In its efforts to show itself as a Community in Bloom, St. Paul citizens are adding a competitive twist with a contest for gardening enthusiasts, with judging and prizes for the town’s most beautiful blooms set to happen this July.
St. Paul has received three out of five “blooms” in the past from the non-profit organization Communities in Bloom (CIB), which judges communities of similar sizes to gauge civic pride, beautification, and quality of life, among other things. This year, committee members gearing up for the CIB judging hope to reach the pinnacle of recognition.
“We want five (blooms) – we’re really working to get five,” said Penny Fox, a member of Champions for Change.
Gary Ward, recreation director for the Town of St. Paul and a fellow Champions for Change committee member, notes the town, businesses and some non-profits have taken part in getting ready for the annual CIB judging, but that CIB would like to see more involvement from individual residents.
“I would just like to see the citizens take part in beautifying St. Paul by showcasing their yards and flowerbeds,” he said.
To that end, Ward and Fox both sit on the committee that is putting together a Community Spirit Blooms contest.
This year, residents can nominate a residential property of their choosing, simply by filling out a nomination form, supplied in the pages of this newspaper, and dropping it off with Ward at the Town of St. Paul.
Ward and Fox will be joined by Oralee Williams of the Town of St. Paul FCSS and summer student Brooke Mulkay to visit and judge nominated gardens and yards on July 24, narrowing the nominated entries down to three finalists.
Final judging will happen by the CIB judges, who will be visiting St. Paul on July 28, with prizes sponsored by Home Hardware, Peavey Mart and Canadian Tire. First, second and third winners will get gift certificates made out for $150, $100 and $75 respectively, as well as get bragging rights as the Community Spirit Blooms 2015 recipients.
Fox notes that the CIB judging is more than about a town looking pretty, but how it upkeeps its historical buildings, how it reduces waste, how it engages its citizens, and more.
“It’s not just about flowers. It’s about how the community spirit grows within the community, and how that’s reflected in the community,” said Fox, noting the judges look at as many as 200 criteria, including such things as civic tidiness, community involvement, heritage conservation, urban forestry, environmental action, landscape, and floral display.
As for the town contest, there are no specific criteria – people can decorate their yards however they like to show they are in bloom, whether it’s with trees, plants, flowers, bushes or anything else that grows.
“People can take their own spin on it – we just want it to be unique,” said Fox.
