Blue Thumb | Going green with Blue Thumb

Going green with Blue Thumb

by Heidi Fehring - Staff Writer

Tuesday, May 15, 2007 12:38 PM CDT.

BLAINE - It's that time of year again, when folks haul out shovels, bags of dirt and gardening gloves to spruce up their yards for the summer.

Many area residents have a hankering for neatly-groomed plants and lawns that require fertilizer and constant watering. The Rice Creek Watershed District (RCWD) is suggesting an alternative to the type of gardening that contributes to lowered water quality in area lakes and streams.

The Blue Thumb Project was launched last summer to encourage people to do natural planting, which greatly reduces the amount of runoff that seeps into the area's water sources.

“Everybody is dealing with storm water issues,” said Dawn Pape, education coordinator for RCWD. “We're trying to focus energy on meeting the most problematic areas.”

There are three components to natural planting: native gardens, rain gardens and shoreline stabilization planting. Each type of gardening serves as a filter for storm water runoff, which flows down streets and sewers into nearby lakes and streams.

The magic, said Pape, is in the plants' roots.

“Plants with long roots find their own water,” she said. “They're much more self-sufficient.”

Short grass and plants with short roots require much more water and fertilizer to survive, she said, and that adds to the runoff problem.

“Lawn grass is a nice thing, but the problem is with the environmental effects,” said Pape. “It's high maintenance and it's on life support because of its short roots.”

The amount of water it needs is staggering - the city of Savage, for example, spends nearly 60 percent of its water usage during the summer on lawns, she said.

“That's probably not atypical for the entire metro area,” said Pape.

Garden variety

Native gardens consist of plants that flourish in certain types of soil and sun exposure. The Blue Thumb website allows users to view an array of plants that fit their lawn types.

For example, dry soil that is exposed to a lot of sunlight is perfect for 83 different local flowers, including violets, black-eyed Susans, columbine and goldenrod. Those flowers will naturally thrive and they require very little water. They also provide natural habitat for butterflies and birds.

Rain gardens are strategically placed in a yard to help storm water infiltrate into the ground, rather than running into sewers. Some yards, especially those in flood plains, collect pools and puddles of rain. A properly-planted rain garden will drain that water naturally.

Shoreline stabilization helps to prevent erosion and the attack of green algae for those with yards abutting a lakeshore. Native plants along the shoreline act as a buffer between lawn runoff and the lake. The plants' roots filter and absorb polluted runoff before they hit the water, thus preventing murky water conditions.

Going green to prevent green

The effects of pollution are evident on Golden Lake in Circle Pines. The water's greenish tint is the result of an increase in algae.

Last year, the RCWD began warning area residents that part of the lake's water quality problems are caused by lawn runoff.

The runoff is laden with phosphorous sediment that creates the murky green algae floating near the shore. One pound of phosphorous, according to the RCWD, creates 500 pounds of algae in the lake.

The abundance of Canadian geese on Golden Lake also contribute to the water pollution - their droppings on adjacent lawns cause bacteria to seep into the water, according to the RCWD.

Geese make their habitat in short, mowed grass. But if long-stemmed native plants act as a buffer, the geese will feel vulnerable to predators and stay away.

Low maintenance

Putting in a natural garden will take work initially, said Pape. But after the first year, the plants will be mostly self-reliant.

“The first season you plant them, they are babies and you have to take care of them,” she said. “But next year, they're on their own.”

Some types of gardens are more expensive to plant than others. Some plants are only a dollar or two per plug, while plants needed for shoreline stabilization can be a little costlier. The RCWD and the Department of Natural Resources are offering grants to residents who wish to do natural planting.

Anyone can plant a native garden, Pape said, despite lot sizes.

“I live in a tiny lot in St. Paul, and while I don't have space for rain gardens, I do have space for a small native garden,” she said.

Even planting just a few native plants will make a difference, she said.

“Natural planting helps address all top water quality concerns,” she said.

For more information about natural planting, various types of native gardens and the right plants for different soil types, visit www.bluethumb.org.

Heidi Fehring can be reached at quadnews@presspubs.com or 651-407-1228.

Blue Thumb Project

The Blue Thumb program was started by the Rice Creek Watershed District as an outreach program to meet water quality goals. The program provides resources to residents who are considering natural planting options, including native gardens, raingardens and shoreline stabilization.

Some grant money is available through the watershed and the Minnesota DNR. For more information, visit www.bluethumb.org or call the RCWD at 763-398-3070.

Posted: June 1, 2007