Longfellow Nokomis Messenger

As the weather gets colder, insects start looking for warm places to spend the winter. Boxelder bugs are a particular nuisance this year – they love hot, dry conditions, so the weather we had … more

By LAUREN BETHKE, Master Gardener Intern | 10/28/21

PRG has focused its real estate developments in neighborhoods hardest hit with high numbers of foreclosures since the foreclosure crisis following the 2008-09 recession. "We've been able to keep 125 properties out of the hands of absentee landlords or developers. At the core of our work is narrowing the racial homeownership gap one family at a time," said executive director Kathy Wetzel-Mastel. (Photo submitted)

Fighting racial homeownership gap one family at a time

Nearly 50 years ago, PRG, Inc. was created to serve residents of the Powderhorn Park community in South Minneapolis. The acronym stood for Powderhorn Residents Group. They were originally a group of … more

By MARGIE O’LOUGHLIN | 10/1/21

Purchase smarter

During the pandemic, we all became well-acquainted with our stuff. Perhaps you purged a lot of things to make more room for … well, living. Or maybe you acquired more things to make staying … more

By JESSIE ROELOFS | 10/1/21

Tips as you clean up the garden

The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting cooler, and it’s just about time for fall garden cleanup. But is it better to rake leaves or mulch them? Clean up garden beds now or in the … more

By LAUREN BETHKE, Master Gardener Intern | 10/1/21

Linda Kjerland was a Garden for Wildlife mentee in her first year of developing a backyard habitat for wildlife. (Photo by Margie O’Loughlin)

Longfellow Garden for Wildlife Yard Tour 2021

Linda Kjerland moved to her Longfellow home 10 months ago, from a condo in St. Paul. Over the course of the winter, she started thinking about how to expand her garden and turn her lawn into … more

By Margie O’Loughlin | 9/3/21

Wrapping up the growing season

Although it still feels summery outside, our first frost is right around the corner. But fear not – there’s still plenty to do in the garden! I know I will be soaking up these last weeks … more

By LAUREN BETHKE, Master Gardener Intern | 9/3/21

Artist Anita White (right) with art student Henry Holdsworth, in White’s garden. (Photo courtesy Hillary Oppmann)

LoLa artists weekend

The LoLa Artists Weekend this month will include Katie Cameron at Cry Baby Clay, her newly opened shop and studio on Minnehaha Avenue. “I’m super excited to have my studio up and running … more

by Sharon Parker, LoLa | 9/2/21

Can I recycle this?

It's the age-old question that never seems to have an easy answer. Fortunately, understanding how things are recycled can help point you in the right direction.The purpose of a recycling facility is … more

By JESSIE ROELOFS | 9/2/21

Get a free rain barrel

Friends of Mississippi River (FMR) is giving away free rain barrels and conversion kits this summer in partnership with the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO). The barrels hold 55 … more

7/28/21

Water wisely during drought

As our unusually dry summer continues in Minnesota, this is a great time to think about smarter ways to water your yard and garden. The same source of water supplies our kitchen taps and our garden … more

By LAUREN BETHKE, Master Gardener Intern | 7/28/21

Miss Northland, Wabin Agiizi Goo Ikwe (Morning Spirit Woman) is Lori Martin-Kingbird: a junior at the University of Minnesota who presented at the Celebration of Language Festival held on the athletic fields at Anne Sullivan Elementary School on Saturday, June 19. Martin-Kingbird is an enrolled member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe in Northern Minnesota, and is a candidate in this year’s Miss Minnesota Competition. Her social initiative in the competition is called “Water You Doing? Advocating for our Natural Resources.” She believes that water conservation starts at the individual level: first with one person, then with one community, and finally with one nation raising awareness and then standing up for safe drinking water. She said, “If we all work together, we can build hope for our future generations to sustain cleaner, healthier water.” (Photo by Margie O'Loughlin)

'Water You Doing? Advocating for our natural resources'

6/30/21

Let's talk about Japanese beetles

It’s July, and that means it’s Japanese beetle season in Minnesota!Japanese beetles have been a pest in the United States since they were accidentally introduced in the early 1900s. Over … more

By LAUREN BETHKE, Master Gardener Intern | 6/30/21

Trent Bowman is the president of NAREB, a coalition of Black real estate professionals. He said, “Throughout history, people of color have been left out of the homeownership game. It’s about leaving a legacy. It’s about building wealth in our communities. We have to understand the history of housing discrimination, so we can work in the present to leave something for our kids in the future.” (Photo courtesy of NAREB)

Reimagining dream of home ownership for all

In a recent article about the Twin Cities housing market during COVID-19, real estate professionals characterized the market as “frenzied.” A picture emerged of Minneapolis homes selling … more

By MARGIE O’LOUGHLIN | 5/26/21

Minneapolis down payment assistance can help buyers enter the housing market

No spoiler alert here – the cost of even a small home in Minneapolis is sky-rocketing. While that is daunting to anyone looking to buy, it is especially intimidating for first time … more

By MARGIE O’LOUGHLIN | 5/26/21

Sample photos from Julie Vanatta's bare root clinics. She photographs each plant as part of her studies, then preps them for sharing. Some plants only need a wet paper towel, others require addition of soilless potting medium to reduce stress. Botanical names: Obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana), and Jacob’s ladder (Polemonium reptans).

Preventing the spread of jumping worms

Two years ago few of us had heard of jumping worms. Now they're all the rage, gardeners have a panic attack every time they find a common nightcrawler. Due to the Ice Age, no earthworms are native to … more

By Julia Vanatta | 5/26/21

Gardening is a family passion for Longfellow residents David, Beth, Elsie (age 12) and Jack (age 9) Gray. Their latest project is a high-tunnel greenhouse and roadside stand south of Moon Palace Books. (Photo submitted)

Fresh food at Minnehaha and E. Lake St.

In a place where many buildings were destroyed by fire, something new is growing.A high-tunnel greenhouse south of Moon Palace Books (3032 Minnehaha Ave.) and Arbeiter Brewing will provide fresh, … more

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN | 4/27/21

Kyle and Leah Heino have been running #NokomisLife since 2014.

Home-based professionals find a second home within NEBA

Since the COVID-19 pandemic set in among us, many have discovered themselves unexpectedly working from home. And, for a large number of people, working from home has not seemed a good fit. It’s … more

By Bob Albrecht, www.nokomiseastba.com | 4/27/21

Volunteers assist staff at the ReStore locations. (Photo submitted)

Do-It-Yourselfers love ReStore

Local Do-It-Yourselfers head to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore at 2700 Minnehaha Ave. to get inspired.The outlet sells new and like-new furniture, appliances and building materials at discounted … more

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN | 4/27/21

Minneapolis Home Energy Disclosure program wins Innovation Award

The city of Minneapolis Home Energy Disclosure program was honored with a competitive Innovation Award from the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA) on March 23, 2021. Starting with the … more

4/27/21

Thriving places, thriving lives

How does the design of your house or apartment help you live a healthy and connected life? Kingfield resident Tasoulla Hadjiyanni has been studying this through her work as Northrop Professor of … more

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN | 3/25/21