The morning after, I got up early, specifically to take a long walk. I had allotted an hour for my walk, but due to the change to standard time earlier in the week, my walk began before sunrise. I wanted to experience the still calm air. I wanted to experience fall in all its beautiful glory - the leaves, the smells, the first rays of light upon a new day. And the quiet - the quiet of an early morning walk that afforded the opportunity to ponder.

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America in BloomŪ believes that connecting people to plants at a fundamental grassroots level is an important contributor to everyone's quality of life.

 

Studies show that connecting with plants has far-reaching effects and is important for good mental, physical, and emotional health. Many studies have shown that ornamental horticulture can provide multiple benefits in terms of the economy, environment, and human lifestyles.

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AIB is instituting a new non-compete category, for the city that does not want to compete but is interested in receiving guidence from a team of AIB judges. We have received feedback from many cities that they don't want to compete until they are sure they are ready, so this category is for them. We will also allow cities that have competed in the past to participate in the non-compete category once between each time they enter the contest.

Another new change is that we will no longer require winning cities to abstain from competition for a year. So, cities like Fayetteville, Arkansas, which won its population category again, can now compete against all challengers every year, if it chooses. Fayetteville has actually competed and won four times since 2002.

Registration for the 2009 contest is due by February 28, 2009. Download the registration form or register online.

Bexley Ohio, is fortunate to have the imaginative mind of Mark Moore as their park superintendant. Mark was able to work with Craig Nye of Brickman, a national landscape firm, to keep Bexley looking beautiful.

 

On the most predominant light posts, flower baskets were double stacked. With spacing between the baskets at about 2 feet apart, passersby get the "look-at-me" syndrome. This gives an open area the feel of a "flower tree." It is a unique way to liven up an entry way or bridge deck.

 

To save on water and labor, the use of an organic product called Mycorrhizae (H3O / Moisture Manager) keeps the baskets hydrated. Mycorrhizae are naturally occurring fungi that attach themselves to plant roots and help plants absorb water and nutrients in the soil. This cuts water and labor by 50 percent. Because of a great partnership, Bexley truly is "In Bloom."

 

A half-mile long botanical garden inspired by Britain's five centuries of collecting plants from around the world is to form the green centrepiece of the 2012 Olympics.

The riverside rival to Kew Gardens will be divided into four geographic zones, representing Europe and the Mediterranean, the Americas, Asia, and the southern hemisphere. Together, they will contain thousands of species, many of them brought back by British explorers and horticulturalists.

 
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We would love to hear from you! Tell us about AIB activities in your community, or let us know about a community you have visited that should get involved with AIB. E-mail your story to Laura Kunkle, LKunkle@ofa.org.