02. Furey memo - Gravel bed invitationBone Lake and Scandia gravel bed nursery.
Last year I applied for a start-up grant to establish a gravel bed nursery and was awarded a Sub-award
from the Grinnell College Joseph F. Wall '41 Award. Those funds will cover virtually all the start-up costs
for the nursery. I will work to establish a method to sustain this nursery for years to come.
The Bone Lake and Scandia gravel bed nursery is ready for its inaugural season. Gravel bed setup and
planting is complete. This nursery, once established, will be reloaded each year with trees and shrubs.
These trees and shrubs, if purchased in the fall, are comparable to large, potted trees. Planting in the
final location in late summer or fall significantly improves survivability. Marine On St. Croix has had a
nearly 100% survival rate for the trees grown in the gravel bed.
On April 14, The gravel bed was assembled with the help of several water steward volunteers. The City
provided logistical support and allowed storage of most of the materials over the winter. It is placed
about 5-1/2 feet south of the paved area behind the fire station to reduce any interference from snow
removal.
The following weekend—April 20 and 21, the trees and shrubs were placed in the gravel bed. Most of
the work was done during a Friday afternoon snow shower. I purchased most of the trees from a
respected bare root tree supplier in Rochester, MN.
I chose trees that met all, or most of the following criteria.
1. Had a good or very good history of succeeding in a gravel bed nursery
2. Was an excellent tree for pollinators
3. Was excellent to for planting near the lakeshore
4. Was native to Minnesota
5. Is likely to survive as the climate warms
6. Is a beautiful tree or shrub
I will be taking orders for trees and shrubs throughout the summer from Scandia residents.
The trees and shrubs selected for 2023. The heights listed are the starting heights for each of the trees.
They will be about the same size in the fall but with much more root growth.
Serviceberry These native fruit bearing shrubs are great in various locations. They are beautiful
throughout the year. https://extension.umn.edu/trees-and-shrubs/serviceberry
• 10 Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry (2-3 ’high)- 25 feet tall by 15 feet wide, rounded
growth habit, red fall color.
• 10 will be Allegheny or Smooth Serviceberry, 3-4’ high, is larger shrub or small tree,
often reaching heights of 40 to 45 feet, and is native to east central Minnesota.
10 Red Jewel Crabapple, 9-12‘ high
• These flowering crabs will produce white blooms and bright red fruit that will remain
through the winter for the birds. Great under power lines or as landscape accent. They
grow to a height of about 15’.
5 Sugar Maple, 12-13’ plants. These can grow to 70’ tall and have a 50’ spread
\
10 River Birch, 6-8’ Clump, Will mature to a 25-50’ tree.
5 Canadian Red Cherry, 5-6’. These will grow to a height of 20-25’.
10-15 small Red Osier Dogwood from cuttings at Bone Lake. These are great shrubs along the
shoreline.
10-15 Weeping Willows from cuttings at Bone Lake. These will provide a lakeshore statement.
The serviceberry, dogwood, willow, and river birch will be the ideal for shoreline planting. The crabapple
and Canada cherry will tolerate various conditions including area near the shore but because these and
the maple will all be showy trees, plan their location to take these features into account. The maple is
the largest adult tree for height and the weeping willow for spread so plan accordingly.
Based on the success of this year’s selections, next year and the following years will feature what will be
the best fit for Bone Lake and Scandia.
Moving forward, the gravel bed nursery at the current size, will be able to foster 60-100 trees and
shrubs each year, or 600-1000 over the next 10 years.