This list includes upcoming in-person and virtual workshops, as well as resources you can explore at your convenience for deeper learning.

Upcoming In-Person Workshops & Presentations

Click to see details and register. Advance registration is required for all events.

• Garlic Mustard workshop -Thursday, May 7
• Managing Buckthorn workshop - watch for fall event dates

Learning Modules & Videos

Buckthorn control:

• Winning the Battle Against Buckthorn learning module
• Buckthorn workshop video
• Learning to identify buckthorn

Garlic mustard control:

• Controlling Garlic Mustard learning module
• Garlic mustard workshop video

Designing and installing native plants:

• How to: Native Plantings video (from Nine Mile Creek Watershed District)

Rain gardens and shoreline buffers:

• Raingardens and Shoreline Buffers workshop video
• Raingarden Maintenance video

Tree care and maintenance:

• 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. Volunteer events typically take place between April and November. Visit our website for upcoming dates, locations and registration.

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. Choosing the right plants will help your home landscape thrive.

Important!

• Find your property lines and work only within them.
• Consider getting a soil test in places where plants are growing well.
• Have utility lines marked before you dig, even for small plantings.

Map your project area:

• Resilient Minnetonka's orientation module includes a simple activity to map your yard and identify initial goals for more diverse and resilient landscaping.
• Hennepin County natural resources interactive map - Click the wrench icon, then Tools to draw an outline of your plot, measure its area, and more.

Choose plants for your design:

“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.

• Blue Thumb plant finder
• MN DNR native plant encyclopedia
• Staff can share plant lists, design templates and other resources after you apply to Resilient Minnetonka.

Purchase plants:

• Minnetonka's online native plant and seed sale is open annually Apr.-Sept.
  • This is a good option if you are planning a small project. Minnetonka households are eligible for a discount coupon (one per household, while funding lasts).
  • Do you anticipate doing one or more projects that involve more than a small planting? Before you purchase anything, explore the Resilient Minnetonka orientation module to see how this program might help you with layers of technical assistance and funding options.
• If you purchase from another vendor or nursery, be sure to ask if their seeds and plants are produced without pesticides and other chemicals that may be harmful to pollinators.

Hire a contractor

• Wild Ones has a list of nurseries and landscaping contractors - email city staff at cpetersen@minnetonkamn.gov to request a copy.
  

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

• Native Plant & Seed Sale runs Apr.-Sept. – This sale is offered online through our partners at MNL (a Minnesota-based native plant nursery). You'll find a wide selection of plant plugs and seed mixes for a variety of growing conditions. Pricing is discounted from retail for Minnetonka residents, and pricing for plant trays includes shipping. Discount coupons are available to Minnetonka residents, while funding lasts. Visit sale website for more information.

• Compost Bin Sale – Begin making soil from your kitchen and yard waste. Compost bins are offered at a reduce price (compared to retail). To request an information sheet and pricing, contact Christine at 952-988-8442 or cpetersen@minnetonkamn.gov.

• Tree Sale – Diverse shrubs and trees are available at a reduced price through this lottery-based sale, which takes place every spring. Watch the Minnetonka Memo for updates, or subscribe to the Natural Resources monthly e-bulletin.

To request a site visit or learn more about this program, please complete a Resilient Minnetonka application and the program coordinator will get back to you with more information. See below for an outline of components that may be available to you through Resilient Minnetonka.

1. Site visit

A site visit is a free or low-cost one-hour visit to your property, helping you begin to identify and prioritize ways to build resilience into your landscape. While funding lasts, site visits may be provided through the city or your watershed district.

2. Design

Your site visit will help identify and prioritize a collection of goals for resilience on your property. A planting design is often the next step, to choose the right plants for your site and plan their placement in the space.

3. Installation

Once you have a design for your resilient planting, it's time to install. Resilient Minnetonka offers guidance and funding for some projects, including how to budget for purchases and create a long-term maintenance plan.

4. Residential Buckthorn Pick-up

Good planning is essential for effective buckthorn control. Start by visiting the Workshops & Education tab, where you’ll find links to our online buckthorn learning module, buckthorn workshop recording, and upcoming buckthorn workshops to help you learn the most effective strategies for success.

Once you've learned the best practices for buckthorn control, make a plan to (a) remove buckthorn in stages, using the best practices and timing described in the above learning resources; (b) properly dispose of the debris; (c) seed a suitable mix into the area to begin establishing replacement plants; (d) maintain the area over a period of years to control weedy growth and begin to establish even more diversity.

Would a buckthorn pick-up be helpful? Apply to the Resilient Minnetonka program to request this and other technical assistance, which can help you be successful in controlling and replacing buckthorn.