Chapters in Minnesota

SATURDAY, JULY 20, 2024 *
Dave Crawford Gardens in St Paul
Limited Space | Registration Opens July 9
1:00 to 2:00 pm | Guided tour for 10 people walking the Buffalo Grass pathways
2:00 to 3:00 pm | Guided tour for 20 people along areas above and below the gardens

Dave's LEED** home and surrounding gardens overlook Lake Como. The landscape consists of four rain gardens planted in 2020 and a large lawn-replacement garden planted in 2022. The plantings are 95% native, with a pollinator value preference, and are landscaped to retain or slow-flow precipitation run-off. Plants include a mix of dry prairie, shade-tolerant, and moisture-tolerant species. Pollinator species diversity is documented, and has shown an increase each year since installations.

Dave is a retired career Naturalist for the MN Department if Natural Resources (1975-2009). His long experience of teaching and a passion for the natural world, has made him a reservoir of native plant habitat knowledge, that he readily and skillfully shares. He currently volunteers as a Naturalist Mentor.

**Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is a green building certification program used worldwide.

*In the event of adverse weather conditions, tours will be rescheduled for the following day.

We will meet at the Emmaus church and carpool for the tour to see native gardens in Northfield, including Pat Johnson's.

Rain Date: Tues. July 30 same time.  Open to the public.

"I have a pretty large garden, that is well over half native plants. The first things I planted twenty some years ago were natives from the Prairie Nursery, most of which are still doing well. My focus has been to attract hummingbirds and bumblebees, and other pollinators. I have lots of Monarda, Heliopsis, mountain mints, Joe-Pye, Ironweed, spiderwort, and many more. I have several kinds of milkweed in my garden. The bumblebees and other bees seem to be doing well, and we get lots of visits from our neighbors' honeybees.  There are six or seven native ferns. I have also been adding berries to use for jams and jellies, so I have Nannyberrry, highbush cranberry, chokeberry, blueberry cultivars. They have yet to produce enough , but I'm ever hopeful! We have a small pond stocked with goldfish to eat the mosquito larvae, that usually attracts six or seven frogs by the end of the season. At the top of our garden hill, we have a grape arbor with a swing, where I love to sit and watch all the garden activity.  Our front lawn is planted with the no-mow seed mix from the Prairie Nursery."

SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2024 *
Cass Markovich Gardens in Northeast Minneapolis
1:00 to 3:00 pm | Open to Public | Registration Opens July 9

Cass Markovich and her husband, Chuck, moved into their corner lot home in Northeast Minneapolis in 2018. Having been a rental property for years, there were no gardens and a lot of Creeping Charlie. As a textile artist, Cass needed beauty but was not a gardener. Her first plants, mostly non-natives and cultivars, were gifts from neighbors; she also added clover to her lawn.

Shortly after she began gardening Cass learned of a native plant sale offered by Wild Ones Twin Cities, beginning the journey to learn about and create gardens for wildlife, climate resilience and beauty. Cass is a member of Elders Climate Action (ECA) and can readily relay the benefit native plants play in carbon sequestration.

The tour will encompass all of her gardens, a blend of the older gifts from neighbors and an abundance of established and newly added native plants. As a recent recipient of Lawns to Legumes grant, Cass has yet another native plant garden being added this summer.

*In the event of adverse weather conditions, tours will be rescheduled for the following day.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 3, 2024 *
Holley Wlodarczyk Gardens in East Bloomington
Noon to 3:00 pm | Wild Ones members only | Registration Opens July 9

Holley and her husband, Andrew, moved into their mid-century home in East Bloomington in 2002. In 2013 Holley discovered and joined Wild Ones, taking on various leadership roles, including organizing our Native Plant Sale for several years.

Her curiosity and intention to learn about native plants is evident in her gardens. While she says they are nothing special, simply a lot of gardens planted over times, they are a perfect example of the journey we each take as we learn about adding native plants to existing landscapes.

Holley's gardens include small rain gardens, shady and sunny plantings, bird baths and lots of pink flamingo whimsy. The meandering trails in the large yard, reveal surprising “plant rooms” around every turn. These are not formal gardens; most of them have been artful experiments to see what would grow and thrive, while providing habitat for pollinators and other wildlife.
 
*In the event of adverse weather conditions, tours will be rescheduled for the following day.