Popular native garden sale is back

The Carlton Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) native plant kit and seed mix sale is back. Last year, people in the region helped convert more than 40 acres of mowed lawn to pollinator habitat by purchasing seed mixes and kits.

The SWCD event has been the largest sale in Minnesota for the third year in a row. That's something to be proud of.

We are keeping the pollinator powerhouse momentum going with a fourth sale.

The native plant kits come in monarch, pine mulch, rain garden, buckthorn replacement, lakeshore stabilization, deer resistant, and shade varieties, as well as the 2022 favorite, the pollinator kit. Each kit consists of six species that bloom spring through fall, for a total of 36 plant plugs that cover about 150 square feet, for $65 per kit.

The native seed mixes are offered in pollinator, songbird, bee lawn and buckthorn replacement varieties.

The plants and seed are supplied by Minnesota Native Landscapes, which help us ensure that the kits are designed to be easy to plant and maintain. The kits provide a mix of showstopping blooms and plant heights to provide habitat and food for our local pollinators and beneficial insects.

These diverse native pollinator gardens provide critical corridors and habitat for our bees, butterflies, songbirds and many other types of wildlife that use the vegetation for shelter and food. Low-cost and low-maintenance, native plantings do not require fertilizing, regular mowing or irrigation, and have a positive effect on the soil. Their extensive fibrous root systems, which can grow to 15 feet deep, reduce erosion, restore soil health, and filter runoff before it enters our streams and lakes.

Even the smallest garden helps our bees, birds and butterflies. Native plant and seed mix orders will be taken through May 5. Curbside pickup is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 23 at the Carlton SWCD.

It's easy to integrate a native pollinator garden, bee lawn, or rain garden into your existing lawn. The SWCD can show you how. The Carlton and South St. Louis soil and water conservation districts and the Xerces Society will present their free "Create a Raingarden" workshop 6-7:30 p.m. March 28 at Hermantown City Hall. Experts will guide you from start to finish on designing a rain garden with native plants. The SWCD can also provide a free site visit after the workshop, along with up to $500 to help plant. These workshops fill up fast, so sign up soon.

Visit our website for ordering and registration for the workshop: http://www.carltonswcd.org. You can also call or email me, Alyssa Bloss, with questions or to register at (218) 384-3891 or [email protected]. I'm looking forward to hearing from you.