Our presenters on July 10th were Nancy Weigandt and Tom Milano from Detroit Abloom.
Detroit Abloom is a non-profit that began repurposing vacant land in Detroit by planting vegetable gardens. After receiving a Kresge Foundation grant to demonstrate whether ‘non-edible’ crops grown on the land could generate enough revenue to pay the land taxes and property maintenance, it shifted its focus from food to flower production.
The organization is involved in many activities, such as a healthy community coalition in the Grosse Pointes and Harper Woods, planning
school gardens, having horticultural projects for youth, putting together a native plant nursery and a pollinator garden. The hope is to turn 11 square miles of Detroit and the Grosse Pointes into a butterfly sanctuary. Detroit Abloom will provide a free consultation to anyone interested in having a butterfly waystation at their residence.
Detroit Abloom earns money by providing flower arrangements for weddings and events, selling live plants, and providing presentations and consultation services. To learn more, please visit www.detroitabloom.com.