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Stories + Impact
Hurricane Sandy Affects Water Quality
In the wake of Hurricane Sandy flood water has been contaminated with everything from raw sewage to floating debris to small ocean dwelling organisms. You have to wonder, “where will… 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 →
Wild Columbine
Family: Ranunculaceae (Buttercup family) Scientific Name: Aquilegia canadensis Native and hardy early spring perennial which favors a variety of habitats including dry or even low woodlands, meadows, roadsides, peat bogs and bluffs… Read More →
Create A Compost Pile With Your Fall Leaves
Now that our warm summer has ended and our trees have all turned yellow, orange and red, we know what inevitably comes next. I’m sure by now you’ve wondered a… Read More →
Star Tribune
Metro Blooms “Neighborhood of Raingardens” work in the Powderhorn neighborhood aided in getting Powderhorn Lake removed from the MPCA list of polluted waters!
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 →
Compass Plant
Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower) Scientific Name: Silphium laciniatum Course, hairy perennial herb with large woody root stocks, 3 to 10 ft tall, usually with a single, unbranched stem. Likes open prairies, and roadsides in… Read More →
Culver’s Root
Family: Scrophulariaceae (Figwort) Scientific Name: Veronicastrum virginicum Native, colonizing wildflower from 3-6′ tall that grows in rich woods and moist prairies. Has a central taproot as well as underground running… Read More →
A Summer Of Garden Awards!
Mpls– It’s time for the Garden Awards! Nominations are being collected until August 6th: Anyone can nominate a garden on our nominations page. Everyone knows a garden or two they pass on… Read More →
Blooming Schoolyards
S. MPLS– This Spring, Metro Blooms has been submersed in the world of Environmental Education. To develop the Blooming Schoolyards program, we teamed up with Minneapolis Public Schools and STEM… Read More →
Splash Rocks And Dry Creeks
As water flows into a raingarden, the entrance point often receives the most stress from the incoming force of water. If water is coming off the street or driveway, this is also… Read More →
Prairie Smoke
Family: Rosaceae (Rose) Scientific Name: Geum triflorum Native Early Spring perennial favoring sunny, dry fields, prairies and open woodlands Watch for: Bunches of red/pink flowers bursting into a fuzz-like “smoke”. Leaves… Read More →
Cool Season Weeding
As mid-May surprises us with it’s vigor and business, so does the Spring weeds! Here’s some tips and pics for starting the year in control of the gardener’s ancient nemesis. Watch for… Read More →
MPR News
Highlighting the Bryant Neighborhood of raingardens. Incentives and particulars of community-level raingarden projects
Star Tribune
A follow-up on Bob and Debby Wolks’ Raingarden Anniversary Project (Southwest Journal): Sifting through the struggle of raingarden maintenance
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 →
Early Spring Strategies For Your Raingarden
Ever get that pre-Mother’s Day planting itch? Early Spring is a great time to sneak a bit of color into your garden before the bulk of the plants start blooming!… Read More →
Earth Day 2012: Teaming Up With Project For Pride And Living
N. MPLS– This Earth Day, Metro Blooms is teaming up with Project for Pride in Living (PPL) to build a raingarden. Not just any raingarden mind you, but a raingarden… Read More →
WCCO 4 News
Metro Blooms’ Lead Landscape Designer delivers raingarden wisdom during a WCCO interview at Sentyrz Supermarket in NE Mpls (aired on 4/18/2012)
And The Survey Says…
Here in the office we’ve been analyzing Raingarden Workshop surveys from years gone past, pulling out trends and interesting snippets that can point us to a better awareness of our… Read More →
Spotlight Projects: Spring 2012
All of us here at Metro Blooms are excited for our 2012 projects… we have dozens! 😀There are two however that we’d like to describe more in depth: Urban Homeworks… 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 →
Asters: Purple Dome/ New England
Family: Asteraceae Scientific Name: Aster novae-angliae As a prime example of a native plant which is highly cultivated, this entry will look at both. New England Aster is a very… Read More →
Boneset
Family: Asteracea (Sunflower) Scientific name: Eupatorium perfoliatum Native perennial wildflower from 2-4 ft tall. Prefers low, moist to wet soils with plenty of organic material, with full to partial sun.… Read More →
Purple Coneflower
Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower) Scientific Name: Echinacea angustifolia Perennial herb up to 2 ft tall, established predominately on the great plains, in dry upland prairies, often in rocky soil. Watch for: Long, alternate leaves and a… Read More →
Sneezeweed
Family: Asteraceae (Aster) Scientific Name: Helenium autumnale Native perennial herb that grows on low-lying, moist prairies and other open spaces throughout the United States and Canada. Watch for: Alternate, lance-shaped… Read More →
Metro Blooms Staff Featured At U Of M College Of Design And Humphrey School
MPLS WEST BANK– Colleen O’Dell is both a Research Assistant in Practice for Metro Blooms, as well as a Masters Student at both the U of M College of Design… Read More →
The High Line: A Harmony Of Plants, Materials, And Space
NEW YORK– This Thanksgiving, I chose to visit the High Line, a world famous park built on top of an abandoned elevated train line above Manhattan’s West Side. The park… Read More →
Yarrow
Family: Asteraceae (Aster) Scientific Name: Achillea millefolium Perennial herb introduced with genotypes that are both native and introduced. Common in disturbed areas and open forests in the US, spread across… Read More →
Butterfly Milkweed
Family: Asclepiadaceae (Milkweed) Scientific Name: Asclepias tuberosa Perennial herb found on roadways, abandoned farmlands, open woodlands, and prairies. Sandy, loamy, or rocky limestone soils. Watch for: Lance-shaped alternate leaves smooth… Read More →