The snow lies thickly on our gardens and lawns at this time of year, and it is a time to make plans for the growing season.  Whether you are in the beginning stages of planning a Pollinator Plot or have a firmly established plot at your church or home, it is important to give attention to maintenance and improvement and do a little dreaming!

Now is when county Soil and Water Districts are having their native plant and tree sales, orders going in during late winter with pick-up at planting time.  I was very excited to see that our Itasca County SWCD is adding plant kits to their tree, shrub, seed, native grass and wildflower options. 

The plant kits are designed for special uses with each kit including 6 packs of 6 types of plants to cover 50 square feet.   Our congregation is looking at a Woodland Edge kit (for an area with a mix of sun and shade by the parking lot) and a Rusty Patched Bumblebee Kit (a collection of “superfood” species for our endangered Minnesota State Bee for an area with full sunlight).  Camp Hiawatha, which is part of Voyageur’s Lutheran Ministry and in Itasca County, is planning  on a couple of kits so that they will have pollinator plots on site as a testimony to their dedication to creation care in God’s Great Northwoods.  A shoreline stabilization kit might be good, or buckthorn replacement.  In any case, these are all native plants that contain no harmful chemicals to insects, that are hardy (though should be nurtured to maturity) and are food sources to our endangered pollinators.   

Just about all counties in Minnesota have a Soil and Water Conservation District office, the majority having tree and plant sales though the offerings vary.  Some offer seed packets, which is how the six pilot congregations of the NE MN Synod got started with pollinator plots back in 2022.  Others focus on trees and/or shrubs which are also wonderful food sources for pollinators.  Many have single species flats of native flowers that can be purchased for use.  Orders are done on line with pick-up in person and is open to residents and nonresidents.

Purchasing through a county Soil and Water District is an economical way to build your plot, but certainly not the only way.  Commercial enterprises such as Prairie Restorations (Princeton, Cloquet and Esko, MN) and Shoreview Natives (Two Harbors, MN) specialize in native plants and restoration.  More and more local garden centers and nurseries are stocking native plants too, although one much be certain they have not been treated with any chemicals to be used in a pollinator plot.

How to finance?  Invite members of your congregation to be stakeholders and contribute to establishing a plot, encouraging both financial and sweat equity, as they are able.  Thrivent Action Grants, available to those who are Thrivent members, are designed to fund community projects or events and have been a marvelous source of funding.  The NE MN Synod EcoFaith (www.ecofaithnetwork.org) offers microgrants for seed funding for projects in addition.

Before we know it, the lake ice will be broken up, the rivers flowing and the greening of the landscape will be underway.  Be ready!  Plan the plot!