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5. Early Migrating Bird Project PlansPlanting Area #1 – Erickson Ball Field Plant List, Quantity, and Benefits Allegheny Serviceberry (Amelanchier Laevis) – 1 Needs sun to part-shade. The fruit is on the plant from June-July. Grows 30’ high x 18’- 24’ wide. Promotes tree-dwelling insect habitation. Attracts 58 wildlife species including: Cardinals, Chickadees, Crows, Eastern Bluebirds, Grosbeaks, Jays, Mockingbirds, Nuthatches, Orioles, Sparrows, Thrashers, Thrushes, Vireos, Waxwings, Wood Warblers, Woodpeckers, and Wrens. It is a nectar and host plant for butterflies. It has showy flowers and Fall color. Little Blue Stem (Schizachyrium scoparium) – 4 Used mainly for cover by birds, resilient to drought, 3’, needs full sun. Prairie Blazing Star (Liatris pycnostachya) – 7 Liked by: Hummingbirds, Mockingbirds, Orioles, Sparrows, Thrashers, Vireos, Waxwings, and Wood Warblers. Gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa) – 3 Needs full sun or partial shade. Fruit from August-September, making it a good Fall food source. Grows to 9’ high x 9’ wide. Attracts 42 wildlife species including: American Robins, Cardinals, Chickadees, Crows, Eastern Bluebirds, Grosbeaks, Jays, Mockingbirds, Nuthatches, Orioles, Sparrows, Thrashers, Thrushes, Vireos, Waxwings, Wood Warblers, Woodpeckers, Wrens, and Yellow-Rumped Warblers. Provides nectar for butterflies, has showy flowers, has Fall color, and is a nesting- and shelter plant. Planting Area #1 – Erickson Ball Field Planting Diagram Blue Circle - Location of the Allegheny Serviceberry. Yellow Lines – border on the west side of the planting area. The planting area starts at the ball field sign and extends past the chain-link fence. Planting Area #1 – Erickson Ball Field Planting Diagram, continued Four smaller shapes (two on each side of the Allegheny Serviceberry) mark the location of the Little Blue Stems. The stars are where the Prairie Blazing Stars will be planted. (They will be between each of Little Blue Stems.) The three Gray Dogwoods will be placed in front of the fence. They will fill in the remaining section of the fence which is lined with lilacs. (As a side note, the offshoots of lilacs provide quality cover for numerous birds and animals.) The blue shapes are Little Bluestem and the stars are Prairie Blazing Stars. Planting Area #2 – Hay Lake Park There were many dragonflies at Hay Lake Park when visiting it on June 12, 2020. So, plants were selected not only for their benefit to early-migrating birds as well as birds and wildlife in general, but for dragonflies. Plant List, Quantity, and Benefits Existing Plants: Potentilla (Potentilla fruticose ‘Klondike’) – 4 Special Value to Native Bees (Recognized by pollination ecologists as attracting large numbers of native bees.) Ash – 1 Used by many types of wildlife. Mature trees offer feeding sites for woodpeckers, nuthatches, and chickadees, and nesting sites for great blue and green herons, and Cerulean warblers. Proposed Additional Plants: Note: Those marked with a “**” mean that they are recommended by two websites about how to attract dragonflies to one’s garden. Center Garden in front of Potentillas and to the Immediate Right and Left of the Center Garden: **Black-eyed Susan Little Goldstar (Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Little Goldstar’) – 3 Height: 2.00 to 3.00 feet Spread: 1.00 to 2.00 feet Bloom Time: June to September Bloom Description: Yellow to orange-yellow rays and dark brown centers Sun: Full sun Water: Medium Maintenance: Low Flower: Showy Attracts: Birds (finches, chickadees, northern cardinal, sparrows, nuthatches, towhees, and titmice), Bees, and Butterflies Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) - 3 Height: 1.00 to 2.50 feet Spread: 1.00 to 1.50 feet Bloom Time: