In the Garden: A Robbinsdale Woman’s Front-Yard Nature Preserve
A Robbinsdale family is helping the environment and the local community. Patti Paulson’s garden stands out from her neighbors. Her front yard looks like a nature preserve.
“When I bought this house, there was no garden here at all. It was all grass,” said Paulson.
The environmentalist is passionate about protecting the earth. Over the years, she added more and more pollinator-friendly plants like milkweed, coneflower, and cup plants to fill her beds. She says they help bees and birds to stay hydrated.
“It’s called a cup plant because the leaves stay attached to the stems and it forms little cups that collect rainwater,” explained Paulson.
The master gardener also planted some of her favorite self-seeding herbs like St. John’s wort, mountain mint and wild bergamot.
“We use herbs medicinally and make our own products with it,” Paulson said.
Paulson and her daughter share their garden by offering free plants to the community.
“Giving away plants, it helps us in that we are kind of weeding,” said Nexus Trueself, Paulson’s daughter. “It also helps because it’s nourishing our community.”
Paulson is an artist and her garden is a canvas. Pointing to a tall statue in the middle of her front yard, she said, “this lady here was an angel with wings. And she had a trumpet, and someone discarded her, so I took all the lights off, and I took off her wings, and I attached little ribbons to kind of be a Pride symbol.”
The Robbinsdale gardener hopes others will sow seeds and create their own garden oasis.
