Rain gardens have grown in popularity, but building one yourself is still a challenging task. The city of Minneapolis, along with other metro municipalities, have teamed up with Metro Blooms to make it easier.
Throughout the summer Metro Blooms is hosting their Raingardens & Beyond class in various locations, including on May 7 at Luxton Park. Federal regulations require cities to work with the public on storm management education, and that initiative is the basis behind the class, a $15 option for the budget-minded do-it-yourselfer to learn about home landscaping.
The program educates property owners on rain gardens, native plants, and offers one-on-one design assistance. The classes have proven popular, with a waiting list for their recent April 25 meeting in Nokomis Park. Each class can hold about 45 participants.
The workshops are popular in many south and northeast Minneapolis neighborhoods, says Becky Rice, Executive Director at Metro Blooms. “What we’re seeing now,” she notes, in comparison to when they started in 2005, “is that more and more people know about rain gardens and what they are. It’s not so much that we’re teaching people about rain gardens, we’re showing them how to get installed.” The workshops are most popular among gardeners.
Metro Blooms has educated more than 8,000 people on the subject over the past decade, focusing on the do-it-yourself approach. In addition to Minneapolis, they are also currently working with the cities of Minnetonka, Bloomington, Edina, and Champlain. Visit their website to register for a class and to see a schedule of upcoming events. The organization also offers onsite consultation and other related services.
http://www.metroblooms.org/
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