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STORM SEWER PROJECT: Circle Pines redoing West Road outfall PAGE 2
BY LOGAN GION STAFF WRITER
Caring for a lawn and gardens can be a lot of work — more so for lakeside homes. Lakeside homeowners must contend with stormwater runoff. Lawns can get soggy patches or miss the rainwater and its nutrients altogether. A homeowner must then use fertilizer treatment on the lawn to keep it green, which leads to chemical and water quality concerns. “‘I have to do yard work. I have to mow. I have to do all these things.’ You don’t actually have to do that. There are alternatives,” said Rice Creek Watershed District (RCWD) Communications RCWD | CONTRIBUTED and Outreach Manager Kendra Anise Hyssop Sommerfeld. The solution to all of these problems? Native plants. “They’ve been here for thousands of years. They’ve evolved with the local ecology, our local pollinators,” Sommerfeld said. Because native plants have lived in Minnesota for so many generations, they are more drought tolerant and can resist disease and invasive vegetation. One type of native plant that Sommerfeld believes is especially helpful for yards with shoreline is the sedge. Over 100 types of sedges are good for Minnesota yards, and they thrive in wet spots. “Sedges will clump really nicely, so they’re really good border plants.” Sommerfeld said, adding that sedges can give a lawn an ornamental, manicured aesthetic. An easy way to tell the difference between sedges and grass is to feel the stems with one’s fingers. Because sedge stems are triangular, one can easily feel the ridges. “Sedges have edges,” Sommerfeld said. She also recommended bulrushes for homeowners who favor a more wild look to their shoreline. Native plants can also ease work and add variety to gardens. Native grass varieties, like Canada wild rye, are so hardy that they will survive hungry SEE NATIVE PLANTS, PAGE 12
Flower farm helps businesses and talent bloom BY LOGAN GION STAFF WRITER
Every Wednesday this month, T and Nae Flower Farm—owned and operated by sisters Taryn Menne and Renee Neeser—hosts makers and bakers as well as a local music act. “We used to go to different farmers markets selling flowers, and thought, ‘Why don't we just create this at our space and have people come to us?’” said Menne. “(We) have all different sorts of local, small businesses. Some people are just getting started.
There’s some little kids selling little bracelets all the way up to well-established community businesses.” Established businesses include 350 Degrees Bakery in Mahtomedi and Egg Roll Queen Food Truck. Menne and Neeser’s uncle also sells beef, from 715 Neeser Family Farms Beef, at the flower shop, which Menne says is perfect for summer grilling. “They just keep coming back because they enjoy being part of the community,” Menne said,
LOGAN GION | PRESS PUBLICATIONS
The Mothers Band
SEE T AND NAE FLOWER FARM, PAGE 5
PHOTOS BY JON NAMYST | CONTRIBUTED
Blue Heron Days: A feather in Lino Lakes cap Residents of Lino Lakes celebrate all their community has to offer. From Aug. 13-16, the event will include a food truck festival, open swimming, community activities, parade, carnival and corn feed. See pages 6-7 for details, including the parade route and schedule of events.
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Native plants: Library and RCWD offer tips for lakeside yards