Garage doors

from page 7 said, newer installations are done with the safer torsion springs which are placed above the inside of the garage door, but there are instances in older garages where there’s not enough ceiling clearance to fit the torsion spring. In those cases, extension springs are still required. Those springs run alongside the track instead of above the door. There are varied track configuration options available with today’s garage doors that provide a cleaner look on the inside. Additionally, some customers choose to add a screen door option to their door to enjoy the breeze without the bugs on summer nights.

Regardless of the options with today’s garage doors, maintenance is a necessary part of owning a door. And, Brown said, it’s something people often ignore until the door breaks.

He recommends having the door inspected by a professional at least annually. They’ll apply a lubricant to the moving mechanisms on the door, the rollers inside the track as well as the spring. Additionally, the cables need to be inspected for fraying. It’s best to replace cables before they break, because the snapping of a cable isn’t only dangerous, it can damage other components of the door.

Springs are more difficult to inspect because they don’t show the wear. Typically, most springs are good for 10,000 movements of the door. If a garage door is being replaced, the springs should be replaced along with it. Garage door openers are another place homeowners can make improvements. Today’s garage door openers are more technological- ly advanced, smoother and quieter than their predecessors. All of the openers the company sells are Wi-fi enabled so homeowners can control and monitor their garage doors with their phone. Higher-end models are available with LED lights for those using their space as a shop, battery backups and built-in cameras.

Native plants

from page 10 hard to find.

“Most of the time, if it’s a Minnesota-native plant, it will say it on the tag – it will brag about it on the tag,” he said. “It’s pretty easy to find native plant information.”

As Hjelm talks about native plants, he also explains their importance to the environment and the ecosystem.

Native plants hold the soil and take up nutrients. Unlike turf grass, they’re low maintenance, they don’t require fertilizers or weed control and, once established, are easy to maintain.

“They have an amazing root system,” Hjelm said.

While the drought of last summer burned up lawns across the Midwest, the native plants found in the road ditches and gardens didn’t stop putting on a colorful show.

Oftentimes, the root sys- tems of native plants will go down 6 feet where there is still moisture, he said. Some of the really big prairie plants, including native sunflowers, may have roots that grow as deep as 20 feet.

Deep roots can capture fertilizers and other chemicals applied to the ground, before they impact the drinking water, or enter lakes and rivers. The roots can help break up soil so it’s not so compacted. The deep roots can help with drainage and prevent flooding or erosion on a riverbank or lakeshore.

The plants take a few years to get established.

“In the first year or two, they are putting most of their energy into roots so you don’t get as much on top,” Hjelm said. “After the third year, there really isn’t any maintenance.”

Hjelm taught a series of online classes last fall that ranged from how to build a living fence line to the importance of Minnesota Milkweed and another on the importance of cover. He has more planned for the future.

“Those have been wildly popular,” he said.

In the schools, he teaches kids about the importance of native plants to the life cycle of the wild. Monarchs, bees and

Native plants page 12

This fairly aggressive Woodland Sunflower grows to

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Native plants from page 11

hummingbirds are all attracted to native plant species, he said.

The kids make seed bombs as he talks about the life cycle of a monarch and why milkweed is so important. In almost every school, he takes the kids outside and lets them get their hands dirty planting. He talks about invasive species and weeds and helps them identify and plant native varieties. They work together to build rain gardens and pollinator gardens and they convert chunks of lawn or stormwater ponds to native landscape through the work of the Sauk River Watershed District. The district has worked to improve shorelines and maintain the health of native prairie landscapes.

“It’s about the partnership and the evolution, the plants and animals and insects evolved together,” he said.

Native plants page 13

Native plants from page 12

“The fall-blooming plants bloom specifically for the birds and the bees and the butterflies that are migrating; they give them the energy to go on to their next leg.”

Overall, Hjelm said, the goal of the district is to spread as much information as possible about the importance of native landscapes. They work to get into schools and offer community classes to share information about how to help the earth.

For those new to the idea, there are lots of resources. To get started, he encourages gardeners and land owners alike to look at their sites and determine what type of native plantings may work in the space.

The biggest factors to consider when choosing the right plants are the amount of sun, the amount of moisture in the soil and the soil type.

“Those really dictate the plants or help you choose a group of plants and then you can pick from there,” he said.

Planning out the bloom times is also important to creating the perfect landscape. Some plants bloom in spring while others bloom in summer or fall. Choosing a mix will provide color and benefits throughout the growing season.

No matter the style of garden a person desires, there are likely native plants to fit the look and the space.

“Some people like the wild, wooly look of the native prairie and let it all go and it looks great,” he said. “Other people need to know where everything is, growing things in mounds – there are happy little clumpers and some that spread like crazy. Coneflowers [for example,] spread as a clump but you can maintain them and keep them orderly, keep them showier and keep your garden the way you want it to look.”