Resources
EDUCATION 
GOING GREEN ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
GREENHOUSE & GROWERS GARDENING SUPPLIES & RESOURCES ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
Going Green"Going Green" is a phrase we hear more often today than ever before. At Heidi's Lakeshore Gardens we have been "Green" for many, many years. Part of being green is to be sustainable. We'd like to share with you some of the practices that we have adopted over the years which you can employ in your own landscaping and gardening.
How You Can Be Green Perform soil tests to determine what’s needed to create a sustainable soil. Use a low or zero phosphorus fertilizer in the gardens and use a moderate, opposed to high, phosphorous fertilizer in pots to reduce runoff. Rotate between chemical and organic fertilizer. This helps build the soil and cuts down on insects. In the fall add compost and use lightweight mulch that breaks down in the soil easily. Quickly remove the dead plants to reduce the occurrence of disease and insects. Leave many seed pods and spent flowers for wildlife and a natural look. Create a composting site on your property using garden and kitchen debris. Use motorized tools and power tools only when absolutely necessary.
Practice Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Carefully monitor plants for insects and disease. Encourage beneficial insects and seldom spray for harmful insects, disease and weeds. Instead of spraying, pick off insects and any damaged vegetation immediately. Pull weeds instead of spraying herbicides.In Addition, At Heidi's Lakeshore Gardens We... Incorporate Calcined Clay into soil to improve drainage. Incorporate Soil Moist (a wetting agent/polymer gel) into dry soils to reduce the need for water. Suggest many woody plant materials plus herbaceous perennials then we institute annuals for constant color. Recycle our plastic pots and greenhouse poly through the MNLA. Send excess vegetation from gardens to a composting facility. Monitor clients’ irrigation systems and advise them if they should increase or decrease watering. Suggest and educate on appropriate watering practices i.e. beds irrigated separately and differently than lawns, Smart Systems. Purchase Minnesota Grown materials. Educate the need for rain gardens and shoreline stabilization plus incorporate rain barrels when appropriate. Design and build sustainable gardens and native plantings by implementing the right plant in the right place. This not only reduces the need for supplemental watering, but also reduces pests and diseases because the plants grow stronger. Mulch everything whenever possible using the most appropriate mulch for the type of plants and the site. Partner with associations to ensure Heidi's Lakeshore Gardens is on the global edge of ecological landscape design.
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