Events

Starting January 8th, 2025, we invite public, not-for-profit, and private sector organizations within eligible municipalities to apply for funding from MMSD to create new rain gardens, bioswales, green roofs, and a variety of green infrastructure practices that help capture and manage rainfall and melting snow. Apply by March 6, 2025.

MMSD's annual online rain garden plant sale will open on February 24th, with plant pickup on June 7th. There are limited quantities of plants, so order early. Sign up for our Fresh Coast newsletter to get notified when the sale opens.

Selecting the right plant for the growing conditions is an important step when planning and planting a garden. It is even more critical when it comes to rain gardens. Melinda will cover a variety of native rain garden plants, from short to tall, those for the sun and the shade. She will help you plan for color and interest throughout the year, as well as suggest plants that will attract pollinators.

Whether you’re a new or an experienced gardener, every growing season and gardening endeavor generates questions. If you’ve planted a rain garden, you are likely to have questions you encountered along the way. If you’ll be planting your first rain garden, you’re bound to have some general and specific questions as you get started.

Keeping up any garden, including low-maintenance rain gardens requires some effort. Weeds move in, plants outgrow their space and some desirable plants die. Add to this the challenge of maintaining the area around the garden and keeping the water flowing from the roof, walks, and lawn to the garden. Melinda Myers will share ways to manage these challenges to help you create an attractive garden that helps manage the water that falls in your yard.

Put the water that falls in your yard to work, supporting the plants in your landscape while helping to reduce the risk of sewer backups, basement flooding, and sewer overflows. Develop a water management strategy that works for you by implementing some or all seven steps we’ll discuss. These include improving the soil, maintaining a healthy landscape, installing rain barrels, creating rain gardens, planting trees, adding native plants to your gardens, and growing a water-friendly lawn.

Keep pollinators in mind as you manage fall leaves, prune shrubs, and clean up and prepare your landscape for winter. Fall is also a great time to add trees, shrubs, and perennials to your landscape. Melinda will share tips for taking care of your new and established native and non-native plants, flowerbeds, rain gardens, and lawns. She’ll cover proper watering, fertilization, winterization, and protection from wildlife to get them through our challenging winters and ready for an eye-catching spring display!