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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

