Title

Blocks and Blooms

Relevance

CCE Monroe started Blocks in Bloom in 2014 with the idea and initiative of a Master Gardener Volunteer to build skills for community beautification one block at a time. The program addresses the need for education for an increased urban horticulture footprint, and assistance to city residents in lower income neighborhoods in Rochester. The program aims to provide outreach for building community, teaching gardening skills, and encouraging healthy living. Blocks in Bloom addresses these issues by providing trained community mentors, donating plants, compost, mulch, garden tools, and funds to assist residents in starting and maintaining front yard flower gardens. The program also builds community within each block by encouraging collaboration among residents to problem-solve relevant issues happening on their street. Blocks in Bloom has served over 700 blocks in lower income neighborhoods in Rochester, and the program's success has led to its reproduction in other counties with similar environments and populations.After years of growing the program, staff and volunteers are sharing the model for other NYS counties to replicate and increase their urban footprint. CCE Monroe addressed the need for more education to city residents, increased our urban horticulture footprint and provided much needed assistance to city residents. This program has been reproduced to duplicate in other counties in a similar environment and population.Blocks in Bloom is an exciting, award-winning Rochester initiative that brings together communities in the City of Rochester through front yard flower gardening. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County's Master Gardeners and other volunteers educate residents, one block at a time, in preparing, planting, and maintaining front yard flower gardens.The program provides wonderful outreach for building community, teaching gardening skills, and encouraging healthy living. Residents build a sense of pride in their homes and grow stronger community relationships through gardening. CCE Monroe work with blocks in lower income neighborhoods.Blocks in Bloom receives generous donations of plants, compost, mulch, garden tools and funds from Lowes, the City of Rochester, garden clubs including the Rochester Garden Club, the First Unitarian Church plant sale, and dozens of area residents. All materials needed to start front yard flower gardens are provided at no cost to participating blocks.

Response

CCE Monroe has bulit the Blocks and Blooms program to include activities that are intended to build skills and confidence of residents as well as community spirit. Such activities include:Providing education to city residents on preparing, planting, and maintaining front yard flower gardensDonating plants, compost, mulch, garden tools, and funds to assist residents in starting and maintaining their gardensAssigning trained community mentors to each block to increase residents' gardening skills and knowledgeEncouraging collaboration among residents to problem-solve relevant issues happening on their streetBuilding community within each block by bringing together residents to work on their gardensVisiting each yard to assess what needs to be done and teach gardening principlesHolding work parties to prepare garden bedsGathering donated perennial plants from area gardeners and nurseriesDistributing plants and teaching participants how to plant and maintain themVisiting periodically throughout the growing season to mentor on garden maintenance.How Blocks Get Involved:One person agrees to be the Block Captain for his or her block (must be in a lower income neighborhood in Rochester)The Block Captain signs up at least 6 households on the block that want to start a front yard flower gardenCCE Monroe Blocks and Blooms program assigns a pair of Master Gardener or other experienced mentors to each blockCCE Monroe Blocks and Blooms program visits each yard to see where the gardener wants to plant and assess what needs to be done (while teaching a few gardening principles)Each block holds a work party to prepare their garden bedsCCE Monroe Blocks and Blooms program gathers donated perennial plants from area gardeners and nurseriesCCE Monroe Blocks and Blooms program distributes plants and teach participants how to plant and maintain themOur volunteers visit periodically throughout the growing season to mentor on garden maintenance.

Results

CCE Monroe have served over 700 blocks since the induction of Blocks in Bloom. CCE Monroe has continued to keep this program running on a shoestring budget. The CCE Monroe Blocks and Blooms program has shared the program on a large-scale presentation at two conferences, National Urban Conference in NJ, as well as at Cornell Agriculture In service.Locally the Master Gardener Volunteer or trained community Mentors assist residents living on the same block to increase their gardening skills and knowledge by preparing and planting tough as nails perennials in their gardens, while building community within their block. This is a leadership development opportunity for those volunteer leaders. Residents assist each-other with garden design, preparations, and care. Residents also learn to be collaborative to problem solve, not only issues in their gardens but also relevant issues happening right on their street.

Public Value Statement

Primary Focus Area

Youth, Family, & Communities

Secondary Focus Area

None Selected

Impact Statement