How to Prepare Your Yard for a Lawns to Legumes Application

The Lawns to Legumes program reimburses Minnesota homeowners up to $400 for converting lawn to pollinator habitat. The application itself is straightforward, but a strong application — one that gets approved quickly and reimbursed without hassle — takes about two hours of prep.

Here’s exactly what to do.

Before you apply

1. Pick your project pathway

Lawns to Legumes funds four project types. Choose one:

• Pollinator Pocket — small bed, 100 sq ft or less. Easiest to get approved.
• Pollinator Meadow — larger area, often a sunny side yard or front strip.
• Pollinator Lawn — overseed existing lawn with low-growing flowering species.
• Bee Lawn — full conversion of turf to flowering low-mow alternative.

For first-time applicants, Pollinator Pocket is the recommended pathway. Compact, defensible, easy to install, visible results.

2. Site your project

Walk your yard with a clipboard. Look for: - Sun exposure. Most native pollinator plants want 6+ hours of direct sun. Note where you have full sun all afternoon. - Visibility. A pollinator garden visible from the street or front walk is great for neighbor education and HOA compliance. Tucked away in the backyard is fine if that’s where the sun is. - Slope and drainage. Avoid extremely soggy or extremely droughty spots unless you’re choosing plants for those conditions specifically. - Existing features. Don’t site over septic systems, gas lines, or utility access.

3. Measure the area

Use a tape measure or pace it off. Record: - Length in feet - Width in feet - Total square feet (length × width)

For irregular shapes, break into rectangles or use the rough formula: estimated area in sq ft.

4. Take “before” photos

Photograph from 3–4 angles: - Wide shot of the whole yard with the project area visible - Closer shot of just the project area - Site context (driveway, walks, house in background for reference) - Any existing plants in or near the project area

Save with the date in the filename.

The sketch (most important step)

The grant reviewers want to see that you’ve thought through your project. A simple sketch beats a vague description every time.

What to include

• Property outline — house, walkways, driveway
• Project area — drawn in with rough dimensions
• Plant placement — circles or shapes showing where each plant species goes, labeled
• Plant list — alongside the sketch, species name (common + botanical), quantity, mature size

Sketch quality

Hand-drawn on graph paper is completely fine. The reviewers aren’t grading aesthetics — they’re checking that you’ve planned the bed.

Sample plant placement

For a 100 sq ft pollinator pocket, a typical placement:

• Back (taller plants, north side if possible): 3 wild bergamot, 3 cup plant (if room)
• Middle: 5 purple coneflower, 5 black-eyed Susan, 3 butterfly milkweed
• Front (shorter): 3 anise hyssop, 3 New England aster, 3 prairie dropseed grass
• Edge accent: little bluestem grass clumps for structure

Picking plants that qualify

Only native Minnesota plants on the approved list count toward grant reimbursement. The 2026 list emphasizes plants supporting at-risk pollinators (rusty patched bumble bee, monarchs). Highest-value categories:

• Perennials: purple coneflower, black-eyed Susan, wild bergamot, all milkweeds, goldenrod, asters, blazing star, anise hyssop, cup plant
• Native grasses: little bluestem, prairie dropseed, sideoats grama
• Native shrubs: ninebark, red osier dogwood, nannyberry, gray dogwood, American hazelnut, bush honeysuckle

Skip these (won’t count for reimbursement): - Catmint, Russian sage, butterfly bush — popular for pollinators but not native - Hostas, daylilies, tulips — non-native ornamentals - Any non-Minnesota-native species

Estimating your budget

For a 100 sq ft Pollinator Pocket, typical costs: - 30–40 native plants in 1-gallon or quart size: $250–$320 - Compost and mulch: $30–$50 - Edging materials: $20–$40 - Native pollinator yard sign (optional but professional): $20–$30 - Total: usually right at the $400 cap

Larger projects can include native shrubs and trees to use the full reimbursement on fewer, more impactful plants.

Submitting the application

Applications go through Blue Thumb at bluethumb.org.

What you submit: - Personal info (name, address) - Project pathway selection - Site area in square feet - Plant list (species and quantities) - Site sketch - Before photos - Brief project narrative (3–4 sentences)

Allow 4–6 weeks for review. Apply early in the open application window — funding can run out before November 30.

After approval

You’ll receive an approval letter with your maximum reimbursement amount. Steps:

1. Order plants from a Minnesota nursery. Three Timbers Minnesota stocks every plant on this article — easy one-stop sourcing.
2. Save every receipt. No receipt, no reimbursement.
3. Install plants during the grant period (usually spring through fall of the same year).
4. Take “after” photos showing the completed installation.
5. Submit reimbursement packet: receipts, before/after photos, plant list with botanical names, brief project completion narrative.

Common application mistakes

1. Vague plant lists. “Some native perennials” — reviewers can’t approve that. Be specific: species and quantities.
2. Non-native plants in the list. Common mistake when copying from a generic pollinator garden plan. Verify every plant is native to Minnesota.
3. No sketch. Required-ish — strongly recommended.
4. Project area too large for the funding. $400 covers about 100 sq ft of plants comfortably. Plan accordingly.
5. Forgetting before photos. Required for reimbursement. Take them before any digging.

Maintenance after install

The grant requires you to maintain the planting for at least three years. Maintenance for a native pollinator garden is minimal:

• Year 1: Water weekly. Hand-pull weeds (the bed will look sparse at first; that’s normal).
• Year 2: Water during dry stretches only. Continue weed control.
• Year 3: Self-sufficient. Annual late-April cutback, top-dress with compost.

Plant your pollinator pocket

Browse our native pollinator plants collection — we sort by which plants qualify for Lawns to Legumes. For more on the program, see Lawns to Legumes 2026: A Minnesota Homeowner’s Guide.