Board member Norman Greenberg talks about Metro Blooms:

I was looking for an organization that would allow me to give back locally and also follow a longtime passion, gardening. The current board chair of Metro Blooms was an acquaintance and asked me to consider Metro Blooms. I looked at the website and felt an immediate connection when I read “Grow. Bloom. Inspire!” at the top of the page. Using gardening to improve the landscape for neighborhoods and pollinators certainly inspired me to become involved in Metro Blooms.

Although I am not a MN native, I have spent time paddling, portaging and camping in the Boundary Waters. I feel that the work of Metro Blooms makes it possible for those that cannot travel up there to feel a little closer to nature by helping to shape our local landscape.

In just a few short months, I have seen how Metro Blooms works with communities in many parts of the Twin Cities metro area to teach homeowners and others how to establish raingardens that can withstand Minnesota weather, reduce storm runoff which in turn improves the water quality in our lakes, and increase habitat for our stressed pollinator populations that are key to maintaining ecological balance.

What brings neighbors together? It takes more than a yearly block party. Working together to have Blooming Boulevards that enhance the look of the block and help mitigate the loss of mature trees due to invasive insects such as emerald ash borer helps create more cohesiveness in communities.

The dedicated staff of Metro Blooms and the volunteers that support it have inspired me to learn how to make my own yard more compatible with the needs of pollinators and other stressed insect populations.

Although I have been involved for only a short time with Metro Blooms, I have already seen the benefits that it has brought to our Twin Cities.

— Norm Greenberg, board member