Our Blue Thumb education program is a great place to start. Find DIY information about native plant gardens, protecting pollinators in your yard (including making your lawn more pollinator-friendly), rain gardens, plant lists for different yard conditions, and even a place to search plants. You’ll also find information on workshops, grant opportunities for your yard (including Lawns to Legumes grants to create pollinator habitat), and lots more. Blue Thumb has a statewide reach.
Low-Cost and Accessible Gardening Resources
Do you know there are many resources available for free or at low cost? Some of them may be right in your neighborhood. Have a look below to find out where you can get trees, compost, mulch, and seeds — and to learn more about gardening. We’ll also add upcoming events occasionally.
Physical resources (Minneapolis-centric)
- Free trees for residents of the Northside and Southside Green Zones in Minneapolis
- Free trees from Sunnyside Peace and Prayer Garden in North Minneapolis: email soularscenes@gmail.com or laila@metroblooms.org for more information
- Free mulch from City of Minneapolis
- Community Garden Resources from City of Minneapolis
- List of Minnesota Seed libraries
- Hennepin County Libraries seed libraries
Learning, workshops, and more
- Blue Thumb learning resources and workshops
- National Gardening Association online free gardening courses
- Minnesota State Horticultural Society resource hub
- University of Minnesota Extension resources on yards and gardens
- Metro Blooms Design+Build offers onsite yard consultations, at a cost of $150 for a one-hour consultation. For people who may have a hard time affording this, we offer a scholarship fund to help pay for one. Apply here.