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Help with landscape design for a Charter school #868503

Asked May 15, 2024, 9:17 AM EDT

Hi, My name is Wesley and I am a part of the facilities committee at my children's school. We are looking for assistance with redesigning the landscaping at the school to focus more on Minnesota navies and also trying to trouble shoot some areas where we can't get anything to grow due to soil drainage and traffic. I was wondering if your group would have resources for me to bring to the next committee meeting or if the Master Gardener program can help design a landscape plan that we can have parents volunteer to implement slowly throughout the summer. Any information you can share would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time, Wesley

Ramsey County Minnesota

Expert Response

Hi Wesley,

What a great project. My advice (having done a lot of volunteering for schools) is to keep it as low maintenance as possible so the landscape can continue in the future with out you. I would plant as many trees as shrubs as you can to provide year round interest (also because that is the time the kids get to benefit most). Birds will come like crazy if they have tree cover. Spring pollinators need early tree flowers for their first food.

https://extension.umn.edu/find-plants/native-plants

https://www.prairiemoon.com/

https://homegrownnationalpark.org/

As to the area where nothing grows, are there cars driving on it ? It sounds like a place that could use native grasses. These plants have incredibly long roots and can survive in tough places. You want to make sure you plant clumping varieties. If you provide more information about the sight I could give you more specific suggestions.


Sally Granath

St. Louis County MG



An Ask Extension Expert Replied May 18, 2024, 8:00 AM EDT
Thank you! 

So for the area that nothing grows, its a high traffic area for preschool and kindergarten kids. Its also a low spot so it tends to collect a lot of water. I thought about suggesting a rain garden seeing as it's the natural low spot, but as i mentioned it is a high traffic area so I dont know how well a rain garden would work. 

Thanks again,
Wesley

On Sat, May 18, 2024, 7:00 AM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:
The Question Asker Replied May 18, 2024, 9:56 PM EDT

Wesley,

Rain garden plants would be great. Many plants recommended for rain gardens are prairie plants that are well adapted to both standing rain and drought. They almost always have very deep roots so they can "drill" through compacted soil. I suggest grouping maybe 5 plants together and fencing them with wire until they can really get established. Both rabbits and children can destroy young plants very quickly.

https://extension.umn.edu/landscape-design/rain-gardens


An Ask Extension Expert Replied May 21, 2024, 8:39 PM EDT

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