Hello Wonderful Native Plant People!
It's January and the new year has begun. Seeds are stratifying - soaking in the cold so they can germinate for us at the right time. The greenhouse is empty and waiting for its spring cleaning before getting stuffed to the walls with plants for 2025.
As I catch up on blog posts, I'd like to share with you some of the high points of 2024, our fourth growing season. I really love that later in life I finally feel like I am working to make a positive difference in the world. As the shadow of national politics looms ever darker, efforts on the home front are going to be even more important in the coming years. Here's how we made a difference in 2024, plus a peek at how 2025 is shaping up.
MAEAP Certification!
In 2024 we went through the operational review and inspection process to get our farm and forest certified under the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP). This program recognizes those who voluntarily prevent or minimize agricultural pollution risks. We try hard to practice what we preach and produce our plants with no pesticide use, careful use of water, proper waste disposal, and minimal fertilizer. We look forward to the day when nursery plastics are made from renewable resources, but until then we reuse plastics whenever possible and offer cardboard trays at markets instead of plastic. I am so excited that our careful work has been recognized through the MAEAP certification process!
Sharp-Tailed Grouse Habitat
UP Native Plants provided over 7,000 (whew!) U.P.-genotype warm-season grass plugs to enhance habitat for sharp-tailed grouse and pollinators in the Hiawatha National Forest Eastern Zone through the UP Resource Conservation and Development Council (UPRCDC). The project planted four species of native grasses on 228 acres. Volunteers from 13 different organizations participated in making this project fly! This was a huge undertaking for us, and we thank Designs By Nature Laingsburg for their support. The best part is it looks like we get to do it again this year!
If you haven't seen native grasses in a field, you are missing out. They are striking and beautiful. They provide structure for the landscape, often standing tall through winter snows, providing cover and seeds for various birds and mammals. During the growing season, native grass foliage hosts many native insects, including caterpillars of butterflies and moths, which in turn can end up as food for birds and their nestlings. Some native grasses clump and create mounds which provide nesting habitat for solitary native bees, and butterflies often attach their chrysalises to the sturdy foliage. No habitat is complete without native grasses. We are thrilled that UPRCDC and its partners are working hard to enhance the habitat of the Hiawatha National Forest for grouse and so many other creatures with native plants.(Volunteer photos courtesy of UPRCDC.)
Trout Habitat & Stream Bank Stabilization
Plants from UP Native Plants also supported the Trout Unlimited restoration of the East Branch Ontonagon River after completion of the Lower Dam removal. This community volunteer planting was part of a larger effort led by the U.S. Forest Service - Ottawa National Forest to reconnect 64 miles of the Wild and Scenic-designated East Branch Ontonagon River. This particular project restored eight miles of upstream habitat and improved the connection between Lake Superior and the headwaters of the east branch, the longest free-flowing branch of the Ontonagon River. This project contained a lot of low ground and featured plants that can handle being water-logged for long periods of time. Diversifying the native plant community in such areas not only helps stabilize soil, it also offers valuable pollinator and wildlife resources. (Photos from Trout Unlimited) Thank you Trout Unlimited for including our Upper Peninsula plants in your project!
Wetlands, Shoreline Restoration, and Rain Gardens
Many native plants are adapted to frequently wet soils and enjoy rain gardens and parking lot drainage nearly as much as the wetlands and stream-banks in which they evolved. Here are some of the ways our plants were used in wet areas in 2024:
A University Wetlands Club used our plants in their wetlands restoration project,
Dickinson Conservation District installed native plants in the swale rain garden at Lake Antoine,
Lake 2 Lake CISMA and Noquemanon Trail Network used native plants in their rain strip & retention basin at the South Trails parking/trailhead,
Eagle Shoreline Protection had several erosion control projects on rivers and lakeshores utilizing our native plants.
Pollinator Habitat
Pollinator support is perhaps the primary reason the use of native plants is on the rise. As people come to the realization that pollinators need more than just nectar, native plants are being sought for their specialized pollen, leaves, and stems which can host countless native insects. Here are some 2024 pollinator project highlights:
School pollinator gardens - several area schools installed pollinator gardens. We are happy to tailor our garden kits to enduring the long summers with little attention typical of most school gardens. I love the thought of kids being able to see pollinators right at school in the spring and fall!
We assisted several homeowners in fulfilling the plant requirements for their pollinator grants,
Citizens for a Safe & Clean Lake Superior included a native pollinator planting in their important work,
A local indigenous college installed a multi-use native plant garden,
Greenstone Landscape & Design continued to use our plants in their projects, and
Partridge Creek Farm utilized native plants for pollinators in their Ishpeming Hospital to Intergenerational Farm Transition Project. Including native plants in or near vegetable gardens can maintain a steady source of food and shelter for the pollinators that support our crops and the insects that prey on garden pests.
Did I miss your project? Apologies. Send me the details and a picture at designsbynatureup@up.net and I would love to do another post featuring our plants in happy homes!
Plant Sales
We ended up doing 8 Conservation District plant sales with 6 different Conservation Districts: Marquette, Alger, Chippewa/Luce/Mack, Gogebic, Schoolcraft, and Dickinson. Watch our Happenings page for 2025 dates.
New next year we will be partnering with Delta County and Iron/Baraga Conservation Districts to bring our lineup to Escanaba and Crystal Falls!
UP Native Plants also partnered with Moosewood Nature Center and the Keweenaw Wild Bird REC for two well-received plant sale fundraisers.
We made it to the Marquette Farmer's Market 6 times, Negaunee twice, Calumet for fall, and once to Gwinn. We were not able to get our plants to as many markets as we wanted and are looking at ways to be in two places at once. To spoof off the movie Jaws, we're gonna need a bigger boat, er... another trailer. And a truck.
And finally, over 7,500 plants in plugs and pots went out through the website. You guys are doing a great job wilding up your world!
We are working on our spring schedule. We would love to let you know when we will be in your neighborhood! If you haven't already done so, I'll put the sign-up button for emails below. We send out reminders for our plants sales and markets, notification of sales and new offerings, as well as information on native plants and planting throughout the year. (No more than 5 emails per month; I promise.)
Thank you so much for planting the plants that are meant to be here. By doing so you are supporting fragile insect, pollinator, and bird populations; reducing pollution by selecting plants that are not chemical-dependent; and sticking it to a conventional plant industry that never met an invasive plant or pesticide that they didn't try to use to increase their profits.
2025
Resist
Plant Native Plants
