Garden tool swaps
Join us and your fellow Minneapolis gardeners at a garden tool swap event. From first time gardeners to those with green thumbs, all are welcome at these free events.
What to bring
Items to bring
- Garden and yard tools (shovels, trowels, rakes, pitchforks, hoses, hose reels, etc.)
- Pots and planters (wood, terracotta, decorative plastic) - free of any soil or dirt
- Potting soil/mix (unused, bagged)
- Gardening and plant books
- Garden art and décor
- Bird houses and feeders (unused or sanitized)
Not accepted
- Chemicals of any kind (fertilizers, pesticides, weed killer, bug killers, etc.)
- Mower or power tools
- Broken items
- Items too large to carry
- Used soil from your yard or garden (empty any soil from pots before bringing them to the swap)
Swap dates
Saturday, April 11
| Location | Time | Host | Other details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flux Arts Building | 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. |
Art to Change the World |
Garden Art Fling event. Swap includes seeds, seedlings, small garden tools. |
Saturday, April 16
| Location | Time | Host | Other details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elliot Park | 9:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. |
Elliot Park Neighborhood Association |
Earth Day cleanup event happening at the same time |
Saturday, May 2
| Location | Time | Address | Host |
|---|---|---|---|
| Folwell Park | 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. | 1615 Dowling Ave N | Folwell Neighborhood Association |
| Lake Hiawatha | 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. | 2701 44th St E | Standish-Ericsson Neighborhood Association |
| Logan Park | 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. | 690 13th Ave NE | Logan Park Neighborhood Association |
| Waite Park Community Garden | 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. | 3601 Lincoln St NE | Waite Park Community Garden |
| Kenwood Community Center | 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. | 2101 W Franklin Ave | Lowry Hill, Cedar-Isles-Dean, Kenwood, and East Bde Maka Ska Neighborhood Associations |
| Armatage Park | 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. | 2500 W 57th St | Armatage Neighborhood Association |
Saturday, May 16
| Location | Time | Address | Host | Other details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLK Jr. Park | 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. | 4055 Nicollet Ave | Kingfield Neighborhood | Swap is located in the back parking lot at MLK Park |
More details
Sanitizing guidelines
Sanitizing tools
Sanitizing tools helps prevent the spread of invasive species like jumping worm and other plant diseases.
- Wash items with hot water and soap or detergent to remove grease, grime, and potentially contaminated soil.
- Make 10% bleach solution. You can make this solution by mixing one part bleach with 9 parts of water in a container.
- NOTE: never mix bleach with anything other than water or laundry detergent. Toxic gases may be generated.
- Dip, douse, or spray tools with 10% bleach solution to kill fungi, bacteria, and viruses.
- Let the item air dry.
Sanitizing bird feeders, houses or baths
It is recommended to clean bird feeders, houses or baths once a month to prevent the spread of diseases.
- Wash your feeder or bath thoroughly with hot soapy water to remove any dirt and debris that are on or in the feeder, house or bath.
- Once clean, the feeder or bath should be disinfected in a diluted bleach solution. A 1:32 (1/2 a cup of bleach to 1 gallon of water) mix is adequate if you have sufficiently removed all the organic debris before disinfecting.
- NOTE: Bleach dilution should be made fresh each time as bleach rapidly degrades and loses efficacy within 24 hours of mixing.
- Allow the feeder or bath to soak in (or stay wet with) the bleach solution for 10 minutes.
- Rinse well and allow to completely dry before using/refilling.
Community partners
2025 swap summary
- Nine locations in every section of the City
- Over 500 attendees
- Over 2,400 items brought
- Over 75% of items were taken during event
Backyard composting workshop
Hennepin County is holding several free backyard composting workshops this spring.
Sign up for one of the workshops to learn
- how to set up your compost pile
- what materials you can compost
- how to get the mix right
Online workshops
- Friday, May 8 (12 - 1 p.m.) Virtual on Teams. Register
- Tuesday, May 19 (7 - 8 p.m.) Virtual on Teams. Register
In-person classes
Contact us
Phone
Address
Eastside Maintenance Facility
2635 University Ave NE
Minneapolis, MN 55418
Office hours
8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Monday – Friday
This building is closed to the public.