Hello Gardeners!
The White Bear Lake seed library has over 70 varieties of native plant seeds. See the blog. Seed list are on the right hand side.
A pair of chickadee parents needs 6,000 to 9,000 caterpillars to feed a brood of baby chickadees. See Talamy
So what do these two statements have in common?
Native plants are a food source for caterpillars!
Caterpillars are a high protein source of food for growing baby birds. Caterpillars and their associated moths and butterflies need native plants and trees for food. No native plants means no butterflies or moths means no caterpillars means no food for birds. Everything is connected.
You are probably aware of one of the most well-known plant-butterfly relationship—monarch butterflies and milkweed plants, but there are 1000’s more. Fourteen percent of plant species support 90% of the caterpillar species. So what are some of these super food plants?
Some trees that support caterpillars: willow, cherry, birch, oak, poplar
Some plants that support caterpillars: goldenrods, strawberry, sunflower, violets, lupine
Check out other top plants by visiting the Plant Finder
Since the seed library has many free native plant seeds, there’s no reason not to help out all those parents birds feeding hungry chicks by growing some in your yard.
Pick up a couple packets, taking care to select those plants that will grow well in your situation. The list on native plants on the blogsite has information about growing conditions, such as sun needs, height and a germination code or either A or C(nn).
Generally, native plants can be divided into two categories: those that can be directly sowed in the soil in the spring or fall (germination code of A) and those that cannot as they need to be stratified (germination code of C(nn) where nn is the number of days they need to be in a cold, moist environment aka ‘winter’. These are hardy Minnesota plants that relish a nice winter nap outside before germinating. Think about it. These plants forms seeds in the late fall and there is not enough time for them to germinate and grow enough roots to keep them alive over winter. So, they wait around, ‘chilling out’ until spring brings warmth and rain before setting down roots.
You can make sure these seeds have their stratification needs met by:
1. Direct sowing in the fall, but you are a bit late for that now.
2. Using the winter sowing method to make little jugs of seeds and place them outside. You still have time to do this, but best done by the beginning of February.
or 3. Stratify them inside using your fridge to create ‘winter’. Prairie Moon Nursery has a great webpage on how to germinate native plant seeds here. You still have time to do this method too, but best done by the beginning of February.
New Seeds in the WBL Seed Drawers!
Thanks to the many volunteers who helped package seeds, there are now lots of tomato, pea, melon, herbs and some annual or perennial flowers besides all the native plant seeds in the drawers. Check the blog on the right hand side for the list of seeds available. I still have many other vegetable and flower seeds left to package, so more will be coming.
Seed Packaging
I plan to have another in-person event to package seeds, though I don’t have a date selected yet. It will probably be a Saturday or Sunday afternoon at the White Bear Lake library when there is NOT a snowstorm! I will send out an email a couple days before the seed packaging date when it seems the weather will cooperate for people to get to the library.
You can also help package seeds if you don’t want to come to an in-person event. I can prepare a bag with seeds and supplies for you that you can pick up at the library and bring home to package seeds. If you are interested in helping to package seeds, please send me an email at wblseedlibrary@gmail.com. Let me know if you want to pick up a bag or come in person.
Events
March Seed Talk – Indoor Plants via Zoom
Tuesday March 14, 2023, 6:30 pm via Zoom
Many vegetable, flower and herb seeds need to be germinated in the late winter or early spring indoors. These seeds need a longer growing season then what we have in Minnesota. Learn which seeds need to be started early and when they need to be started. Learn the best way to start seeds indoors and fill your house with the wonderful smell and beauty of little seedlings growing in the soil. Equipment and supplies recommended to start seeds will be covered as well as the best way to transplant your seedlings when the weather starts getting warm.
Seed Talks are discussions with community members led by Horticulturist, lifelong gardener and one of the White Bear Lake Seed Library founders: Pam Larson Frink
This is a Zoom meeting and you need to register on the Ramsey County library website at least 3 hours prior to the start of the Seed Talk. Register here.
Pollinator Habitat Webinars
Are you interested in creating pollinator habitat, but you don’t know where to begin? Check out this upcoming webinar series to help guide you in your pollinator plan. University of Minnesota Extension Educators are excited to bring you this webinar series on creating your own pollinator habitat. This three-part series will cover how to create a pollinator-friendly garden, bee lawn and prairie planting. Join us January 31, February 1 & 2 from 1:30-2:30 pm each afternoon for this free webinar. You must pre-register for this series at z.umn.edu/BeeSeries to receive the webinar links.
Tuesday, Jan. 31st: Pollinator-Friendly Garden Julie Weisenhorn, UMN Extension Horticulture Educator
Pollinators are responsible for the diversity of plant life & our food, & gardeners of all levels can adopt practices that help pollinators thrive. However, engaging with these important creatures through creating beneficial landscapes also helps to strengthen our sense of connection with nature (biophilia) & our understanding of the natural world while positively affecting these important insects. Join UMN Extension horticulture educator, Julie Weisenhorn, as she tells the story of pollinators from a landscape & plant selection standpoint & presents some practical options to help us make this world a better place for these valuable insects in our own gardens.
Wednesday, Feb. 1st: Bee Lawns- James Wolfin, Conservation Specialist
Bee lawns aim to integrate low-growing flowers into low-input turfgrass lawns to provide food for pollinators. They also help to conserve natural resources, as they require significantly less water, fertilizer, and mowing as compared to a traditional lawn. This presentation will examine the role of lawns in our culture, how lawns can be modified to protect pollinators & conserve natural resources, and the steps residents can take to easily install a bee lawn themselves.
Thursday, Feb. 2nd: Navigating Natives: Tools and Resources for Starting a Pocket Prairie- Sam Talbot, UMN Extension Educator, Dakota County
Native plants provide a wide range of benefits & can easily be incorporated into your backyard garden. Sam will draw from his experience restoring habitat in Dakota County Parks to discuss the benefits & challenges associated with planting natives in the landscape. He’ll highlight some of the tools and resources available, as well as opportunities to gain hands-on experience through volunteer opportunities in Dakota County. Topics will include propagation methods, plantings, & species considerations.
1:30-2:30 pm each afternoon
Seed Library Summit
If
you are interested in seed libraries you might want to sign up for the 11th
Seed Library Summit on Saturday, February 11th. It is a virtual event, so no
need to travel! If you haven't already signed up you can do that for free at SeedLibraries.net.
They have an amazing program scheduled this year!
Sessions:
- How to Start a Seed Library
- Ask a Seed Librarian
- Seeds to Expand Climate Adaptation
- Landrace Gardening
- Seed Gardens
- School Seed Libraries
- Seed Exchanges
- Seed Saving Basics
- Communities Building Mobile Seed Libraries as a Response to Disaster
- Native Seeds & Pollinators
- Seed Stories: Our Stories of Seeds
Here are speaker bios by session. Note: Sessions with the same number are at the same time.
Contact info for the Seed Library:
Email: wblseedlibrary@gmail.com
Blog site: WBL Seed Library
Pam
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