Metro Blooms raingarden program returns to Waite Park neighborhood

Spring is finally getting underway — it’s time to think about your yard! 

The Waite Park Community Council (WPCC) is partnering with Metro Blooms Neighborhood of Raingardens program to help 25 homeowners install raingardens this year. Raingardens help keep pollutants out of the Mississippi River and provide habitat for pollinators and local wildlife, including Minnesota’s state bee, the endangered rusty patched bumble bee! 🐝 

Metro Blooms Design + Build will offer on-site consultations this summer to identify the best location and discuss budget, plant preference, and other resilient landscaping practices. The designer then will develop a planting plan for each garden (150 sq. ft.  maximum). Designs will be sent to residents for approval two weeks prior to their scheduled installation.

Metro Blooms Design + Build will excavate the garden area, mix in compost, apply mulch, and haul away sod/soil, if necessary. Residents will coordinate with Metro Blooms for a plant pick-up, where staff will be available to offer guidance and support before planting. 

Participants will pay for plants, mulch, and sod/soil disposal (if necessary), as well as half of the consultation fee. The average cost per resident is $300-$400 depending on the size of the raingarden and number of plants.

Registration will open at 8 a.m. Thursday, May 12, and remain open until all 25 slots are filled. To sign up, please contact Neely Atha at neely@metroblooms.org with your name, address, phone number, email address and neighborhood (Waite Park). 

Metro Blooms Design + Build is a wholly-owned for-profit entity that supports the work of Metro Blooms Non-Profit by provides high quality, resilient, and sustainable landcare services for residential and commercial landscapes. It specializes in creating beautiful raingardens, stormwater management, and native plantings. More information is at https://metrobloomsdb.com.

Hoyer Heights tree trenches add habitat, protect Mississippi River

The Waite Park neighborhood is home to a unique example of green infrastructure designed to reduce flooding, add habitat, and help protect the Mississippi River.

The Hoyer Heights Tree Trenches were installed by the City of Minneapolis as part of a street reconstruction project in 2020. Supported by grants from the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization and the Minnesota Clean Water Fund, the pilot project is among the first in the city to capture and treat street runoff using this type of green stormwater infrastructure. It’s part of the Northeast Stormwater Management Initiative, which aims to reduce flooding and improve water quality and habitat in portions of Northeast Minneapolis and Columbia Heights.

Dirty runoff from the streets flows into the tree trenches via curb cuts. Native plants and trees in the trenches absorb the water, while sediment traps and the soil filter out pollutants. A perforated pipe underdrain allows the cleaned stormwater runoff to drain through the storm sewer system to the Mississippi River.

An MWMO video provides an overview of how the tree trenches work as well as the basic maintenance techniques involved in keeping the functioning. As you can see from the video, the native plants have proven to be remarkably resilient, bursting with flowers and buzzing with pollinators in spite of last year’s drought.

The MWMO is planning to host a tour of the project later this summer. This will be an opportunity to learn how the tree trenches work as well as how they’re maintained. Contact MWMO Training and Community Learning Specialist Abby Moore at amoore@mwmo.org if you’d like to learn more.

—Submitted by the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization

Community cooking classes offer ideas for your garden harvest

An initiative focused on bringing access to fresh produce to every Minneapolis neighborhood is hosting a series of free cooking classes the last Thursday of the month through October.

Edible Boulevards is a currently running a pilot program in the city’s Green Zone neighborhoods in which participants grow food on their boulevards and share the fruit with one another. Minneapolis ordinance doesn’t allow community members to grow food on our boulevards. Participant sites are tested for lead since Green Zone neighborhoods typically experience higher levels of lead in their children’s blood. 

Waite Park is not a Green Zone neighborhood, but residents are welcome to attend its cooking classes, which aim to use the harvest from your gardens to create simple and delicious summer and autumn recipes. You’ll learn about the nutrition of the foods used in the recipes each month, and also be able to make that evening’s meal for you and your family.

Appetite for Change will lead the August class, and Kelly Shay from Harmonious World will lead the September and October sessions, which will run form 5:00-6:30 on the last Thursday of the month:

• Thursday, August 26 with Appetite for Change: TBD

• Thursday, September 30 with Kelly Shay: Vegetable Basil Stir-fry w/ Quinoa and a Side Salad

• Thursday, October 28 with Kelly Shay: Cozy Autumn Lentil Stew

Check out the Minneapolis Edible Boulevards Facebook page for recipes and ingredients list. Zoom info below:

Topic: Cooking Class with Appetite for Change
Time: Aug 26, 2021 05:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Aug 26, 2021 05:00-6:30 PM
Sep 30, 2021 05:00-6:30 PM
Oct 28, 2021 05:00-6:30 PM

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMscOCprz8vGtdw0iHhiRISE1BfEDky87Sv

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

—Michelle Shaw, Edible Boulevards