More Frequent Seed Pickups Available!

Hello Gardeners!

 

Good News!

There will be more frequent and more convenient seed pickups starting May 6^th!

                                                                                           

Starting May 6^th I will no longer schedule specific seed pick dates. Since the White Bear Lake library was just opened for express visits you can pick up your seeds inside the library at the WBL Seed Library table (to the right immediately after you enter through the 2 sets of doors.)

                                          

The scheduled seed pickup on April 28^th is still happening at the library’s parking lot!  For the Wednesday April 28^th pick up, you need to email me your order by 1pm on April 28^th.

 

Here are the new directions on how to get seeds:

                                                                                                                    

1. Go to the White Bear Lake Seed Library’s blogsite at: https://wblseedlibrary.blogspot.com/

 

2. Select your seeds from the seeds lists posted on the right hand side of the blogsite.

 

3. Email your selection to Pam at: wblseedlibrary@gmail.com. Pam will reply to your email when your seeds are bagged and ready for pickup.

 

4. Starting May 6^th, Pam will make a weekly drop off of seed bags to the White Bear Lake library, 2150 2^nd St, White Bear Lake, MN on Thursdays by noon.

Orders placed by Wednesday at 8pm will be available for pick up on Thursday. Your brown paper seed bag will be labelled with your name. The bags will be placed on the seed library table. The seed library table is to the right just after you go through the two sets of doors. If your seed bag is not picked up in 2 weeks it will be returned to the seed library.

*Note: If you do not feel comfortable going inside the White Bear Lake library to pick up your bag of seeds, please let me know when you place your order. I will be happy to meet you at the White Bear Lake library’s parking lot for a contactless seed pick up.

 

So, maybe you are wondering why I didn’t put all the seed drawers back in the library? There are several reasons.

One, I have been mostly packaging seeds as orders come in. This means the seed drawers only contain a fraction of the seeds available.  As we can’t have seed packaging events yet, it would take quite a while for me and other volunteers to package enough seeds to fully stock the drawers.

Two, the seed catalog is woefully out of date as no one has needed it for over a year. I didn’t see a need to constantly update it as new varieties came to the seed library as many of those varieties have been exhausted already.

Three, I believe it would be very difficult to keep the seed drawers, seed packets and catalogs clean during this time when Covid is still a threat.

 

If you have any questions, please email me.

 

 Pam

 

Contact info for the Seed Library:

Email: wblseedlibrary@gmail.com

Blog site: WBL Seed Library

 

 

 

Seed Pickup Wednesday April 28th

 The next seed pickup will be Wednesday April 28th, from 4:45 pm - 5:15 pm at the White Bear Lake library's parking lot. Please have your seed order to me by 1pm, April 28th via an email to wblseedlibrary@gmail.com.

The available seed lists are to the right. Please be specific in the type of seeds you want.

If for some reason you cannot make it to the seed pickup, your bag of seeds will be placed in the lobby area of the curbside pickup of the WBL library after the scheduled seed pickup time. You can pick up your seeds during White Bear lake library's regular hours by just going into the lobby and to the left, on the floor are the seed bags. Do NOT call the librarians to get your seed bag as they do not know about them.

Library hours: 

M; 10-8

T,W: 1-8

Th,F,Sa: 10-5

Pam

Seed Patents and RUSSL Admendment

 Hello Gardeners,

I am attending the Seed Library Summit today and tuned into the talk about seed patents. What I found out was that many open-pollinated organic and non-organic seed varieties are actually patented or traits of these plants are patented. This means these seeds cannot be shared or sold.

Right now it is difficult, if not impossible to find a list of patented seeds, but so far it is mostly organic lettuce and pepper seeds that seem to be patented. As soon as I find the list of patented lettuce and pepper seeds I will check it against the seeds in the seed library.

The White Bear Lake Seed Library does not knowingly share patented seeds. As per the RUSSL Amendment I am posting a statement regarding this:

At each location involved withnon-commercial seed sharing a legible and visible sign shall state that the seeds being distributed may not meet germination or varietal purity standards prescribed by the state seed law. The sign must also state that patented seed or varieties protected by the Plant Variety Protection Act will not be accepted or distributed without permission of the certificate holder.

The visible sign is to the right.

Pam

Seed Pickup April 14th and Low-Till Gardening and Many New Events

Hello Gardeners!           

