Rain Garden Workshops and Programs

Metro Blooms is presenting rain garden workshops throughout the Twin Cities Metro in 2008. We offer the Rain Garden Educational Workshop (Part A) to teach you everything you need to know about rain gardens. The Coaching Seminar (Part B) will help those who have attended Part A get help with their personal rain garden design. The On-Site Consultation allows you have a Landscape Design Assistant come to your property to answer property-specific questions.

New! Rain Garden Workshop for Congregations and Schools. Larger-scale properties have special rain garden design qualities. Check back later to find out about our fall workshop to explore the importance of rain gardens, aesthetics, maintenance, and reimbursement programs available for larger-scale properties. Check back in the Fall of 2008 for our next Rain Garden Workshop for Congregations and Schools.

You can choose which part(s) of the program fit your needs. Our goal is to help residents and business owners plan for and install rain gardens to help clean and beautify our communities. We ask participants to help defray our costs by paying $10 for each workshop or seminar. We offer up to $65 native plant reimbursement grants for residents of Hennepin County, and will have information at our workshops about reimbursements available in other counties.

To find out more about rain gardens, and why they're so important, read our rain garden overview.

To find out more about a particular program, click one of the headings below:

Rain Garden Workshops

Rain Garden Educational Workshop (Part A)
The Rain Garden Educational Workshop (Part A) teaches landowners how to install a rain garden using native plants that don't require fertilizers or pesticides, and whose long roots help draw the water deep into the soil. more

Coaching Seminar (Part B)
In a two-hour small group seminar, you receive professional advice from Metro Blooms Landscape Design Assistants and Hennepin County Master Gardeners who are trained in landscape design and horticulture. more

Rain Garden Workshop for Congregations and Schools
This 1 1/2 hour session will include discussion of rain gardens, how they work, case studies, basics of design, installation and maintenance for larger-scale properties. more

On-Site Consultations

If you need further guidance or support from an expert after April 15 you may schedule a one-hour On-Site Consultation at your home for advice tailored to your particular landscaping challenges with a Metro Blooms Landscape Design Assistant. A $40 fee is charged for this service.

Native Plant Reimbursement Grants

Because native plants are key to planting a successful rain garden, our watershed districts encourage homeowners by offering financial incentives to purchase native plants. Visit this section to find out if you qualify for a native plant & installation reimbursement grant, and how to apply.