Do-it-yourself (DIY) pollinator plantings

#Lawns2Legumes

Lawns to Legumes: 

Habitat for the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee and Other At-Risk Pollinators

This program was designed to increase the populations of rusty patched bumble bees and other at-risk pollinators through planting residential lawns with native vegetation and pollinator-friendly forbs. 

[Interactive Map] Minnesota's Rusty Patched Bumble Bee Priority Area Map

[Online Form] Pollinator Project Map - Map Your Pollinator Project!

[Testimonial] Creating My Pollinator Garden - A Lawns to Legumes Story

The Lawns to Legumes individual grant program is not currently open for applications. The form will open again in February 2025 for Fall 2025 applications. Click the link below to complete the (very short!) interest form and be the first to know when grant applications open up for 2025.

• Interest Form (link to grant program webpage)

Getting Started

What Should I Plant to Support Pollinator Insects and Wildlife?

Minnesota native plant material (insecticide/neonicotinoid free plants) is the goal of this project (suggested native plants and a few non-native exceptions listed below). Non-native plants such as Cultivar, Hybrid, and Annual plants should only be incorporated into pollinator areas in limited quantities. When practical, projects should have at least three blooming native plant species during the seasons of spring, summer and fall, but greater diversity is strongly encouraged. Use of milkweeds is encouraged to provide monarch butterfly habitat.

Minnesota native plants that we love (links to PDFs):

Permitted non-native plant species:

• White clover or Dutch clover (Trifolium repens)
• Creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum)
• Creeping Red Fescue (Festuca rubra)
• Chewings Fescue (Festuca rubra subsp. commutata)
• Hard Fescue or Sheep Fescue (Festuca trachyphylla)
• Non-native cultivar tree and shrub species:
  • Serviceberries (Amelanchier spp.)
  • Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.)

Where to get plants in your area:

What the Lawns to Legumes Grant Program Will Pay For

Eligible expenses under the Lawns to Legumes grant program include:

• Site preparation
• Planting and management costs including, but not limited to: 
  • Tilling
  • Burning
  • Sod removal
  • Weed barriers
  • Seeds
  • Containerized plants
  • Flowering trees
  • Flowering shrubs
  • Seeding
  • Inter-seeding
  • Weed removal

Additional Information on the Lawns to Legumes Grant Program

Non-herbicide methods of site preparation and management are preferred. Check out this Site Preparation Methods guide from Xerces Society for best practices on setting the stage for successful plant establishment.

Maintenance through grant period: It is important that plantings funded through this program are maintained. All landowners receiving funding will be asked to sign an agreement that summarizes the expected lifespan of the project and provides information about project maintenance. Maintenance must focus both on maintaining the habitat value and aesthetics of projects.

Community Science

Identify plants and animals in your environment using the iNaturalist application. iNaturalist is a premier mobile app and website for community science that allows users to record and share observations of plants and animals. It helps identify species through crowd-sourced data and artificial intelligence. 

To arrange a site visit and discuss options for your pollinator habitat, please contact:

Kanabec SWCD

2008 Mahogany Street, Suite 3

Mora, MN 55051

320-679-1391

Jaren@KanabecSWCD.org