June to August Bloom Description: Yellow/orange Sun: Full sun Water: Dry to medium Maintenance: Low Flower: Showy Attracts: Birds (Cardinals, Chickadees, Crows, Finches, Grosbeaks, Hummingbirds, Jays, Mockingbirds, Nuthatches, Orioles, Sparrows, Thrashers, Thrushes, Vireos, Waxwings, Wood Warblers, Woodpeckers, and Wrens) and Butterflies Blanket flower (Gaillardia) - 3 Height: 2.00 to 3.00 feet Spread: 1.00 to 2.00 feet Bloom Time: June to September Bloom Description: Yellow, orange, red with maroon to orange banding at petal bases Sun: Full sun Water: Dry to medium Maintenance: Low Flower: Showy Attracts: Birds, Butterflies Prairie Blazing Star (Liatris pycnostachya) - 7 Height: 2.00 to 5.00 feet Spread: 1.00 to 2.00 feet Bloom Time: July to August Bloom Description: Lilac-purple Sun: Full sun Water: Dry to medium Maintenance: Low Flower: Showy, Good Cut Attracts: Birds (Hummingbirds, Mockingbirds, Orioles, Sparrows, Thrashers, Vireos, Waxwings, and Wood Warblers) and Butterflies Tree focal point area River Birch (Betula nigra) - 1 Place this tree near the Ash tree. This tree will eventually be the main tree in the corner are when the Ash tree is overcome by the Emerald Ash Borer and needs to be removed. Height: 40-60’, with some up to 85’ and Spread: 30-50’ Its spring ripening makes it particularly valuable. This tree hosts 411 species of moths and butterflies whose caterpillars eat the foliage. The caterpillars include butterflies such as Mourning Cloak and moths including Luna, Io, Polyphemus, and Cecropia. Birds in turn feed on these caterpillars, especially during spring migration and the summer breeding season. In the fall and winter, House Finch, American Goldfinch, Pine Siskin, turkeys, grouse, and other small birds eat the birch seeds. Woodpeckers, White-breasted Nuthatch, and others search the loose bark for insects and spiders. The tree offers shelter and nesting places for birds as well. Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) - 3 Height: 3 - 4 ft. Location: Plant in full sun; will tolerate partial shade. Wildlife Feature: Large snow-white berries are eaten by a variety of birds. Small pinkish- white flowers provide nectar for hummingbirds and bumblebees. Its blue green leaves are a favorite food of the clearwing hummingbird moth caterpillars. Its thin stems eventually form dense low growing thickets that provide cover for winter birds and wildlife. Soil: Requires well drained soils and will tolerate drier sites. Special note: Not preferred by deer. Shrub row planted left to right in this order so that the heights go from short to tall and then back to short again: Gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa) Height: Up to 8 ft. Location: Plant in full sun to partial shade. Wildlife Feature: Fruit from August-September, making it a good Fall food source. Clusters of small white berries are eaten by at least 42 species of birds, including American Robins, Cardinals, Chickadees, Crows, Eastern Bluebirds, Grosbeaks, Jays, Mockingbirds, Northern Flickers, Nuthatches, Orioles, Ruffed Grouse, Sparrows, Thrashers, Thrushes, Vireos, Waxwings, Wood Warblers, Woodpeckers, Wrens, and Yellow-Rumped Warblers. Soil: Grows best on moist well drained soils but will tolerate a range of soils including drier sites. Special Note: Its small white berries grow on short red stems that remain most of the winter providing contrasting color against the snow. An excellent shrub for a visual screen or landscape border. Grey stems with auburn colored fall leaves. Not a preferred deer browse American Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum trilobum) Height: 10 – 13 ft. x 12’ wide Location: Plant in full to partial sun in open areas or along woodland edges; will tolerate some shade. Wildlife Feature: 34 wildlife species use this plant. Tart fruits are