The Lazy Gardener’s Guide to…

- Enjoying your Urban Forest -

“Taking the WORK out of yardwork.”

Lazy Gardener Workshop Series

• Today – “Enjoying your Urban Forest”

Saturdays, 1:00-4:00pm,

Silverwood classroom

treedavetree.wordpress.com

About me...

• U of M: Ecology, Environmental Science Policy and Management

• MN GreenCorps: Green Infrastructure, Urban Forestry

• Host: Three Rivers Park District

– Natural area tree inventory

– Public outreach and education

Agenda

• Enjoying your urban forest:

– Edible production

– Accounting for wildlife

– Minnesota native gardens

• Making bee blocks!

I’m not lazy, I’m sustainable

• The LG concepts:

– Natural meets minimal

– Less is always more

– Avoid misconceptions

• Take-home message:

Sustaining recreation

Main Concerns

• Pollination requirement

• Poisonous plants

• Herbivore defoliation

Edibles are Possible!

• Apples

• Plums

• Pears

• Apricots

• Cherries

A Practical Decision

• Maximizing utility

– Ecological

– Aesthetic

– Production

• Preserving potential

– Pies

– Jams/jellies

Special Considerations

• Mulching around trees

– Reduce mowing

– Protects tree, fruit

• Pollination requirements

– Anthers Stamen

– Seed production

– 80% biotic, 20% abiotic Pollinator: Agent of transfer

Pollinizer: Pollen producer

Pollination Varieties • Self-fruitful

– Self-pollination possible

– Pollen from same plant/variety

• Self-unfruitful

– Cross-pollination required

– Pollen from different variety

Some able to self-pollinate, all benefit from (if not require) cross.

Data: U of MO (2011)

Pollinating tips

• Scout for existing sources of pollen

• Plant pollinizers in range of other plants

• Attract pollinators (feeders, houses)

• Avoid insecticides • Manual pollination

Know Before You Eat

• Don’t eat what you can’t identify

• Use available resources • Become familiar with

regional flora • Small amounts if

absolutely necessary • No known poisonous

aggregate fruits

Data: Jull (2008)

Attracting Wildlife

• Common reasons

– Viewing

– Photographing

– Hunting/trapping

• Become familiar

– Local wildlife

– Regional landscape

• Food – native plants, overlap bloom times

• Water – maintain 30ft undisturbed around

• Shelter – shade-tolerant plants, brush piles

• Space – think in two and three dimensions

Habitat Needs

• Water bodies

• Open areas

• Food-bearing

• Dead/dying trees

• Boundaries

• Rocky terrain

Existing Features

Excluding Wildlife • Concerns: excess

grazing, predation

• Physical barriers

– Fence

– Buried mesh

– Hanging nets

• Resistant plants

• Other remedies

Indoor Edibles

• 6 hours of sunlight

• Start from clippings

• Use potting soil

• Fertilize twice a month

• Sprouts (mung bean, alfalfa, clover)

MN Native Gardens

• Suburban

• Shade

– Evergreen

– Native

• Prairie

• Wet Meadow

Photos: DNR (2012)

Suburban Gardens

• Native plants

– Prairie

– Oak savanna/woodland

– Wetland/meadow

• Smaller patches of turf grass

• Mostly naturalized landscape

• Attract birds, butterflies

• Protect surrounding wetlands

Image: DNR (2012)

Shade Gardens

• Plants shaded by trees or buildings

• Simulates a deciduous forest

• Attracts wildlife

• More successful than turf grass

• Common types:

– Evergreen

– Native

Shade Gardens

Evergreen

Native

Images: DNR (2012)

Prairie Gardens

• For sunny, dry sites

• Simulates prairie landscape

• Attracts birds, butterflies

• Promotes native diversity

• Lower maintenance than turf grass

Image: DNR (2012)

Wet Meadow Gardens

• For sunny, poorly drained sites

• Simulates wet meadow landscape

• Attracts birds, butterflies

• More successful that turf grass in wet areas

• Overstory trees and shrubs similar to prairie design

Image: DNR (2012)

Bee Blocks! • Provide habitat for solitary bees

• Design features:

– Untreated pine fencepost

– Varying diameters

– Varying depths

• Ideal placements

– South or east facing

– Sheltered from elements

5/8”

About Solitary Bees

• Non-territorial

• Less aggressive

• Many native species

• Work in wind, rain

• Active in cold weather

• More efficient than colonies

• Example: mason bees

For more information… • University Extension Programs (WI, AR, MO)

– Information on fruit trees and pollination.

• Gardening Article Series. Do it Green! Minnesota. 2012. – Hamilton, Patrick. “Fruit in Minnesota.”

– Maynard, Meleah. “Growing Edibles Indoors.”

– Mugaas, Robert. “Gardening with Wildflowers and Other Native Plants.”

• Shepherd, Matthew. “Invertebrate Conservation Fact Sheet: Nests for Native Bees.” The Xerces Society. 2008.

• Ley, Elizabeth L., et al. “Selecting Plants for Pollinators.” NAPPC. 2011.

• MN Department of Natural Resources – www.dnr.state.mn.us

– For details on Minnesota native gardens.

• Three Rivers Park District – www.threeriversparks.org

– For upcoming events and natural resources management.