Spruce Up Austin

08/17/2026

If you’ve ever thought…”I’d like to plant more natives but don’t know where to start”

Here’s an EXCELLENT resource for different locations around your home!

New Garden Design Templates: Sunny and Shady Foundation Plantings! 🏡🌼

We’re excited to share two new design templates that our Metro Blooms designers created in collaboration with the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources! 📐Use these templates to guide your native plant choices when planting around the foundation of your home:

☀️ Sun Foundation: for the sunny south or west-facing sides of your home

☁️ Shade Foundation: for the shady north or east-facing sides of your home

The templates have plants arranged by height to create visual layering around your home's foundation, with suggested substitutions for selected species. Plants are chosen for continuous blooms spring through fall to best support wildlife! 🦋🐦

Take a closer look on our Blue Thumb Resources Page: https://bluethumb.org/public-resources/

08/14/2026

Some updates on best practices for Buckthorn Management!

New University of Minnesota research shows that removing invasive buckthorn and sowing native grasses and wildflowers as early as possible can significantly improve control of common buckthorn.
The findings were published in Forest Ecology and Management.
Researchers from the Cover It Up! Project, part of the Minnesota Invasive Terrestrial Plants and Pests Center, have previously shown that seeding native grasses and wildflowers can effectively limit buckthorn returning from seed, but a major question remained: do managers need to remove buckthorn resprouts immediately, or can they wait a few years and still get the same benefits of native seeding? To test this, the researchers compared forest understories where herbicide was used to control resprouts soon after initial management against those where herbicide was delayed a few years.
They found:
-After initial buckthorn removal, treatment the following year with a leaf application of the herbicide fosamine ammonium (Krenite) is an effective way to kill many plants.
-Following up with a second application two years later nearly removes all buckthorn.
-Waiting multiple years before the first follow-up treatment is less effective at killing buckthorn.
-Adding native plants after the first treatment helps suppress buckthorn by competing with their seedlings. This method is especially effective in areas without a dense tree canopy.
These results demonstrate that seeding native species immediately after management is more effective than waiting until fall or winter, which is when most buckthorn management typically occurs.
“This work shows how treating resprouts with herbicide and seeding early on in management is key to successful restoration efforts,” said Mike Schuster, a researcher in the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences.
The research team is now testing different methods, rates and seed mixes for restoring native wildflowers and grasses in forest understories and measuring other benefits of this type of management.
University of Minnesota News

07/06/2026

It’s creeping bellflower season!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DaTllxwpzss/?igsh=MWdtemx0MW5ieTNlOQ==

06/23/2026

https://rochesterlocal.com/activities/nature/eagle-bluff-fungi-hunt/

If you’re looking for something Fun(gi) and Local to do this weekend…check out this art installation along a woodland walk!

We might have to emulate this idea here in Austin!

06/18/2026

We have several Lawns to Legumes grantees here in town…as I’m sure you’re aware.

If you’d like to tour some well established projects form enthusiastic project owners…check these guys out!! July 18, 9am-12pm. All over.

🌸🐝 Save the Date! 🐝🌸

Blue Thumb's 3rd Annual Lawns to Legumes Garden Tour Day is happening on Saturday, July 18, from 9 AM–12 PM!

Curious about native plants? Looking for ideas to transform your yard into pollinator habitat? Join us for a morning of exploring beautiful native gardens hosted by wildlife gardeners across Minnesota.

🦋 See pollinator-friendly gardens of all types and stages

💬 Connect with gardeners in your community

✨ Gather inspiration for your own landscape

Whether you're just getting started or already growing native plants, Garden Tour Day is a chance to learn, connect, and celebrate the impact of planting for pollinators.

📍 Visit our website to explore the map of tour stops: https://bluethumb.org/garden-tour-day/

06/09/2026

Friendly reminder for all those considering new or replacement trees. 🌳

Your trees are thirsty. Newly planted trees need 15–25 gallons of water once a week for the first 3–5 years.

Help them beat the heat:

💧Set a hose on a slow trickle for 1–2 hours, rotating it around the tree every 20 minutes or so.
💧Use a 5-gallon bucket to slowly pour water around the base.
💧Use a tree watering bag and refill it as needed.

Also remember to mulch properly — about 3 inches deep in a donut shape, keeping mulch away from the trunk.

Watering once a week during hot, dry spells is one of the easiest ways to reduce stress on trees and help them thrive.

Learn more at mndnr.gov/tree-care

06/08/2026

Has anyone tried this?
I’ve heard of Hügelkultur where you make a mound very similar…

06/02/2026

If you haven’t already, check out the newsletter for the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources.

https://bwsr.state.mn.us/sites/default/files/2026-05/featured_plant_june_2026_inland_serviceberry.pdf