Pollinator Packs for Northern Gardeners
Since our 150th anniversary in 2016, MSHS has been promoting Pollinator Packs for gardeners interested in attracting bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators. The idea for the Pollinator Packs came from volunteer Mary Maguire Lerman, who thought they would be a great way to celebrate the anniversary and encourage more gardeners to care about pollinators.
The plants for the packs are grown by Glacial Ridge Growers of Glenwood and will be for sale for a limited time in a nurseries and at a few plant sales. Each pack includes six perennial plants perfect for attracting pollinators to your garden.
Here’s what’s in each pack:
Bees: Anise Hyssop, Blue Wild Indigo, Vanilla-scented Clematis, Prairie Smoke, Foxglove Beardtongue and Wild Petunia
Butterflies: Pale Purple Coneflower, Wild Lupine, Button Blazingstar, Meadow Blazingstar, Prairie Blazingstar and Orange Coneflower
Monarchs: Showy Milkweed, Butterfly Milkweed, Whorled Milkweed, Sullivant’s Milkweed, Common Milkweed, Swamp Milkweed
Hummingbird: Beebalm ‘Panorama Red’, Cardinal Flower, Blue Lobelia, Heuchera ‘Firefly’, Giant Purple Hyssop, Wild Columbine
Once established, these plants will give years of beauty to your garden and necessary pollen, nectar and larval food to the pollinators we all depend on.
Where to Buy the Pollinator Packs
These retailers and garden centers will be carrying the Pollinator packs in 2019:
By the Woods, Chanhassen
Ballantine Greenhouse
Eco Gardens, Northfield
Forest and Floral, Park Rapids
Hampden Park Co-op, St. Paul
Mississippi Market, St. Paul
Mother Earth Gardens, both locations
These plant sales will be featuring pollinator packs in 2019:
Alexandria Garden Club, May 18
Belle Plaine FFA
Bryn Mawr School (Completed)
Eagan Garden Club, May 11
E.C.F.E. Westside Humboldt ISD 625
Eisenhower Elementary School
Friends School Plant Sale, May 10-12
Garlough Environmental Magnet School
Hennepin Technical College Plant Sale, May 7-9
Honey Bee Club of Stillwater
Lake Country School
Park Christian School
St. Anthony Park School
Seward Montessori School
Whittier International Elementary School
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