 

In my last email I told you about the great documentary Kiss the Ground. It is streaming on Netflix now. It is about regenerative farming and how it can help our planet.

 But it’s not just for farmers!

The same principals can be used in your garden and yard. Last email I explained how compost helps the micro-organisms in the soil that capture carbon and improve the structure of your soil. You can help these organisms even more by practicing no-till or low-till gardening.

No-till gardening is ditching the roto tiller that weakens the soil’s microbial community that metabolizes and holds nutrients, sequesters and holds carbon, and absorbs and holds water.

Yes, I know, tilling is what you always do, your parents tilled, your grandparents tilled, etc. But it’s time for a change! Here’s how to use no-tilling in your garden.

 

Seed Talk – How to Grow Tomatoes – Tuesday April 13, 2021, 6:30 pm

This is tomato starting time! Four to six week before the last frost is the recommended time to start tomato seeds. The average last frost in zone 4 is May 10^th. Remember this is an average only and Mother Nature has the last word!

 

To learn how to grow tomatoes attend the next Seed Talk on April 13^th   at 6:30pm via Zoom. Register here.

Also info on University of MN Extension site here

 

Seed Pickup

The next seed pickup is scheduled for Wednesday, Apr 14th from 4:45-5:15 pm at the White Bear Lake library’s parking lot, 2150 2^nd St, White Bear Lake, MN.

Seeds lists are posted on the blogsite. Check the right hand side for the seed lists.

Send your request to wblseedlibrary@gmail.com by 1 pm, Apr 14th.

A change to how picking up seeds works: The library has generously allowed me to place bags of seeds not picked up in the curbside lobby area of the library. This means that if you missed picking up your seeds at the seed pickup time, you can find your seed bag in the library’s curbside lobby on the table. The bags are labelled with your first and last name. The curbside area is open during the WBL library’s normal hours: M: 10-8, T, W: 1-8, Th, F, Sat: 10-5. You do not need to call to pick up your seed bag, just walk in the lobby and find your bag. Note: The bags will NOT be at the curbside lobby until AFTER the seed pickup time. If for some reason you do not find your bag, please do not contact the librarians, contact me via email (wblseedlibrary@gmail.com). Seed bags not picked up after 2 weeks will go back to the seed library.

 

How to Donate Seeds to the Seed Library

Place dry seeds in a paper envelope with the name of seed, year and location on the envelope. Drop off at a seed pickup or drop off at the curbside pickup area of the White Bear Lake library during open hours.

 

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

 

Great River Greening Wonderhour

Join Great River Greening for nature-based skills and knowledge. Free.

Register here.

 

Spring Ephemeral (Thursday, April 8, 6 p.m.)

Join Great River Greening Volunteer Supervisors Cathy Marquardt and Aiden Read to learn about Minnesota native spring ephemerals. This session will inspire you to explore near and far to find early blooms throughout our landscape.

 

Planting for Pollinators (Tuesday, May 11, 6 p.m.)

Pollinators are critical to a healthy environment and many native species are in jeopardy. Learn what you can do at home to create healthy pollinator habitats for native bees and butterflies in your own yard.

 

Stopping Problem Plants (Tuesday, June 15, 6 p.m.)

Learn to identify and manage common invasive plants found in Minnesota yards and natural areas, and find out about new invaders on the horizon.

 

Climate Resilient Gardens (Wednesday, July 14, 6 p.m.)

The climate is changing, and that will affect Minnesota gardens. Learn about what to expect and how to adapt to grow a more resilient landscape.

 

Nature Heals (Wednesday, August 11, 6 p.m.)

Learn the science of how time spent in nature helps to improve our physical and mental well-being.

 

 

New Bluethumb Events

Learn about creating a bee lawn, how to make your yard more resilient and how to help pollinators in these relevant classes.  See the Bluethumb site for more information and to register.

Various dates in March thru May, Cost $5-$15.

Bee Lawns: The Most Popular Turf Alternative

Your “how-to” guide on creating a bee lawn. James Wolfin, an entomologist and Metro Blooms’ sustainable landcare manager, teaches the steps for converting a traditional turf grass monoculture lawn into a beautiful, flowering bee lawn that promotes pollinator health, water quality and natural resource conservation.

 

Resilient Yards

Join Metro Blooms landscape professionals to develop a framework for understanding resilience. Learn how to create resilience in your yard using site planning, raingardens, alternatives to conventional turf lawns, trees, native plantings and more. Includes one-on-one design assistance for your yard from Metro Blooms landscape designers, Hennepin County Master Gardeners and Master Water Stewards.

