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. We 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.
Since 2014 Blocks in Bloom has served 86 blocks and 884 households have participated in this program. To see the map of garden block locations in Rochester since 2014, click here.
Learn more about the Blocks in Bloom program from our Master Gardener and Blocks in Bloom Team Leader, Kathy Lewis, and program participants below:
How Blocks Get Involved:
If your block is in the yellow area of this map you are in a priority area for Blocks in Bloom. If you live in the City of Rochester, but not in our priority area we will consider your block if we have room in the program.
If you are interested in participating in Blocks in Bloom, contact Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County HERE. New gardens must be located within the City of Rochester, in one of the zip codes/areas designated eligible for the program.
Donate divisions of perennials from your garden to Blocks in Bloom!
Plants must be:
Steps to Donating Plants:
Click here to learn about how to donate plants this year. (PDF).
Last updated April 19, 2023