Bee Lawn
Interest in making residential landscapes more sustainable and ecologically beneficial has been growing rapidly.
One option is incorporating a “bee lawn” which provides pollinator-friendly flowers and grasses requiring lower inputs (water, fertilizer, and pesticide) than traditional turf lawns.
Once established, a bee lawn is mowed infrequently which reduces time spent on lawn maintenance.
A bee lawn can be incorporated into any area of your property that has at least partial sun and moderate or light traffic. It is not necessary to convert your entire yard; even small sections will benefit the pollinators in your area.
This bee lawn was established by sowing the seed mix in the spring of 2024. The right section of the lawn was mowed one week before the fair; the left section has not been mowed. This will give you an idea of the different appearance you can choose for your bee lawn.
To learn more about the benefits of bee lawns and techniques for establishing one, visit this page of the UMN Extension site.
The Lawns to Legumes grant program for Minnesota residents offers a combination of workshops, coaching, planting guides and cost-share funding (individual support grants) for installing pollinator-friendly native plantings in residential lawns. There are two grant periods, spring and fall. Applications for spring 2025 grants will be accepted until Nov. 30, 2024. For more information on this program, visit the BlueThumb website.
