JOIN US FOR OUR NEXT SUMMER TOUR!
Twin Cities Wild Ones
Native Plant Garden Tours
WEDNESDAY JULY 12, 2017
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm3804 Cedar Lake Place, Minneapolis
click here for map
Guide: Douglas Owens Pike, Beautifullysustainable.com
Guest Peter Original Designer of Cedar Meadows Restoration
Come be inspired!
Here’s an opportunity to see early stage of entry transformation from standard, non-native invasive shrubs to all native shrubs, forbs, and grasses. A client of Douglas Owens-Pike, whom he’s worked with since 1997 at another site (2324 Oliver), the back yard of this new site was graded for lawn inside the fence. Outside are rough piles of fill, including exposed chunks of concrete, colonized by boxelder. Yet, there are gems like a clump of wahoo that survived the fill and a drainway dug next to it. We’ve been working to restore native diversity into this industrial waste for the past several years.
Hoping to stop at nearby wetland restoration between France Ave. and Cedar Lake. An area that had been mowed lawn is now filtering street runoff that had been polluting the Minneapolis chain of lakes. Water clarity dramatically improved in just a few years following the installation of the wetland natural filtration system in 1996.
“Public education campaigns have seen an over 50 percent reduction in pesticides in stormwater runoff from the contributing watershed. Alum treatments have locked up the accumulated historical phosphorus in lake sediments and treatment ponds have resulted in the reduction of new phosphorus loading into the system. Stormwater treatment ponds range from a 25 percent removal rate to a 66 percent removal rate and measurable changes have been seen in a relatively short period of time.”
See more about this project at the Minnesota Stormwater Manual.
SATURDAY AUGUST 19, 2017
Native Plant Rain Gardens10:00 am - 11:00 am
Lutheran Church of Christ Redeemer
5440 Penn South Minneapolis, Mn. 55410
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Guide: Laurie Bruno, Master Naturalist
This garden was planted in the fall of 2014. The garden is the capstone project for Master Water Stewards Joan Freese and Laurie Bruno. Costs for this rain garden were around $500.00 plus in kind labor by congregation members. The cash costs were reimbursed by a cost share grant from the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District with in kind labor balancing the out of pocket costs.
The original plan listed 16 different native plants. Several additional natives have been added in subsequent years.
At the end of the first year a storm water credit was applied for.
This was eventually approved and is currently saving this congregation about $600 per year.
11:15 am - 12:00 pm
St Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church Linden Hills
2914 W 44th St Minneapolis, MN 55410
click here for map
Guide: Dottie Dolezal
3 separate areas on the parish grounds-
1.Two rain gardens and a bioswale were installed in 2014 with assistance from Minnehaha Creek Watershed District and the Linden Hills Neighborhood Council (and many, many church bake sales!). It is planted predominately with native plants and maintained by the church’s garden club. These rain gardens manage storm water on the parish’s property, prevent erosion, capture runoff allowing it to seep slowly into the ground and protect Minnehaha Creek and Lake Harriet by filtering pollutants from the storm water. These gardens qualify for storm water abatement credits from Minneapolis and within the next two years, this monthly credit will have paid off the cost of the garden. Design work by Nature’s Edge Designs.
2.This summer, a nonnative hedge by the parking lot was removed and the church garden club planted an oak savanna with predominately native plants. Oak savanna was the original habitat in south Minneapolis. It is certified as a Monarch Waystation. 3 baby oak trees were planted by Wetland Habitat, Minneapolis’s partner in greening the city.
3.Formerly a thick thistle patch in the lower parking lot corner, became a small prairie garden, planted approximately 8 years ago. As the linden tree grows, the garden will gradually become a shade garden.
Thanks to everyone who attended our June tour, and hope to see you all in July!
