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Wildflowers
in Bloom at the Nokomis Naturescape
Encouraging
People to Connect with Nature (5/23/08)
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Helping Hands Wanted!
Garden
at the Nokomis Naturescape. We meet Tuesday evenings, weather permitting,
May – September,
6:30 - 8:30 pm.
Join
us when you can! Just show up!
The
Naturescape, a Monarch Waystation and National Wildlife Federation
Backyard Habitat, includes 3 prairie
gardens in need of caring attention – no
experience necessary!
Gardening
by the lakeside is an enjoyable time spent with people sharing your
interest. Help keep our gardens a native plant
showcase, inspiring park patrons plant natives in their own yards
and to see the beautiful liveliness of natural habitats.
We
are located on the east side of Lake Nokomis near the intersection
of 50th St. and Nokomis Parkway.
For
more information or to volunteer, call the Nokomis East Neighborhood
Association at 612-727-5652 or Vicki Bonk at 612-727-3562 or Diana
Larsen at 612-724-7515.
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 Now
in Bloom:
The Nokomis Naturescape
native plant prairie gardens
display a dynamic succession
of blooming wildflowers
throughout the growing
season. May blooms include
Prairie Smoke, Virginia
Bluebells, Wild Columbine,
Jacob’s Ladder, Downy
Violet, Yellow Violet,
Canada Violet, Woodland
Phlox, Wild Geranium and
wild Strawberry.
Location: We
are by Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis
at 50th St. and Nokomis Parkway,
and are part of the Minneapolis
Parks and Recreation Board
park system.
Background: Before
1850, the uplands of what
is now Minneapolis were covered
with prairie grasses, wildflowers,
and scattered oak trees.
The Nokomis Naturescape project – a
4-acre native plant lakescape – brings
back a glimpse of this ecosystem
and provides residents with
a model of sustainable landscaping.
The installation is comprised
of 3 prairie demonstration
gardens, an oak savanna hillside,
a shoreline restoration,
and a native shrubs planting,
was planted in 1998 – 2004.
The Naturescape is an official
Monarch Waystation and National
Wildlife Federation Backyard
Habitat site.
Volunteer
Gardening and Adopt-a-Native
Plant Garden -
We meet Tuesday evenings
from May – September.
Choose your
level of commitment - from
occasional helper to adopting
a section of a garden.
The Twin Cities Chapter
of the Wild Ones are the
principle volunteers for
the hillside garden. We
welcome all help to keep
our garden a native
plant showcase, inspiring
park patrons to go native
in their own yards and
to see the beautiful liveliness
of natural habitats. For
more information or to
volunteer, see the box
at right.
 Top
of Page
About the Nokomis Naturescape
 The
Nokomis Naturescape, comprised
of 3 prairie
demonstration
gardens, an oak savanna
hillside, and a shoreline
restoration
is now in its 10th year
of growing and became certified
as an official Monarch
Way
Station and National Wildlife
Federation Backyard Habitat
site. The
Naturescape is located at Lake
Nokomis and 50th Street.
Last
year 25+ volunteer gardeners
helped maintain
the prairie gardens.
Among the
volunteers were members
of the Twin Cities Wild
Ones chapter (a nationally
based native
plant enthusiasts group)
including Molly
Dean,
Kris and Jim Martinka,
Jane Moran, Marty Rice,
Mary
Schommer and Dave Stack,
NENA
residents including Coral
And Greg Bastien,
Richard and Liam
Bonk, Cindy Collins,
Mike Cramer, Duane and
Wendy Pepin, Denise
Remak, Al Schneider,
Kay Tennessen, and also
interested Lake
Nokomis park patrons including
Steve Burt, Michelle Kalantari,
Master
Gardener Becky McPeek,
and
Cathy Polsfuss. Vicki
Bonk,
Diana Larsen and Lisa
McDonough were garden volunteer
coordinators.