 

Planting for Pollinators

This workshop offers planting practices that benefit pollinators and the environment. Learn about the current health status of pollinators in Minnesota, and how you can help them by installing pocket plantings, trees and shrubs, bee lawns, pollinator meadows, and more! The content is based on the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources’ Lawns to Legumes program supporting residents to create more pollinator-friendly landscapes.

 

Grow Native! and the Missouri Prairie Foundation

Every Wednesday at 4:00 p.m., participants can learn from a variety of speakers on topics. Speakers include prairie and native plant experts from across the Midwest.

I’ve attended a few of these webinars and they are well done and informative!

Webinars are free, 30-minute programs, with time for questions after the presentations. Master classes are more specialized, with presenters sharing 50-minutes of material, with time for questions after the presentations. Master classes are free to MPF members and Grow Native! professional members, and $15 for non-members. Not a member? Join at moprairie.org/membership/ and attend all master class programming as a benefit of membership. Landscape architect continuing education credits are available for master classes and most webinars. 

 2021 Webinars and Master Classes: 

April 14 - Grow Native! Webinar: Monarch Population Trends, Conservation & Climate Change: Dr. Chip Taylor

Thursday, April 22 - Special Earth Day Webinar: Keeping our Water Healthy: Native Plants and Watersheds Panel

April 28 - MPF Webinar: Bicycling with Butterflies: Sara Dykman

DON SHELBY PRESENTS: Climate Change: The Crisis of a Thousand Faces Don Shelby, a veteran journalist, will take us on a journey of discovery as he has lived it, witnessed it, and tried to communicate climate change science to everyone from true believers to truth deniers and all manner of people for more than 30 years. Hosted by Northeast Metro Climate Action, northeastmetroclimateaction.org Wednesday, April 14, 2021 - 7:00 p.m. (CDT) A Zoom Event – Type this in your browser:    https://tinyurl.com/DShelby

 

Twin Cities Metro Growers Network

All the 2020 virtual meetings and notes are on TC Metro Growers website.

Even if you are not a farmer, these recording are interesting.

 

 

Ramsey County Master Gardener Classes

Many online classes throughout the winter and spring. See classes.

 

 

2021 Big River Big Woods Native Plant Sale

Big River Big Woods is now accepting your orders for native plants!

Information here.

 Nursery grown plants in 4” pots or 6 packs of native flowers, sedges and grasses. Trees and shrubs available too.

Also pre-designed kits available!

These pre-designed kits are designed to take the guesswork out of choosing plants suitable for your yard. Four expertly created garden kits are available, suitable for a wide range of habitat types. Three kits contain 36 plants (consisting of 6 species) and one kit contains 72 plants (consisting of 12 species).

This year we will follow Covid safety protocols.  Orders will be ready for pick-up at a pre-designated location where face-coverings will be worn and social distancing observed.

 You can place your order on-line (pay by credit card) or by mail (pay by check).

April 26 – Last day to place your order.
May 28 and 29 – Plant sale days to pick up your plant orders in a location in Roseville.

 

Friends School Plant sale, May 6-9, 2021

YES! There will be a 2021 Friends School Plant Sale, a fund-raiser for the Friends School of Minnesota, a small Quaker K – 8 school in Saint Paul. This is a REAL event not virtual, but it will work differently than previous years.

Details https://www.friendsschoolplantsale.com/

All plants at the sale are neonic free which means they are safe for pollinators.

See their policy.

 

 

 

Future Seed Talks via Zoom, all at 6:30pm

Apr 13, 2021 Tues   How to Grow Tomatoes w/Ramsey master gardeners

May 11, 2021 Tues Garden Design

 

Contact info for the Seed Library:

Email: wblseedlibrary@gmail.com

Blog site: WBL Seed Library

 

Pam

 

The Next Seed Pickup Soon

 The next seed pickup will be in a couple weeks or so. You can request seeds at any time and I'll hold them for the next seed pickup.

To request seeds look at the seed lists to the right. Select what you want to grow and send the list to me, Pam, at wblseedlibrary@gmail.com. I'll reply when I have your seeds bagged.

Pickups will be at the White Bear Lake library's parking lot during a scheduled pick up date. 

2150 2nd St, White Bear Lake, MN 55110