[Mpls] 2005 FREE Workshops on Rain Gardens with Native Plants

[Joyce Vincent]

2005 FREE Workshops on Rain Gardens with Native Plants

Free Native Perennial Grants Worth $50

The Minneapolis Blooms Program (formerly Blooming Boulevards) of the Committee
on Urban Environment (CUE) will conduct a series of FREE spring workshops on
how to create rain gardens using native perennial plants, with a grant from
the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO). The early spring and
late spring workshops will be in two parts. All gardeners are welcome to
attend.

The first workshop (Part A) in each series will include orientation as to what
the watershed is, why it is important, and how appropriate gardening can help
protect our river and lakes from polluted rainwater runoff and snowmelt.  It
will include garden design and native plant information.  The Part A Workshop
will also be presented at the Minneapolis Blooms Day recognition and
educational event on Saturday, April 30, 9am - 1pm at the Nokomis Community
Center, to which the public is invited.

 The second workshop (Part B) in each series will include hands-on design help
for each gardener from landscape architect interns, working with small groups
of gardeners.  Gardeners will bring their ideas on the area of their yard to
be worked on and will get advice on garden design, how to divert water runoff
to their garden, and the types of native plants to use for their particular
area--shady, sunny, wet, or dry. During this workshop, Minneapolis gardeners
in the MWMO area will be given a $50 Native Plant Grant form, so they can buy
native plants for their rain garden and get reimbursed for the first $50. The
grants will be given on a first-come, first-served basis, as we have only
$7,000 available for the grants.

The workshops will be conducted from 6:30 - 8:30 pm in the following park
community centers, in each quadrant of the city.

NORTH
Farview Park Community Center, 609-29th Av. No., Minneapolis
Monday, March 21, Part A
Monday, April 4, Part B
Tuesday, April 26, Part A
Tuesday, May 10, Part B

NORTHEAST
Logan Park Community Center, 690-13th Av NE, Minneapolis
Thursday, March 24, Part A
Thursday, April 7, Part B
Thursday, April 28, Part A
Thursday, May 12, Part B

SOUTH
Nokomis Park Community Center, 2401 E. Minnehaha Pkwy., Minneapolis
Tuesday, March 29, Part A
Tuesday, April 12, Part B
Saturday, April 30, Part A (11 am), Minneapolis Blooms Day
Tuesday, May 3, Part A
Tuesday, May 17, Part B

SOUTHWEST
Linden Hills Park Community Center, 3100 W. 43rd St., Minneapolis
Thursday, March 31, Part A
Thursday, April 14, Part B
Thursday, May 5, Part A
Thursday, May 26, Part B

To register or for more information,
contact Laura Wieland, Program Assistant, Minneapolis Blooms Program,
612-673-3014, laura at stepbystepbkg.com,
or contact Joyce Vincent, Co-Chair, Minneapolis Blooms Program, 612-623-0157,
or e-mail joycevincent at mn.rr.com

Minneapolis Blooms Program of the Committee on Urban Environment  (CUE)
City Hall, 350 S. 5th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55415


Sincerely,
Joyce Vincent, Co-Chair
Minneapolis Blooms Program of the
Committee on Urban Environment (CUE)
Home Address:  38 7th Avenue NE
Minneapolis, MN  55413-1804
Phone:  612-623-0157
Fax:  612-623-7823
Email:  joycevincent at mn.rr.com