Conservation District readies for self-guided flower tour
A self-guided tour of pollinator-friendly plantings in Polson and Ronan is offered by Lake County Conservation District July 17-26. The District offers free seed packets and assistance preparing your site. (Courtesy photo)
With so many summer activities closed this year, Lake County Conservation District (LCCD) has come up with a cheery flower tour anyone can participate in.
LCCD has given out free pollinator-friendly seed packets for the past few years, and they are in full bloom at many sites around the county right now.
Several sites around Polson and Ronan are offering their flower patches for drive-by— or bike-by — viewing on a self-guided tour coordinated by LCCD Friday, July 17 through Sunday, July 26. Different plots sport different plants, including sunflowers, vetch, poppies, native grasses, and many more. The Boys and Girls Club in Ronan has several beds, and the flowers attract pollinators to the adjacent food plants such as peppers and tomatoes. Each number on the map includes information about that site’s species and site preparation.
LCCD’s Heidi Fleury and her coworkers had a vision of creating small pollinator plots with native wildflowers all over the county to provide habitat and bring in more beneficial pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, and moths, to the area. They created the Pollinator Initiative, which provides free wildflower seed and technical assistance in plot establishment and maintenance. Seeds are available for fall or spring planting.
Access the online tour map through lakecountyconservationdistrict.org or their Facebook page. Call at 676-2811, ext. 4, for more information.