Dryden, D. (08 August 2007). First major steps taken on butterfly garden. Washburn County Register, p. 28.

First major steps taken on butterfly garden

By Diane Dryden

SHELL LAKE - The first major step was taken last week Wednesday when Mary Ellen Ryall, head of Happy Tonics.org and founder of the monarch butterfly habitat along the Hwy. 63 corridor through Shell Lake, met with four experts to review the land that has been set aside by the city for the new venture.

Brent Edlin, land conservation, Dave Vold, lake coordinator, Brad Robole, county conservation, along with Jim Riemer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife specialist all walked the land that will soon be tilled getting it ready for next year's planting to determine the amount of invasive species already in the ground and what steps need to be taken to achieve the ultimate garden goal.

Reimer, a 35-year veteran of establishing native prairies, suggested that there be two shallow tillings of the area yet this year, and the seeds that the tilling brings up be allowed to grow until next spring when they should be killed with Round-up. Then the area planted. Meanwhile, he suggested the native seeds of plants like the wild blue lupine, the butterfly weed, prairie phlox and milkweed be mixed with sand and kept very cold all winter. "In the spring when the trillium is in bloom," he added, "then you spread out the sand/seed mixture, roll it in and let nature take its course." He also said that he would work with the other three men with a seed list and then work it out so they would all be donated.

He advised not watering the seeds, because being native, they will germinate without watering. "If you do a lot of watering, you'll activate the weed seeds still left in the ground."

Ryall plans on adding native plant plugs for a "pop" of early color next year, so these, she was advised, could go in shortly after the seeds, but they would need water, thereby possibly activating the weeds.

There will be two main plantings to the native habitat that runs east of the highway and west of the walking trail. The first planting will be the 100-foot section to the south, and the second section of 330 feet will follow next year. Because this second section is already becoming a savannah on its own, the city crew has stopped mowing the larger section. There are already little and big bluestems coming up naturally, allowing a bit of insight to what the habitat will look like. The current thought is to simply leave the native plants there that are coming up nicely and simply add other natives to the mix, possibly next year.

Before the hour was over, the group of five walked the entire length of the proposed site, surveying the area, and each person adding their suggestions for the finished project.

A groundbreaking ceremony will take place soon.

"It's a four-year plan," says Ryall, "and I'm anxious to get started. I've already got a lot of the planning and the paperwork finished and grants applied for, but now it's time to literally dig in to the dirt and get started."