Earliest ever
Spring Plant Sale
WOK is happy to announce our first plant sale of the year. Thanks to nice, beefy seedlings provided by Brian Black of Bay College, it’s also our earliest sale ever.
Sixteen different species are available, including three asclepias species–butterfly weed, common milkweed, and red milkweed–plus little bluestem and purple coneflower. We’ll have more choices later in the year, when our own starts get big enough.
Our prices are the same as last year. Members qualify for a discount.
Garden Giveaway winners announced
We are delighted to announce the winners of our Native Garden Giveaway! The only caveat is that we received so many wonderful applications that we wish we could offer more. So, if we do this again, and you applied this year, don’t hesitate to give it another try.
Because the giveaway recognizes the U.P.’s first Bird City, we set aside two gardens for Houghton residents:.
- Michigan Tech’s relocated Sustainability Demonstration House, on East St.
- Rick Stanitis, on East Houghton Avenue, the site of Canterbury House
And the other three winners are
- Laurel Givens, on Wilson Memorial Drive, Chassell;
- Michelle Krallman, on Young Street, Baraga; and
- Pam King, on Tamarack Street, Laurium
The winners receive a free garden kit from U.P. Native Plants or the equivalent from Kismet Gardens or Keweenaw Wild Ones. They’ll also receive advice on preparing their site, choosing plants, and maintenance.
Hancock Bike Park garden transformation takes shape
Students in Leanne Laakonen’s biology classes at Hancock High School took time off May 14 from their usual lessons. Instead, they spent the morning at the site of Hancock’s soon-to-be bike park laying cardboard and spreading mulch in anticipation of a new native garden.
The plan is to smother the weeds that dominate the site before new native plants are installed in the fall.
The garden is the brain child of Leanne, who conceived of it while checking out the trail site and concluding that it might just be the perfect spot for a native demonstration garden. She contacted WOK member Roz Heidtke, who wrangled two grants to fund the project, one from the Wildflower Association of Michigan and the other a GroMoreGood Grassroots Grant, courtesy of The Scott Miracle-Gro Foundation and KidsGardening.
In the top six photos, students in Leanne Laakonen’s Hancock High biology classes lay cardboard and spead mulch to prepare a native garden site at the new Hancock Bike Park. The bottom photo shows Houghton High’s civics class completing the job.
Despite three hours of hauling, laying, and spreading, the immense heap of compost (courtesy of Hancock’s Department of Public Works) wasn’t quite depleted. Fortunately, Roz was able to recruit the Houghton High civics class, which finished spreading it May 25 over the cardboard and wood chips installed by Leanne’s class.
In addition, the biology unit on native plants included a “Why Natives?” talk by Marcia Goodrich. The students evaluated the site conditions by checking out its orientation and testing the soil to determine if it was sand, loam, or clay. And later, based on their site evaluation, they selected potential plants for the garden and developed preliminary designs.
Time to sign up for farmers’ markets
Summertime means farmers’ markets, and all members are invited to help out. Wild Ones sells plants at markets located in Calumet, Lake Linden, Houghton, Hancock, and Chassell, so there’s likely one near you. Volunteers are also needed to work Strawberry Fest, Keweenaw Pride Fest, and Bridgefest.
To participate, check out the signup sheet and choose a date or two that works for you. Experienced volunteers will be paired with newbies, so if you are unsure, sign up as an “additional volunteer.” FYI, we don’t go to all the markets listed, just the ones that are staffed by WOK members.
Mark your calendar: Bioswale Big Yank set for Sunday, June 28
All members are welome to come pull weeds and spread wood chips at the Hancock Beach Bioswale from 10 till noon on Sunday, June 28, to get our flagship native garden ready for the July 4 crowds. Afterward, we’ll have free pizza, courtesy of WOK. Hope you can make it!