Hello,

It's planting season! When your project is complete, the next step is to fill out the Reimbursement Request form. The link to your form was emailed to you on May 1. (Can't find it? Contact the L2L Helpline).

Visit the Grantee Guide for a refresher on what you'll need to successfully submit your form. Here's the basics:

• Before and After photos: Don't worry if they're not pretty! We just want to see that you successfully installed your project, with plants or seeds in the ground.

• Receipts: Receipts should show that purchased plants are MN native (with a few exceptions noted on the Eligible Expenses Guide). Receipts must be from purchases made after the date you received your award notification email and show the date and location of purchase.

• Time spent on your project: You'll need to share an estimate of the total number of hours you spent working on your project. This can include time spent planning and watching L2L webinars.

The deadline to submit your reimbursement request form is July 15.

Planting plugs this spring? Adding containerized native plants (rather than seeds) to your yard is a great choice for new gardeners and smaller gardens. Containerized plants bloom faster, have a higher survival rate, and allow more control over your garden layout and design. Here’s some planting tips:

• On planting day, place your containerized plants in the layout you have planned. This lets you visualize your design and make changes as needed.
• Dig a hole as deep and 2-3 times wider than the container.
• Gently removing the plant from its container, loosen roots and remove any roots that have grown in a circle around the base of the plant.
• When planting, the soil level should be just below the base of your plant.
• Water immediately after planting, then once a week for the first season of growth.

For visual learners, our Metro Blooms Community Relations team made a quick how-to planting video!

Avoiding Cultivars

Only Minnesota native plants are reimbursable under the Lawns to Legumes grant. Non-natives, hybrids, and cultivars of native plants are not reimbursable, apart from the exceptions listed in the Eligible Expenses Guide. Learn how to tell the difference between native plants, non-natives, and cultivars/hybrids in this guide.

Don't forget to save receipts from your purchases! When you request reimbursement, you'll need to upload itemized receipts that show the names of the plants you have bought (so that we can tell they are MN native plants).

Keep in mind that some retailer receipts are not itemized (such as plant sale receipts). In this situation, save all the plant tags from your purchase and photograph them together in one photo. When you request reimbursement, upload that along with your receipt, and you're good to go! Alternatively, you can submit a typed out list of the names of the plants you purchased.

If you are not sure about what to upload, you can email the L2L Helpline at l2lhelp@bluethumb.org. Happy shopping! 

Connect with fellow grantees and coaches on our online community forum, The Hive! This is a place for you to ask questions for coaches and staff, get program updates, and get to know other Lawns to Legumes participants. 

Important Links and Resources

Need help? Here's where to go:

• Our Grantee Guide page has links to everything you need, including introductory webinar recordings. Start here.

• What project expenses are reimbursable? Find details on our Eligible Expenses Guide.

• Our Resources page has plant lists, design templates, and more!

• Our Plan a Project page is a step-by-step guide to completing a pollinator project.



• Our Native Nurseries and Retailers list is a great place to start when searching for where to buy native plants, but is by no means an exhaustive list.

• BWSR's Lawns to Legumes Planting for Pollinators Design Guide is helpful when you are planning your design and picking plants.

Let's Connect

Have questions about your grant? Need an extension? Email the L2L Helpline at l2lhelp@bluethumb.org.

Follow Blue Thumb on Facebook or Instagram for seasonal tips on planting for pollinators and clean water.

Thank you for bee-ing a part of the change!

-The L2L Team

www.bluethumb.org

social: @bluethumbmn

Blue Thumb–Planting for Clean Water manages individual support grants for Lawns to Legumes, a state-funded Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources program. Blue Thumb is a partnership of local government, landscape contractors, native plant nurseries and other entities committed to the promotion of native plantings, rain gardens, and shoreline plantings. It is the education program of Metro Blooms, a 501c3 non-profit organization.