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been a problem at all. The biggest prob-
lem has been that most jobs in this field
take you to small towns and rural places
with no Jewish community. In Oregon, I
was not near a vibrant Jewish community
although, ironically, I was only an hour
from Eugene, where I could get the best
lox.”
Lowenstein now lives, not in some small
rural area, but in Huntington Woods.
GETTING STARTED
To start a garden or to convert a lawn
to wildflowers, Lowenstein suggests
assessing the drainage of the area and
the amount of sunlight it gets. That
will help the MSU Extension match
the plants to the conditions. A soil test
will provide more detailed information
about your prospective garden. The soil
test from MSU Extension cost $26.50.
You can bring a soil sample to the MSU
Extension office or order a soil test kit
online. Mail the test kit to East Lansing
and get the results mailed back.
When you are ready to plant, you can
start with seeds, plugs (flats of small
plants) or mature plants. Lowenstein
generally recommends starting with
plugs. Seeds might not germinate evenly,
and mature plants cost more than plugs.
Sedges and ornamental grasses, such
as Switchgrass and Little Bluestem, are
native to this area. These native plants
grow quickly to heights of 2 to 6 feet,
providing habitat for beneficial insects.
The plants tend to crowd out any inva-
sive weeds. Every spring, you have to
cut them back close to the ground, and
that is about the only maintenance.
“You did not ask me about my
favorite insect,” Lowenstein says. “It is
the green sweat bee. It has a beautiful
metallic green color, like some tropical
insect, but it is native here. It pollinates
many flowers in this area. It is a tiny
bee, often mistaken for a fly, if people
notice it at all. If you have flowers in
this area, though, you have green sweat
bees, whether you have seen them or
not.”
Access MSU Extension by calling (888) 678-3464 or
online at ask2.extension.org.
The green sweat bee,
Lowenstein’s favorite insect
Replacing sod with native
plants helps beneficial insects
HOME & GARDEN
PHOTOS COURTESY MSU