not palatable to most birds and so persist on the shrub throughout winter providing a late-winter food source for songbirds, grouse, pheasants, wild turkeys, white-tailed deer, cottontail rabbits and small mammals. Birds prefer the berries after freezing has sweetened them. Branches provide nesting sites for warblers. Also attracts butterflies with its nectar. Soil: Well drained to moist or medium moist areas. Do not plant on droughty soils. Special Note: Attractive white flowers in May turn to large, bright orange clusters of berries in September. Has Fall color. Makes a nice, thick hedge; provides secluded nesting sites. Make sure not to plant the alien European highbush cranberry Viburnum opulus. Dwarf Bush Honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera) - 3 Height: 2-3 ft. Location: Plant in full sun to partial shade. Wildlife Feature: Tubular-shaped sulfur yellow flowers bloom in late spring and early summer attracting butterflies and hummingbirds. The low growing shrub provides dense ground cover for song birds. Soil: Prefers moist well drained soils but tolerates drier soils. Special Note: Dark green leaves turn an attractive orange-red in fall. Spreads by root sprouting and a good choice for eroding slopes. Fragrant flowers produce a small fruit that forms a long dry seed cluster rather than a berry. Make sure to ask for the native bush honeysuckle Diervilla lonicera. Many honeysuckles are very invasive, non-native shrubs. Another American Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum trilobum) Another Gray Dogwood 2 mini-gardens at each end of the River Birch/Snowberry area with one plant type per area: Phlox – Any Variety (Phlox) – 9 (south side) Height: 2.00 to 4.00 feet Spread: 1.50 to 3.00 feet Bloom Time: July to September Bloom Description: Lavender-pink Sun: Full sun to part shade Water: Medium Maintenance: Medium Flower: Showy, Fragrant Attracts: Hummingbirds, Butterflies Bee balm (Monarda didyma) – 9 (north side) Height: 2.00 to 4.00 feet Spread: 2.00 to 3.00 feet Bloom Time: July to August Bloom Description: Red Sun: Full sun to part shade Water: Medium to wet Maintenance: Medium Flower: Showy, Good Cut Leaf: Fragrant Attracts: Hummingbirds, Butterflies, and Pollinators 2 mini-gardens at each end of the shrub row (starting by the Gray Dogwoods) that would have a diversity of plants (number of plants represents total amount which would be divided between the two mini-gardens): Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) - 6 Height: 2.00 to 4.00 feet Spread: 1.00 to 2.00 feet Bloom Time: July to September Bloom Description: Scarlet red, white or rose Sun: Full sun to part shade Water: Medium to wet Maintenance: Low Flower: Showy Attracts: Hummingbirds, Butterflies (especially Swallowtail Butterflies), and Bees Catmint (Nepeta) 2 Height: 2.00 to 2.50 feet Spread: 2.50 to 3.00 feet Bloom Time: April to September Bloom Description: Lavender blue Sun: Full sun to part shade Water: Dry to medium Maintenance: Low Flower: Showy Leaf: Fragrant Attracts: Bees, Pollinating Insects, and Butterflies/moths **Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) - 10 Height: 2.00 to 5.00 feet Spread: 1.50 to 2.00 feet Bloom Time: June to August Bloom Description: Purplish pink Sun: Full sun to part shade Water: Dry to medium Maintenance: Low Flower: Showy, Good Cut Attracts: Birds (especially Hummingbirds) and Butterflies **Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) – 6 Height: 3.00 to 4.00 feet Spread: 2.00 to 3.00 feet Bloom Time: June to August Bloom Description: Yellow Sun: Full sun Water: Dry to medium Maintenance: Medium Flower: Good Cut, Good Dried Leaf: Fragrant Attracts: Hummingbirds, Butterflies, Bees, Beneficial Insects, Birds Row of Grasses between Potentillas and Snowberries/Phlox and Monarda Mini-Gardens: Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) - 7 Type of native grass. Used mainly for cover, resilient to drought, 3’, needs full sun. Filler Plants to Densely Pack the Garden to Reduce Weeding (all in 1-gallon pots) – 20 flowers from the following list will be chosen based on availability: Available from Prairie Restorations in 1-gallon pots: - Aquilegia canadensis - Wild Columbine – attracts pollinating insects, butterflies, and hummingbirds. 