Who We Are
“The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have.” Vince Lombardi
Detroit Abloom is a model land-use demonstration project based on using cut flower farming and the creation of native plant and sanctuary gardens to re-purpose vacant blighted land. Years ago, Tom and Nancy worked with volunteers to clean up vacant, blighted lots in their Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood when they had an idea to use a different approach. Gradually, the idea evolved that instead of cleaning the same lots year after year, perhaps, with their combined knowledge and interest in gardening, cut flower farming could be used to transform vacant land into beautiful landscapes that could also provide places of sanctuary for the community. That thinking led them to start Detroit Abloom, which has evolved over the years to become an outdoor Wellness Garden and urban oasis that works with health practitioners to offer holistic workshops, classes, and programs to enhance the surrounding community’s health.
In 2015, after forming Detroit Abloom, a Michigan nonprofit charitable organization, we established a Community Partnership relationship with the Detroit Land Bank Authority. We purchased nine contiguous lots in the Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood. At that time, we also won a generous grant from the Kresge Foundation, which was looking for a group on Detroit’s eastside that could demonstrate how to use non-edible crops to make enough revenue to pay the land taxes and property maintenance. That’s how we started Detroit Abloom in 2016. Since then, we have evolved to operate a Native Plant Nursery, purchase ten more lots, specialize in butterfly conservation, an outdoor Wellness Genter, a community of on-site plot farmers, our Kids Abloom children’s discovery garden, and more.
“If a plan doesn’t work, change the plan, never the goal.”
Our intention has been to keep an open heart and an open mind to develop strategies to address needs in our changing world. For example, we specialize in butterfly and pollinator insect conservation because of the decline in their populations. We decided to start a Native Plant Nursery to grow over 100 species of native plants because of the need to incorporate native plants into landscapes to benefit native wildlife. And we have developed an outdoor Wellness Garden and Kids Abloom, a children’s discovery garden. We see the need for people of all ages to have easy access to various healing modalities and activities in a safe outdoor setting.