Resources

Take a chance and grow some plants!

Resources

Vendor Recommendations

These great organizations will help you create your own habitat!

• Reddy Rents - Garden tool/machine rental, including Sod Cutters
  4411 Hiawatha Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55406, (612) 722-9516
• The Mulch Store - Provide plate-to-garden organic compost
  1030 West Cliff Road, Burnsville, MN 55337, (952) 890-9375, info@setinc.net
• Minnesota Native Landscapes - Native nursery with hundreds of species and custom seed mixes
  8740 77th St Northeast, Otsego, MN 55362, (763) 295-0010
• Gertens - Native plugs, compost, soil and everything else you need for your garden
  5500 Blaine Ave, Inver Grove Heights, MN 55076, 1-866-GERTENS
• Ramsey County Yard Waste Collection - Drop off yard waste and organic debris; free compost
  1943 W Pierce Butler Route, St Paul, MN 55114​

Tips & Tricks to Build Habitat

1. Pay attention to the sunlight.
Observe how it shines in through your space and adjust your planting accordingly. Most natives need at least 6 hours of sun to thrive.
2. Make sure there's a water source close by.
Keep a close eye on new plantings. Native plants, once established, tend to be hardier in drought conditions.
3. Great soil makes a huge difference.
Add nutrient-rich compost or soil to the top 6-8 inches of your garden bed. Cover with leaves at the end of the season.
4. Know your zone.
Select plants that match the conditions of your environment. Natives tend to be hardier for colder climates (zone 4 & 5).
5. Weeds happen, be prepared.
​Add mulch around your plantings to help keep the weeds back, or try Preen Natural to prevent weed seeds from germinating.

Native species we use

This list is not inclusive of all native plants that pollinators will visit in Minnesota. These plants were chosen for their drought tolerance, poor soil and pollution tolerance, and their shorter stature (lower growing to not obstruct the vision of motorists).

Species	Sun	Bloom
Yarrow	Full	June-Sept
Butterfly Weed	Full	June-Sept
Purple Prairie Clover	Full	June-Aug
Lupine	Part/Full	May-June
Prairie Onion	Full	July-Aug
Upland Goldenrod	Part/Full	July-Sept
Prairie Smoke	Full	April-May
Purple Coneflower	Full	June-Oct
Dotted Blazingstar	Full	July-Sept

​Flower Fragrances That Attract Bees and Butterflies to Your Garden

Boulevard Seed Mix

Native Perennials

• Whorled Milkweed
  
• Partridge Pea
  
• Prairie Coreopsis
  
• White Prairie Clover
  
• Pale Purple Coneflower
  
• Wild Lupine
• Prairie Phlox
  
• ​Long-Headed Coneflower
  
• Prairie Spiderwort
  
• Hoary Vervain

Native Grasses

• Side-Oats Grama
• Blue Grama
• Prairie Brome
• Junegrass
• Little Bluestem
• Prairie Dropseed

Pollinator Resources

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
  ​Learn about native plants and garden solutions for pollinators.
• Xerces Society 
  Invertebrate conservation, awareness and outreach.
• Friends of the Mississippi River 
  ​Engages people to protect, restore and enhance the Mississippi River and its watershed in the Twin Cities.
• Univ. of Minnesota Monarch Lab 
  Monarch ecology, behavior and evolution, peer-reviewed research, outreach and citizen science efforts.​
• Univ. of Minnesota Bee Lab 
  ​​Conservation, health, and diversity of bee pollinators through research, education, and mentorship. Directed by Dr. Marla Spivak, Entomologist.