Ava's Native Gardens

11/21/2024

Altlawns mission is to create biodiverse native habitat not lawns by educating residents.

07/27/2022

Cup Plant and Bumble Bee. I think its a brown-belted (Bombus griseocollis)

06/28/2022

06/04/2022

Thank everyone for finding me. Most of my action these days is through
Find a community there!

I will be having a plant sale late in June! Plants were late emerging this year.

03/22/2022

Purchase a 2-sided No-Mow May and Pollinator Garden sign! Durable and beautiful. $16 or less depending on order size.

Not mowing in May allows the spring pollinators to come out and the first of bees, the queens, to find their nesting sites.

Please fill out the google form to order
https://forms.gle/tKHg6aQA7G8qfyE68

Venmo payment would be due upon placing order or private arrangement made.

03/22/2022

Purchase a 2-sided No-Mow May and Pollinator Garden sign! Durable and beautiful. $16 or less depending on order size.

Not mowing in May allows the spring pollinators to come out and the first of bees, the queens, to find their nesting sites.

Please fill out the google form to order
https://forms.gle/tKHg6aQA7G8qfyE68

Venmo payment would be due upon placing order or private arrangement made.

No-Mow May / Pollinator Garden (side can be used June - April)

01/05/2022

1. Wild Ones Prairie Edge: Botanical Latin: How Plants are Named, Shirley Mah Kooyman-Wednesday 1/12/22, 7 pm
Pre-registration not required: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83601086914?pwd=b0VEWFdLcTNzejhzR211anFSdEh3UT09
2. Wild Ones National: America's Public Gardens: A Resource for Native Plants Matthew Ross -Thursday 1/13/22, 6 pm
Pre-registration required by Jan 9 https://wildones.org/ross-public-gardens-registration/
3. SAVE THIS DATE! Wild Ones Twin Cities: Building Habitat and Community – ALTLAWNS’ Ava will be one of three panelists 1/18/22 7pm see website for zoom link and detail http://www.wildonestwincities.org/p/wotc-c.html
4. Wild Ones Big River Woods: Lightning Talks (multiple speakers 5 minutes each)
01/27/2022, 6:45 pm - 8:30 pm (some networking time at the beginning) see the website for zoom link
https://bigriverbigwoods.org/events-2/lightning-talks-2/

A lightning talk is a short, 5 minute talk, about something interesting. In this case, something interesting about native plants. It could be about a specific plant, or your garden, landscaping d…

08/27/2021

Today, I shared with neighbors that I had seen an egg on milkweed this past week. One neighbor said, "that is late!" I thought too myself, "a generation overwinters" but then wondered if that was right. Looking it up now, I see there are four generations. Right now monarch generations 3 and 4 need the milkweed. Generations 2 & 3 also require native plant nectar to get ready for the migration. Late blooming plants like prairie sage, asters and goldenrod will carry them into fall to overwinter.

https://monarchjointventure.org/monarch-biology/annual-life-cycle

08/26/2021

Lawns to Legumes is again accepting resident applications for lawn conversion. Also available are neighborhood grants which the city could apply for. Encourage your city. Encourage your neighbors.

Note: the bee lawn (clover) mix is not a native pollinator support but does help with chemicals and water issues. Diversity of native plants is the best support. Diverse heights, seasonal bloom, size, shape of bloom etc

Bee part of the change! The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources is again accepting applications for the grant program. This program supports Minnesotans to create pollinator habitat in their yards. These cost-share grants are for up to $300. Apply through Blue Thumb: https://bluethumb.org/lawns-to-legumes/apply-for-lawns-to-legumes-assistance/
For more information about this new round, check here:
http://bwsr.state.mn.us/node/4811

07/09/2021

Flash floods in our communities, some thoughts:

-Our neighborhoods are built to funnel the water to the driveway, the street, the storm system, the river (holding pond, lake, stream...)

-Impervious surfaces (roofs, sidewalks, driveways, streets) repel 100% precipitation all adding up to flooding in a downpour

-traditional lawns only take in 20% of downfall having only about 2" roots (if you "just let it be" and let it compact, it may be nearer 99% impervious)

-Unprecedented storms create 50-year and 100-year volumes of precipitation (climate change; heat and humidity create conditions for greater precipitation)

- to help your community
1. Create native gardens with plants that have long roots, loosen the soil and take in water
2. Landscape to keep downfall from entering the street
3. Plant turf/lawn with sedges that have deep roots
4. Plants will cool the area and help change climate conditions that cause storms and droughts (lessen the heat island effect)
5. The underground water stores will be restored so we can still have clean sources of water, as will the earth and all beings.

- start with one square foot!

My yard is not just my yard.
A midwest perspective.
Ava

https://fb.watch/6EnRYJWERz/

07/04/2021

· FREE Native Blanket Flower - Nextdoor
Message me for address
https://nextdoor.com/for_sale_and_free/40bd870d-75a0-4cc9-b5e7-eb4f7edf3410?init_source=other_share

Find items in Finds on Nextdoor, the neighborhood hub.

06/27/2021

Beautiful pollinator plants for sale!

Prunella vulgaris -Heal-all
Amorpha nana -Fragrant False Indigo
Asclepias speciosa -Showy Milkweed
Lobelia cardinalis -Cardinal Flower
Campanulastrum americana -American Bellflower
Silene regia - Royal Catchfly
$5 / pot
20% for group members
Multiple first year seedlings or mature plants
Local sales only, Richfield
Message me for appointment