A Year In Summary – 2016
The end of a year naturally brings about a desire to reflect on what we as an organization have achieved, what’s made us pound our heads on our desks, and… Read More →
Search Results
Searched for: minnesota
Collecting Native Seeds for Garden Expansion
Many of Minnesota’s native plants are seed factories. Most of our favorite species, while being fairly non-aggressive spreaders in the garden, produce large quantities of viable seed that can delight… Read More →
A Year in Summary
As I began thinking about a summary of our year at Metro Blooms, I started thinking about what excites me the most about my job. At Metro Blooms, we couple… Read More →
Blue Thumb/Metro Blooms Merger: Frequently Asked Questions
Metro Blooms and Blue Thumb are Merging! The following describes the current understanding of how the Blue Thumb program would be governed and would operate following a merger of the… Read More →
2014 Triumphs And Lessons Learned
Wow. I know I said last year was busy, but 2014 was so busy we hardly had time to blog about, well, anything. Over the last 12 months we’ve worked… Read More →
Green Streets For Blue Waters
Hello All, We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the participants of the Bloomington Green Streets for Blue Waters program for taking part in this important project and give… Read More →
An Alley Blooms
An Alley Blooms Finally, it was an alley’s time to shine. Blue Thumb recently hosted a tour of the first Blooming Alley in Minneapolis, a green project to redesign back alleys. The… Read More →
Blooming Alley Tour & Happy Hour
Written by Aleli Balagtas Come see Metro Blooms’ first Blooming Alley, and rediscover back alleys. The idea is to look beyond garbage cans and garages and envision alleys as inviting,… Read More →
Volunteer Spotlight: Greg Silverman And The EvaluateIt Mobile App Team
Greg first heard about Metro Blooms when he met Bob Wolk and his wife Debby at a High Tea hosted by Adam Majewski. When Bob learned that Greg was interested… Read More →
Volunteer Spotlight: Marcella Grandpre
Marcella Grandpre is a life-long gardener and longtime supporter of Metro Blooms. She became a volunteer in 2005 when a master gardener told her about us. She became a garden evaluator… Read More →
Prairie Dropseed
Family: Poaceae Scientific Name: Sporobolus heterolepis This perennial prairie grass is native to the Central and Eastern United States and Canada. It requires full sun and prefers well-drained soils. For that reason,… Read More →
Volunteer Spotlight: Barb Gasterland
Barb Gasterland is one of our longtime volunteers. She started out as a garden evaluator in 2005, when her interest in a raingarden movement happening at the time led her… Read More →
Press Release
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Awards Funding to Transform Health in Local Communities
Volunteer Spotlight: Mark Pedelty
For our first Volunteer Spotlight, we have Mark Pedelty, a University of Minnesota professor whose involvement with Metro Blooms stems from some really interesting experiences. You might ask why a… Read More →
Winter Garden Maintenance
It’s certainly been cold in Minnesota this last month, but it’s going to warm up this weekend and with that warm-up maybe you’ll start thinking about the up and coming… Read More →
2013 Triumphs And Lessons Learned
As 2013 winds to an end, we find ourselves spending a lot of time planning for NEXT year. At Metro Blooms we’re writing work plans for 2014, anxiously awaiting the… Read More →
Queen Of The Prairie
Family: Rosaceae Scientific Name: Filipendula rubra Queen of the Prairie is a rare, native perennial that favors high quality habitat. Named filum for “thread” and pendulus for “hanging”, this plant’s name refers to some species’… Read More →
Dwarf Bush Honeysuckle
Family: Caprifoliaceae Scientific Name: Diervilla lonicera A fast-growing deciduous shrub, the Dwarf Bush Honeysuckle is insensitive to changes in light and is found in woody, shaded sites as well as exposed, rocky sites.… Read More →
Metro Blooms Garden Evaluation And Awards
On November 7th, 2013 over 150 people gathered at the Columbia Manor in Northeast Minneapolis to recognize beautiful Minneapolis gardens, and the people that create them, at our annual Minneapolis… Read More →
Neighborhood Of Raingarden Installations 2013
Throughout the summer and fall of 2013, Metro Blooms has been working hard with the Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa to install raingardens in five different neighborhoods in Minneapolis.… Read More →
East Calhoun Neighborhood Of Raingardens
Last weekend, 14 families in the East Calhoun neighborhood of Minneapolis spent some time getting dirty and helping out the environment. What were they doing? Planting their raingardens of course!… Read More →
Oxeye Sunflower
Family: Asteraceae Scientific Name: Heliopsis helianthoides A native perennial in Minnesota, most often found in full sunlight and dry to moderate soil conditions in prairies, roadsides, edges of fields and open woods.… Read More →
Don’t Let Spring Melt The Erosion And Sediment Controls On Your Site
First published by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Erosion issues are at their worst in the spring with melting snow and lots of rain. Before snow melt or rainfall, make… Read More →
Switchgrass
Family: Poaceae (Grasses) Scientific Name: Panicum virgatum Native warm season perennial grass favoring dry to moist habitats, especially along shores, but occurs naturally on prairies, oak and pine woodlands, and… Read More →
End Of The Year Update
As the end of 2012 approaches Metro Blooms is looking back on some of the big moments we had this year. As always we started the year out with a… Read More →
Biography Of The Month
Metro Blooms’ biography for the month of November (I know it’s really December, but only by three days!) is highlighting our executive director, Becky Rice. Becky may be the only… Read More →
Biography Of The Month
Metro Blooms has been thinking, “wouldn’t it be nice if the people we work with and outreach to knew us on a more personal level so we could really connect?”… Read More →
A Visit To The Garden State
Sometimes it’s nice to see the flowers of another region. Nick, our MN GreenCorps member recently took a trip to New Jersey. Lucky enough, it was right when fields upon… Read More →
Metro Blooms On WCCO
Metro Blooms with Sentyrz Supermarket on WCCO 4 News, 4/18/2012 N. MPLS–Lead Landscape Designer Michael Keenan recently spoke for Metro Blooms on WCCO News. Michael highlighted the Sentyrz Supermarket raingarden… Read More →
Fox Sedge
Family: Cyperaceae (Sedge) Family Scientific Name: Carex vulpinoidea Native cool-season perennial sedge that grows up to 3 ft high. Grows in wet, moist meadows, marshes, lake shores, stream sides, and… Read More →