MNL

10/28/2026

Buckthorn stays green long after native plants have shut down for the year.

Researcher Mike Schuster PhD. explains why that extended fall growth gives buckthorn such an edge, and why it matters for how we manage it.

Understanding how it wins is the first step to beating it. Watch the full conversation.

https://mnlcorp.com/blog/2025/12/17/what-makes-buckthorn-so-invasive-insights-from-a-university-of-minnesota-researcher-dr-mike-schuster/

10/21/2026

Fruits and vegetables aren't the only things growing on the farm at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Plans are well underway to restore 8 acres of prairie on century-old farmland.
From the historic red barn and the Tashjian Bee and Pollinator Discovery Center, you can look out over a classic Minnesota vista, with treetops glowing in warm fall color. Below them lies an open field, ready to be transformed. This fall's prescribed burn is the first step.
The burn isn't for the prairie yet. It's a preemptive step before seeding. Fire removes the dead stems and thatch left on the field. Next spring, the weedy grasses will regrow clean and green before anything else is up, so crews can treat them more effectively.
But fire will remain part of its story, and periodic burns will keep this prairie healthy for a long time to come. Keep in eye out for this project its going to be be stunning.

10/15/2026

Beneath 2nd Street in Minneapolis, a creek runs underground until it empties into the Mississippi near Mill City. The Dakota people know it as Ȟaȟá Wakpádaŋ. Today it’s called Bassett Creek, after Joel Bassett, who built a sawmill at its mouth in the 1850s.

As the city grew, pavement replaced the wetlands, and the creek was plagued by flooding and pollution. Eventually it was routed into a tunnel 80 feet below downtown.

Our part of the story begins upstream in City of Golden Valley, MN - Local Government , where the creek still runs in the open. For a long stretch of creek, and for a long stretch of time, runoff has eaten away at the banks and carried soil downstream. Working with the city and Bassett Creek Watershed Management Commission begun construction along more than a mile of the creek. Coir logs, J-hooks, rock riffles, toe wood, live bundles and erosion blankets are going in, all held together and seeded with the real cure: native plants.

This work supports one of our country’s most vital resources, the Mississippi River. It also reaches all the way back to the backyards of our friendly neighbors, who are letting us work through their yards. Thank you.

10/13/2026

That’s a wrap on our 2026 greenhouse and live plant season! Today is the final shipping day.

What a year it’s been, from expanding more greenhouses to preparing for the State Fair and everything in between. Every plant you put in the ground helps restore habitat for pollinators, birds, and the wildlife that depends on them.

From the bottom of our 💚, thank you for helping us Heal the Earth, one native plant at a time. Follow along this winter as we plan for 2027! 🌱

10/09/2026

We’ve got good news and bad news.

The good news: our autumn sale is still going through Sunday night! Use code FALL26 at checkout for 20% off live plants.

The bad news: this is the last weekend we’ll be accepting live plant orders for the season...🥲

Don’t regret it! Planting natives in fall is the ultimate kickstart for spring. They spend the winter building roots, so they come back stronger and ready to do their thing.

Oh, and there’s bonus good news: we ship native seed all year long 😉

10/07/2026

Thanks to Blue Thumb for featuring our own rockstar project manager Alex Brose!
He shares how a backyard buckthorn project grew into a career in restoration, plus his tips for getting your own native planting started.
Give it a read!

Alex Brose never expected to work in landscape restoration. 🌼🌾

After moving to his new home, a project to remove buckthorn blocking his backyard view turned into a passion for native plants. Many hours of DIY projects and a few certifications later, and Alex now works at MNL on residential planting projects. 🏡

“I would encourage people that want to be in this field to look for opportunities and get involved locally” Alex shares.

In our latest blog post, we talk with Alex about his journey, MNL’s restoration and consultation work (that’s right, they don’t just sell plants!) and tips for planning a successful pollinator habitat project that lasts.

Read on at bluethumb.org/restoring-native-landscapes-close-to-home

Thank you, MNL, for your support of Blue Thumb as a marketing sponsor!

10/06/2026

Sometimes you have to burn bridges... or maybe just remove them.

Work continues at the Lake Calhoun outlet near Spicer. After the first rock riffles went in, crews have moved on to demolishing the old bridge and the outdated dam-like structure that's been blocking the way for fish and wildlife traveling between Lake Calhoun and Green Lake.

What's in the plans??? you may wonder...

More rock riffles. A series of boulder "steps" will gently lower the water about half a foot at a time. Each one has a low-flow notch for fish to swim through, with resting pools in between.

A brand-new bridge. It spans the river with a sidewalk for pedestrians and a dry ledge underneath so critters can pass along the bank.

Native plantings and restoration. Shrubs, trees, and a wet-meadow seed mix will go in once the heavy work wraps up. Shore-fishing boulders are part of the plan too!

The goal is a river that works the way nature intended: water flowing freely and fish moving upstream and down.

10/02/2026

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

We honor it with pink across the prairies, from Prairie Onion and Joe-Pye W**d to Showy Milkweed and the many other pink native forbs that reflect the resilience of the prairie, not unlike the resilience of breast cancer fighters and survivors.

Through every season, they endure. Through drought and abundance, they adapt, grow, and bloom.

May we continue to find strength in one another, continue to grow through every season, Heal the Earth, and nurture our own healing. May we find inspiration in ourselves, in each other, and in the landscape that shows us every day how to find it.

To the fighters & survivors of cancer, we love you all.🩷💚🩷

09/30/2026

Huge!!!
Get your Lawns 2 Legumes spring '27 application in!

The Spring 2027 Lawns to Legumes grant application is open! 🐝🎉

🌼 Lawns to Legumes is a Minnesota-wide program that awards reimbursement-based funding of up to $400 for creating pollinator habitat in your outdoor space with native plants.

🦋 Why plant for pollinators? Minnesota is home to over 500 native bee species, along with many butterflies, moths, and other pollinators. These creatures are essential to ecosystem health — but many have faced population declines. Lawns to Legumes helps reverse this trend by creating pollinator-friendly plantings across the state.

⏰ Apply by November 30 for a chance to receive a Spring 2027 grant. Learn more and apply at https://bluethumb.org/lawns-to-legumes/apply/

Lawns to Legumes is coordinated by the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources and Blue Thumb, the education program of Metro Blooms.

09/28/2026

In case you were wondering... YES, we're still shipping live native plants, and YES, fall is still a great time to plant them!

To make it even better, we're offering 20% off all live plants with code FALL26 at checkout. Last day to order will be October 11 and the code is good through then!

Take a walk through your local nature preserve and get inspired by autumn's rich colors, from Goldenrods to Skyblue Asters and bronzy Bluestems. Plant a few now, and head into winter with something to look forward to in spring.