour or an upcoming event to learn more about gardening with native plants.
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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.
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I pretended to eat a maggot in the name of science. Once you learn why, you’ll you’ll want to do it too.
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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!
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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!
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East Metro Water 