2’ - 3 - Asclepias tuberosa – Butterfly Flower/Butterfly Milkweed – liked by Cardinals, Chickadees, Crows, Finches, Grosbeaks, Hummingbirds, Jays, Mockingbirds, Nuthatches, Orioles, Sparrows, Thrashers, Thrushes, Vireos, Waxwings, Wood Warblers, Woodpeckers, and Wrens. 1-2’ - Geum triflorum - Prairie Smoke – attracts insects. 6-8” - Liatris ligulistylis – Meadow Blazingstar – attracts butterflies and birds 2-5’ - Liatris pycnostachya - Prairie Blazing Star– liked by: Hummingbirds, Mockingbirds, Orioles, Sparrows, Thrashers, Vireos, Waxwings, and Wood Warblers. 3-4’ - Physostegia virginiana - Obedient Plant – attracts pollinating insects 1.5-4’ - Polemonium reptans - Jacob's-Ladder – attracts insects. 12-14” - Sporobolus heterolepis – Prairie Dropseed – a grass that attracts birds. 1-3’ - Available from Abrahamson’s in 1-gallon pots: - Achillea millefolium – Yarrow – attracts butterflies, bees, and beneficial insects. Larval host of Painted Lady Butterfly - Delphinium New Millennium 'Stars' – New Millennium Stars Delphinium – attracts butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees - Digitalis - Candy Mountain Foxglove – attracts hummingbirds - Digitalis - Dalmation Purple Improved Foxglove – attracts hummingbirds - Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus Superior' – Magnus Superior Purple Coneflower – attracts birds and butterflies - Echinacea purpurea ‘Pow Wow White’ – PowWow White Coneflower – attracts butterflies and birds - Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’ – Totally Tangerine Prairie Smoke – attracts bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies - Helenium autumnale Mariachi ‘Fuego’ – Fuego Helen’s Flower/Sneeze Weed – attracts butterflies and hummingbirds - Lupinus polyphyllus Mini Gallery Series – Blue Lupine – attracts butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees - Lupinus polyphyllus Mini Gallery Series – Pine Lupine – attracts butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees - Lupinus polyphyllus Mini Gallery Series – Yellow Lupine – attracts butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees - Lychnis arkwrightii 'Orange Gnome' – Orange Gnome Maltese Cross – attracts hummingbirds - Penstemon digitalis 'Blackbeard' – Blackbeard Beardtongue – attracts hummingbirds and pollinators - Penstemon 'Prairie Dusk' – Prairie Dusk Beardtongue – attracts hummingbirds and bees - Physostegia virginiana 'Pink Manners' – Pink Manners Obedient Plant – attracts hummingbirds - Rudbeckia fulgida Little Goldstar - Black Eyed Susan Little Goldstar – liked by finches, chickadees, northern cardinal, sparrows, nuthatches, towhees, and titmice. Nectar and habitat for butterflies. Also attracts bees. Planting Area #2 – Hay Lake Park Planting Diagram Diagram of the planting area at Hay Lake. The area within the yellow circle is the planting site. The area within the yellow circle is the planting site. The planting area is at a higher elevation and avoids the ditch area. In front of the four potentillas (the orange area), there will be colorful, native flowers. Planting Area #2 – Hay Lake Park Planting Diagram, continued Behind the 4 potentillas, there will be 7 Little Bluestems (blue shape). On the far left and right sides, there will be a combination of native grasses and wildflowers. The semi-circle to the sides and behind the potentillas is 6’. The area in