A great amount of caring
maintenance, redesign
and planting was
accomplished. There was
a wonderful feeling
of community and conversation
during the enjoyable
gardening sessions by our
beautiful
Lake
Nokomis. We took in many
a glorious sunset!
During
our gardening
we often receive
kudos for our
efforts from passersby and
share
gardening info with
those curious about
native plant habitats.
These
connections help us
spread the word of the many
benefits native
plant communities
give to our environment
and
how
they enhance the Lake
Nokomis ecosystem.
Many people comment
on the improved water
quality
of the lake from the
best management
efforts that
have
taken place
during the past decade,
in
a large part due to
the Neighborhood Revitalization
Program projects
in collaboration with
the
Minneapolis Parks and
recreation Board,
Minnehaha Watershed
District
and Minnesota DNR.
Each
year the gardening
season begins with
an Earth Day
Spring Clean-up.
Gardeners then meet
on weather- permitting
Tuesday evenings
from May through
September/October.
Additional planting
and watering
sessions took place
throughout the season
into October
due to the especially
dry conditions.
Areas of the boulevard
and hillside gardens
were redesigned
and replanted last
summer through volunteer
efforts.
We
made terrific headway in
making
the gardens
a better showcase
for sustainable
land
use. What a team
effort! Gardeners
participated
as their individual
schedules allowed – all
levels of commitment
appreciated!
Last
year a new
approach of “dividing” the
prairie gardens
into smaller
sections for
a person/group,
called Adopt-a-Native
Plant
Garden, was implemented
and was a successful
experiment
we will continue.
This plan allows
people to get
to
know
their area well,
maintain it better,
become part of
the
replanting planning
process and garden
more independently,
plus it gives
a sense of
ownership.
The
Naturescape
was awarded a
grant underwritten
by the National
Science Foundation
to develop
a project
promoting our
organization
in October
2005. We initiated
the
Growing Monarch
Habitat
project to
attract people
to the Naturescape,
make the
connection
between native plants
and essential
habitat,
and to inspire
residents to
plant natives
at home
and conserve
native plant
habitat.
This ongoing,
growing project
has various
phases and
we implemented several
during the
2006 season.
We continue
to design monarch
habitat and
native
plant
educational
materials including a 3
panel traveling
display,
promotional
postcards, and flyers.
We have taken
our show on
the road
to a number
of places including
the Wild
Ones Expo,
the Nokomis Community
Center,
and various
neighborhood events. Last
spring we hosted
a
Gardening-for-Monarchs
Workshop during
the Wild
Ones
monthly meeting
at the Nokomis
Community
Center.
De. Cansler,
a teacher from
the University
of Minnesota’s
Monarch Lab,
gave a powerpoint
presentation
on basic monarch
biology. Vicki
Bonk, from the
Naturescape’s
Growing Monarch
Habitat project
presented monarch
habitat requirements
and the specific
native plants
monarchs prefer.
For the
meeting, the
Naturescape gardeners
created
the Monarch Garden-to-Go
kit, available
for a nominal
price,
complete with
11 plants, a
planting template
and monarch
habitat info.
The kits were
available for
2 different soil
conditions. At
the Naturescape
site, we planted
more monarch
favored native
plant species
in highlighted
clusters for
park patrons.
The
Naturescapes’ Growing
Monarch Habitat
project was
honored in
song, at
the Elders’ Wisdom
Children’s Song Community
Celebration, (the project uses
oral history, music and art
to strengthen communities and
foster reconciliation between
the generations) held at the
Nokomis Community Center on
August 11th, 2006. During the
previous weeks, MPRB summer
camp children participated
in a song-writing workshop
with Larry Long, a Smithsonian
Folkways recording artist.
The workshop began with the
children interviewing Vicki
Bonk about her interest in
monarchs and monarch habitat.
Out of this interview came
the content of the song “Butterflies
Dancing”, a very catchy
melody and anthem for the
Nokomis Naturescape!
Photo credits: Naturescape
Garden photo Copyright (c) 2003-2008, Vicki Bonk
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