This list includes upcoming in-person and virtual workshops, as well as resources you can explore at your own pace.

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS & PRESENTATIONS - Click to see details and register.

• Bringing Nature Home reverse book group – Thursday, June 20, 6:30-8 p.m. at Minnetonka Community Center - 14600 Minnetonka Blvd. (in person – registration available soon)
• Urban Habitats workshop – Thursday, July 11, 6:30-8 p.m. at Ridgedale Library - 12601 Ridgedale Dr. Advance registration is required.

LEARNING MODULES & VIDEOS - invest a few hours at your convenience to explore these for deeper learning.

• Blue Thumb Online Learning Series, including modules on Resilient Yards, Turf Alternatives, Seed Saving, and Resilient Shorelines.
• Winning the Battle Against Buckthorn learning module
• Buckthorn workshop video
• Controlling Garlic Mustard learning module (NEW!)
• Garlic mustard workshop video
• Raingardens and Shoreline Buffers workshop video
• Raingarden Maintenance video
• How to Seed and Plant Your Project video from MNL
• How to Plant a Containerized Tree video

Another option... VOLUNTEER WITH US!

• Volunteering is a great way to learn new skills you can apply at home, while helping the community and meeting new people. Advance registration is required.

Incentives are options that help to reduce the cost of actions for resilience.

• Tree and Shrub sale – Diverse shrubs and trees are available at a reduced price through this lottery-based sale.

• Native plant sale – The city’s online sale, offered through our partners at MNL (a Minnesota-based native plant nursery), includes plant plugs and seed mixes for a variety of growing conditions, discounted from retail pricing for Minnetonka residents.

• Compost bin sale – Begin making soil from your kitchen and yard waste. Compost bins are offered at a reduce price (compared to retail) and are available through the tree and shrub sale.

SITE CONSULTATION

A site consultation is a free, one-hour visit to your property, where an expert can help you begin to identify and prioritize ways to build resilience into your landscape. While funding lasts, site consultations may be provided through the city or your watershed district, and are scheduled in blocks through the growing season (typically May through September).

If you’d like to request a site consultation or learn more about this option, please complete a Resilient Minnetonka application and the program coordinator will get back to you with more information.

RESIDENTIAL BUCKTHORN PICK-UP

Buckthorn is an invasive shrub that reduces diversity in woodlands, edges and other natural areas. If you’re planning to remove buckthorn on your property this year, please start on the Education tab, where you’ll find links to our online learning module (available any time) and our buckthorn workshop (video available any time; in-person workshops held every March, September and October) to learn the most effective strategies for success. Good planning is crucial!

While planning your buckthorn control strategy, you’ll want to decide how to manage the debris. Options include:

• Haul the debris to the city's brush disposal site (open seasonally).
• Keep the wood for woodworking or landscaping projects.
• Use the stems to stabilize slopes on your property.
• Request a buckthorn pick-up from the city – This option is free, and in 2024 will be offered monthly between May and December. Participants must be able to fulfill the criteria listed below.

Criteria for residential buckthorn pick-up:

• City staff will assign each participating address one pick-up date in 2024; additional pick-ups may be available but are not guaranteed.
• Remove buckthorn only on your property, not on neighboring private property or city property. Contact city staff for tips about locating property lines.
• Cut debris to lengths of 6 feet or smaller. Store out of sight of the street (in compliance with city code 835.015) until your schedule pick-up month. Do not mix other debris with the buckthorn.
• No more than two weeks prior to your scheduled buckthorn pick-up (but before 7 a.m. on the designated date):
  • Build a tidy pile of up to 10 cubic yards (15’ long x 6’ wide x 3’ high). (Note: An exception to city code has been made for this initiative, allowing a larger debris pile only for your designated pick-up date.)
  • The pile must be set up within 10 feet of the street.
  • Stack debris firmly to prevent spillage. Cut ends of buckthorn must face the street.
  • Piles may not contain any material other than buckthorn.
• The city’s contractor (SavATree) will collect as much of your stack as possible and strive to avoid damage to the yard. You are responsible for cleaning up any loose material left behind.

If you are able to meet these criteria and would like to request a pick-up, please complete a Resilient Minnetonka application and the program coordinator will get back to you.

Funding may be available from a variety of sources, such as those listed below. Some of these offer a little help - but others can take a big dent out of your project cost.

As you plan your efforts for resilience, keep in mind that most grantors must review proposed projects to approve eligibility (rather than reimbursing for projects already started or done) - so it's best to explore funding options in advance.

Pro tip: In many years, funding goes unused because there weren't enough applicants. (That is often the case with the city's rebate.) It's definitely worth the time to apply!

• The city offers a limited rebate, open to residents who have a site consultation through Resilient Minnetonka and install eligible plants or seed mixes. See the Technical Assistance tab for information on site consultations.
• The state's Lawns to Legumes program is currently accepting applications for fall cost-share grants. Deadline is May 15.
• Some watershed districts offer cost-share grants or other technical assistance.
  • Use this interactive map to find your district, then check their website for grant information.
    • Nine Mile Creek Watershed District - offers grants for residential, association and commercial properties
    • Riley Purgatory Bluff Creek Watershed District - offers grants for residential, association and commercial properties
    • Minnehaha Creek Watershed District - no residential funding at this time.
    • Bassett Creek Water Management Organization - no residential funding at this time
• Hennepin County offers the Good Steward Grant for larger projects that benefit natural resources on private property (including single-family residences, associations and apartment complexes) - check the site for application information and deadlines

"LEARN AND DO" RESOURCES

• Less lawn for a healthier Minnetonka
• Take notes now for a healthier garden next year
• Cues to Care handout
• Caring for your new plantings handout
• Why native plants?
• The benefits of native plants
• Create your garden plan
• Habitat assessment guide
• Habitat checklist
• How to install and maintain native plant habitat
• Planting and maintaining a prairie garden
• Gardening in the shade
• Resources for planning resilient plantings
• Pollinator garden maintenance
• Native plant nurseries and landscape services
• Seasonal care of trees in different life stages
• Getting a soil test
• How to germinate native seeds
• Find your property lines
• Have utilities marked before you dig (Gopher State One Call)

PLANT LISTS

“Right plant, right place” is a popular gardening tip – and for good reason! Each species is adapted for particular growing conditions of light, soil type, moisture and space. Instead of choosing plants and then finding a space for them, start with the space and pick plants most likely to thrive there.

• Using hardiness zones in climate-smart gardening
• The Best Plants for 30 Tough Sites
• Blue Thumb Plant Finder
• Xerces Society plant finder
• Native plants by bloom time
• Low-growing plants for sunny sites
• Native plants for wetlands
• Rain garden options
• Shade garden options
• Ground cover species
• Container garden species
• Buckthorn replacement species
• Plant lists, fact sheets and posters
• Best native yard trees for our changing climate
• Choosing the right tree or shrub for your area
• Trees and shrubs for pollinators
• Turf alternatives and perennial ground cover

FOCUS ON HABITAT

Plants and soil are the beginning of food webs in our yards and natural areas – they are the source of nutrition for animals, from pollinators and other invertebrates to birds and diverse wildlife, in all their life stages. The following resources can help you build those food webs and create essential habitat to support a complex and fascinating food web in your home landscape.

• Nesting and overwintering habitat for bees
• Yard best management practices for pollinators
• Trees and shrubs for pollinators
• Gardening for monarchs
• Plant milkweed for monarchs
• Plants favored by the rusty-patched bumble bee
• What are keystone plants?
• Container gardening with keystone plants
• Keystone plants by ecoregion
• Soft landings plantings