front of the potentillas is 12’ wide by 2.5’ deep. The deepest part of the front garden is 4’ wide The orange section would have a variety of colorful wildflowers. The gray circles are the gray dogwoods. Planting Area #2 – Hay Lake Park Planting Diagram, continued This point marks about 12’ from the Potentillas where the River Birch (in yellow) would be planted. From this view, there would be the Gray Dogwoods (gray shapes) about 6’ from the Potentillas, American Highbush Cranberry shrubs (red shapes), Monarda patch (purple shape), the three Snowberry shrubs (white shapes), and Phlox patch (pink shape). Almost all of the Little Bluestems (area in blue) would be visible. The orange sections will have a variety of wildflowers that are all 3’ and shorter. Prepping, Planting, and Maintenance Prepping - I will need help with all of these tasks: - Have the grass areas where the gardens will be planted sprayed with Round-up. - Adam has offered to do this. There is $100 in the budget to cover the cost of Round- up. I did not include the cost for his time. - Have the sod removed and tilled. - Dan Lee has offered to do this at no cost. - Get the plants from the nursery to the sites. - Terry Gorham has offered to use his truck to pick up and deliver plants from the nursery at no cost. Planting - I will ask for volunteer help from 4-H, the Scandia-Marine Lions Club, Friends of Scandia Parks & Trails, Scandia Parks & Recreation Committee, community members, family, and friends. - It would be nice to have Adam present at one or both of the planting sessions to instruct volunteers how to best transplant the shrubs, flowers, and grasses. - There will be bagged compost integrated into the soil prior to planting. - All of the plants will be watered and mulched. Ideally, a tank of water will be available for volunteers to use. I will need help with securing a tank of water. Maintenance - Weeding should be at a minimum since the garden areas will be heavily-planted and there will be little area for weeds to grow. - My family and I will be available to help with watering the plants for at least a year after installation to make sure they do well. If a tank of water is available and can be transported to the sites, we would be happy to do the watering of the plants. Watering Equipment to be Used During Planting and Maintenance - The watering equipment will be used on planting day (in late-August) as well as during September and early-October. It will not be needed again until late-Spring/Summer 2021. The plants selected for the project are all low maintenance, with the exception of a couple wildflowers. - The water equipment can be used with other community-led planting projects (current and future) as well as at the Scandia Veterans Memorial, the pollinator garden at Lilleskogan, the plantings at County Road 3/Highway 97. - The equipment will give the volunteers the tools they need to make their projects a success as well as ensure that trees, shrubs, and flowers planted throughout the city receive the care they need to live. - The cost of the watering equipment would include: - Trailer $300 - License plates $200 - The tank and watering wand already is owned by the City of Scandia. So, there is no cost for these items. Planting Area #1 – Erickson Ball Field Plant List and Prices Prairie Restorations Items Size Quantity Cost Cost Allegheny Serviceberry (Amelanchier Laevis) 5 gallon 1 $43 $43 Little Blue Stem (Schizachyrium scoparium) 1 gallon 4 $13 $52 Prairie Blazing Star (Liatris pycnostachya) 1 gallon 7 $13 $91 Gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa) 5 gallon 3 $30 $90 $276 Planting Area #2 – Hay Lake Park Plant List and Prices Plants from Prairie Restorations: Items Size Quantity Cost Cost Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) 1 gallon 3 $15 $ 45 Prairie Blazing