Written by Alex Blondeau 2024 Upstream Unsung Caretaker

I’ve become a student once again, adding another chapter to my varied educational journey. Over the years, I’ve been trained as a fine artist, a professional graphic designer, a motorcycle seat manufacturer, an academic theologian, a contractor, and a utility meter reader. Now, because why not, I’ve become a horticulturist with a focus on native prairie plant propagation!

At Windflower Natives, my work has two main focuses. First, I grow native plant kits designed to help homeowners easily establish small native prairie plantings that bloom from spring through fall. These kits showcase the beauty of our native heritage while supporting threatened native pollinators. Second, I propagate and install rare and difficult-to-grow species for conservation organizations, botanic gardens, and even homeowners. This includes species such as downy gentian (Gentiana puberulenta), pasque flower (Anemone patens), wood betony (Pedicularis canadensis), hoary puccoon (Lithospermum canescens), and more.

I’ve always had a deep love for wild, untamed places in Minnesota. Growing up, I frequently visited the rugged north shore of Lake Superior. I believed that to experience that sense of freedom and beauty, I had to leave my agricultural hometown in Otter Tail County. It wasn’t until recently that I found that same spirit close to home in Minnesota’s remnant prairies.

The surprising, ever-changing beauty of these prairies caught me completely off guard. It felt like discovering, after years of traveling to the Louvre, that you had a da Vinci masterpiece in your basement! Yet, along with this realization came grief. In seeing the remaining beauty of these prairies, I couldn’t help but notice how little of this once vast richness was left.

From this bittersweet realization, my hope is that more Minnesotans will experience the same discovery. If we can awaken to the natural wonder of these prairies, perhaps we can do more to preserve and even extend these stunning places where our roots run deep.

Stay connected with Alex: windflowernatives.com/about/more-about-alex

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