Back To All News

Planting native seeds with a new generation

May Lee with students.

Master Gardener May Lee stands about a head taller than the third-graders at Farnsworth Elementary she is teaching to plant native seeds this March morning in east St. Paul. Clearly, she is in her element.

May Lee with Farnsworth Elementary students.
May Lee with Farnsworth Elementary students.

Equal parts agronomist and grandmother, she demonstrates how to plant the native seeds for the species butterfly milkweed:

  • add water to the planting soil so that it will make a small ball in your fist;
  • spread out the soil evenly in a flat;
  • sprinkle native seeds that have been “stratified” (refrigerated for the past two months in vermiculite to simulate winter) on top of the soil;
  • add a bit more soil and vermiculite;
  • spritz the seeds with water, as well as the inside of a dome top for the flat; and
  • place the covered flat under the grow lights.

Lee has spent the last four years helping teach others — both elementary students and young farmers — what she grew up doing in Laos: growing vegetables organically.

Read the full story at cleanwatermn.org.

Continue Reading

 

Latest News

Construction Work at Upper Harbor Terminal

MWMO Newsletter — February 2025 — Spring Forward Edition 🌱✨

In This Issue: Big Moves for Green Infrastructure, New Art Exhibit: Filter Effect, MWMO Internship Opportunities, Upcoming Events, and More Read the Newsletter
March 10, 2025

GovDelivery

View More
Smart Salting with a 12 oz mug

MWMO Newsletter — January 2025 — Salt Edition 🧂🌊

In This Issue: Reducing Salt Pollution, New Art Exhibit: Filter Effect, MWMO Employment & Internship Opportunities, Upcoming Events and More Read the Newsletter  
January 31, 2025

GovDelivery

View More
Winter aerial view of the Mississippi Riverfront in Minneapolis.

MWMO Newsletter — December 2024 — Watershed Wrapped Edition 🤝💧

In This Issue: 2024 at a Glance, River of Ideas Podcast, Upcoming Events and More Read the Newsletter
December 31, 2024

GovDelivery

View More