The Nature Conservancy in Minnesota的动态

Taking care of a native plant garden during its first three years will help set it up for long-term success. Keep these things in mind: ???Water new plants a minimum of 1” each week. Watering larger amounts of water across longer intervals of time helps promote deeper root growth. ???Weed your garden regularly. If you’re unsure whether a plant is a weed, let it grow a little first and use a plant ID app. Try to pull weeds before they make flowers and seeds. ???In late summer and fall, let leaf litter and debris be. It’ll help enrich your soil, encourage beneficial fungi, and provide overwintering habitat for insects. For more native planting tips, check out Blue Thumb’s newly refreshed Plan a Project page: https://lnkd.in/gryqQGFT #PlantForPollinators #PlantForCleanWater #SustainableLandscaping #NativePlants?

Everything I’ve learned about people relates to raising plants. The favorite plants you care and tend to the most often die from overwatering, or week roots. Too much fertilizer may mean plants with fewer flowers, but you can’t treat them all the same - some need less others more. Listen to them, they will tell you what they truly need. Some plants die young, they leave seeds to remember them by. Some plants are tenacious vines that destroy everyone they interact with; avoid them. Weeds are the most stubborn and maligned because they don’t give up, they also last far beyond other plants that fail. Some seeds require tough conditions like freezing or scraping but nothing can be rushed, they all become themselves in their own time. The most engineered flowers have the biggest blooms but the least nectar; they are showy and beautiful but useless to wildlife. Never trust a toxic plant-they will affect you in ways you may not realize-it’s how they protect themselves. Some plants destroy the heart and fix it. One man’s cure is another’s poison. Vines destroy a fence while they build their own. Sunflowers are selfish- they stop other seeds from germinating they do it to survive. The sweetest flower is often the most toxic. Some seeds are made to travel, to be eaten by wildlife, to be spread attaching to others- every thing has a purpose and a reason, we don’t have to always understand them. Plants will grow and they will die, they will be black in the winter And green in the spring but there is always hope in the garden. Always plant seeds, the future is made from them.

Spring has officially sprung, and the pollinators need your help! ???? These small but mighty creatures are absolutely critical every spring. That’s because about 80% of the plants we need for food and industrial products require pollination (according to the USDA). What’s more, pollinators like bees and butterflies help produce larger, more flavorful, and more abundant crops. ?? But pollinators have been struggling in recent years. Unfortunately, factors like disease, parasites, habitat loss, and environmental degradation have caused a decline in the number of pollinators. You’ve probably heard that the bees, the poster child of the pollinators, are disappearing. Enter: The pollinator garden. ???? If you want to provide some much-needed support for your local pollinators this spring, a pollinator garden could be the perfect weekend project. ????

Don’t have yard space for a pollinator garden? No problem! Many native plants grow well in pots. ???Here’s some tips to keep in mind when starting a container garden: ???Bigger and deeper pots lead to stronger plants in the long run. Any material can work, as long as the pot has drainage holes at the bottom. ???Go for an organic potting soil, or you can improve your potting soil by adding compost. You can add natural mulch, such as leaf litter, to protect plant roots. ???Regular watering is essential to any container garden’s success. Water often in the first year (twice per week, up to three times per week during drought periods). Get more tips for planting for pollinators—no matter the size of your outdoor space—at our May 7 Coffee Chat! Learn more at https://lnkd.in/gJdytUYa #ContainerGardening #MNNativePlants #PlantForPollinators?

??Planting: Nature's Partnership for a Thriving Garden ?? ? Why Planting? Planting is more than just placing plants side by side. It’s about creating a diverse ecosystem that supports natural growth and sustainability. Here are some key benefits: ? Pest Management: Certain plants can naturally repel garden pests. For example, marigolds emit a scent that discourages nematodes and other insects. Pollination Boost: Increasing floral diversity attracts and supports a variety of pollinators, enhancing crop yields. Resource Efficiency: Planting certain crops together can optimize nutrient uptake, reduce water usage, and maximize space in the garden. ? “Implement Planting in Your Garden” ? #CompanionPlanting #SustainableAgriculture #GardeningTips #EcoFriendlyFarming #AgriculturalInnovation

It’s a simple idea: Stop mowing your lawn in the month of May to let flowers in the lawn, such as dandelions and clover, grow and support bees and other pollinators. But what is the alternative?

?? Pollinator of the week: Box-headed Blood Bee ?? Plant of the week: Devil's-bit Scabious ? Action of the week: Now is the time to mow your long-flowering meadow Meadows are crucial habitats for pollinators, filled with a rich blend of native wildflowers and beneficial grasses. If you manage a long-flowering meadow (a grassy area that is cut once a year), now is the time to mow. By now, the wildflower seeds in your meadow will have dropped and returned to the soil. It is vital that the grass is removed. Flower-rich meadows will only develop on sites with low soil fertility. Removing grass cuttings each autumn allows the soil fertility to slowly decrease. This gives flowers a chance to compete with the more dominant grasses. The less fertile the soil, the more flower-rich your meadow will be. Cutting later than September is fine, but the weather may make things more difficult (it is easier to cut when the ground isn’t too wet). Better weather also gives the cut grass a chance to dry – it’s much easier to lift dry grass.? Small areas where grass growth is not very thick can be cut with a scythe or strimmer. In gardens, most lawn mowers can cope with small areas of longer grass. Initially set the blades at their highest setting and then do a second cut at a lower height. Larger areas may require specialised equipment, or an arrangement with a local farmer to cut and bale the grass. A mix of grass lengths is the ideal way to support biodiversity. Consider leaving some areas totally uncut for overwintering insects and mammals to nest. Find out more about managing meadows in local communities & gardens here?? https://lnkd.in/exbqvy3m Find out more about pollinators in September here?? https://lnkd.in/e92B48-T

Companion Planting: The Do's and Don'ts of Growing Plants Together Learn which plants benefit each other ? and which plants shouldn't be neighbors ? to get the most out of your garden. https://lmsafe.co/ATmT

Companion Planting: The Do's and Don'ts of Growing Plants Together Learn which plants benefit each other ? and which plants shouldn't be neighbors ? to get the most out of your garden. https://lmsafe.co/FQGr

As spring blooms around us and we are finally starting to see a hint of warmth, I wanted to share an awesome initiative I follow each year:?No Mow May. ?? What’s No Mow May??It’s simple:?put away your lawnmower for a month.?? ???Why? No Mow May allows emerging pollinators—like our hardworking bees—to feast on flowering grasses. ?? These little heroes pollinate?75% of our crops!?? Imagine every third bite you take—thank a pollinator! ?? ???Stats That Matter: 1. 75%?of flowering plants rely on pollinators. ?? 2. 35%?of our global food crops depend on these tiny winged creatures. ?? 3. Non-bee pollinators?(think butterflies, beetles, and hoverflies) also play a vital role. ?? Less mowing?means more habitat for these essential creatures. ?? And my kitties are in on the action too hunting the long grass ?? So, let’s?No Mow May?together! ???? Your lawn will thank you, and the pollinators will dance with joy. ???? #NoMowMay #PollinatorPower #BeeKind