Star (Liatris pycnostachya) 1 gallon 7 $13 $ 91 River Birch (Betula nigra) 5 gallon 1 $43 $ 43 Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) 2 gallon 3 $20 $ 60 Gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa) 5 gallon 2 $30 $ 60 American Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum trilobum) 5 gallon 2 $35 $ 70 Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) 1 gallon 7 $13 $ 91 $460 Plants from Abrahamson’s: Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) 1 gallon 6 $13 $ 78 Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) 1 gallon 10 $15 $150 Blanket flower (Gaillardia) 1 gallon 3 $13 $ 39 Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) 1 gallon 6 $13 $ 78 Catmint (Nepeta) 1 gallon 2 $13 $ 26 Black-eyed Susan Little Goldstar (Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Little Goldstar’) 1 gallon 3 $13 $ 39 Bee balm (Monarda didyma) – 5 (north side) 1 gallon 5 $13 $ 65 Phlox – Any Variety (Phlox) – 5 (south side) 1 gallon 5 $15 $ 75 $550 Planting Area #2 – Hay Lake Park Plant List and Prices, continued 20 flowers from the following list will be chosen based on availability: 1 gallon 20 $13 $260 From Prairie Restorations: Aquilegia canadensis - Wild Columbine Asclepias tuberosa – Butterfly Flower/Butterfly Milkweed Geum triflorum - Prairie Smoke Liatris ligulistylis – Meadow Blazingstar Liatris pycnostachya - Prairie Blazing Star Physostegia virginiana - Obedient Plant Polemonium reptans - Jacob's-Ladder Sporobolus heterolepis – Prairie Dropseed From Abrahamson’s Achillea millefolium – Yarrow Delphinium New Millennium 'Stars' – New Millennium Stars Delphinium Digitalis - Candy Mountain Foxglove Digitalis - Dalmation Purple Improved Foxglove Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus Superior' – Magnus Superior Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpurea ‘Pow Wow White’ – PowWow White Coneflower Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’ – Totally Tangerine Prairie Smoke Helenium autumnale Mariachi ‘Fuego’ – Fuego Helen’s Flower/Sneeze Weed Lupinus polyphyllus Mini Gallery Series – Blue Lupine Lupinus polyphyllus Mini Gallery Series – Pine Lupine Lupinus polyphyllus Mini Gallery Series – Yellow Lupine Lychnis arkwrightii 'Orange Gnome' – Orange Gnome Maltese Cross Penstemon digitalis 'Blackbeard' – Blackbeard Beardtongue Penstemon 'Prairie Dusk' – Prairie Dusk Beardtongue Physostegia virginiana 'Pink Manners' – Pink Manners Obedient Plant Rudbeckia fulgida Little Goldstar - Black Eyed Susan Little Goldstar Scandia – Budget for 2 Sites Plant expenses Erickson Ball Field $ 276 Hay Lake – from Prairie Restorations $ 460 Hay Lake – from Abrahamson’s $ 550 Hay Lake – from both PR and A – filler plants $ 260 Total Plants $1,546 Other Expenses Item Size Quantity Cost Cost Site 1: Composted Manure (1/2” added to soil) Composted Manure - .75 cu. ft. Model Number: 2667815 Menards® SKU: 2667815 .75 15 $2.50 $37.50 + $3 = $40.50 round up to $41 Site 1: Mulch Wood Ecology's® Best Natural Wood Mulch - 2.0 Cu. Ft. Model Number: 1803051 Menards® SKU: 1803051 1 bag/2 cubic feet 60 $2.19 $131.40+$10.50= $141.90 round up to $142 Site 2: Composted Manure (1/2” added to soil) Composted Manure - .75 cu. ft. Model Number: 2667815 Menards® SKU: 2667815 .75 30 $2.50 $75 + $6 = $81 Site 2: Mulch Wood Ecology's® Best Natural Wood Mulch - 2.0 Cu. Ft. Model Number: 1803051 Menards® SKU: 1803051 1 bag/2 cubic feet 135 $2.19 $295.65+$23.50 = $319.15 round up to $320 Compost and Mulch Delivery $250 Round-up for both planting areas $100 Total Other Expenses $934 Plant Total $1,546 Other Costs Total $ 934 Less $600 from Tropical Wings grant -$ 600 Grand Total for Planting 2 Gardens $1,880 Upkeep - City of Scandia - Capital Expense Utility trailer for water tank $300 License plates for trailer $200 Grand Total $500