May 17, 2010

America in Bloom
Planting Pride in Your Community 

 
Photo Credit
Lompoc Valley, California 
2009 50,001-100,000 Population Category Winner
More Cities Encourage 'Loitering'

After years of passing laws against loitering, cities from New York to Atlanta to San Francisco are creating new mini-parks and plazas where passersby are encouraged to sit and stay awhile.

According to data from the New York nonprofit Transportation Alternatives, outdoor seating areas boost foot traffic by 20 percent, leading to 10 percent more retail sales. Local property values also increase by 7 percent.

In San Francisco, four new pedestrian plazas and five "parklets" - tiny parks made of two or three consecutive parking spaces - will be open this summer, with more to come. Neighborhood businesses and corporate donors are funding the projects; the city will pay for maintenance. The trend is spreading to smaller cities and towns, too. Morristown, New Jersey, is considering turning a parking lot behind a municipal building into a park, and Tigard, Oregon, is adding sidewalks with benches to downtown streets. Read the full article.


People's Garden Initiative

The People's Garden initiative is an effort by USDA which challenges its employees to establish gardens at USDA facilities worldwide or help communities create gardens. A People's Garden can vary in size and type, but all have a common purpose - to help the community they are within and the environment.

To date, more than 300 gardens have been designated as 'The People's Garden' across the country. To learn more about the initiative visit www.usda.gov/peoplesgarden.


Special Needs Students Sprout Skills at Garden Business

The workday at Mickens' Pickin's garden center starts early. Right around 8:30 a.m. students make their way to the greenhouse and pull on plastic gloves. There are tomatoes to check in the shade house. Then it's time to peek at the new hydroponic garden that's flush with arugula, cilantro, rosemary, peppers and crookneck squash.

It's busy work for exceptional education students at Moore-Mickens Education Center, which created the small garden business to teach practical and social skills to students with special needs. Read the full article.


America in Bloom Welcomes New National Sponsor

AIB would like to welcome Daniels Plant Food as its newest national sponsor.

Daniels Plant Food is organically based, providing gardeners an eco-friendly alternative to chemical fertilizers.
 
Visit the AIB web site to learn more about becoming an AIB sponsor.


American Garden Award Voting Now Open

 
All-America Selections is pleased to announce that the 2010 The American Garden Award (AGA) is now open for voting.  AGA is a unique opportunity for the general public as well as professional horticulturists to vote on a specific flower or plant that they think has the most appealing garden characteristics. 

Some of the world's most prestigious flower breeders have chosen their best varieties to enter into this competition. Vote for your favorite!


Passion!
By Marvin Miller, AIB President

"Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest of walls." ~Robert F. Kennedy

I recently returned from a lengthy trip where I visited much of the California coast and Southwest Texas. As I flew home on day 16 of the trip, I began thinking about this column. Among the many e-mails that awaited my attention was an e-newsletter with an article about a Harvard college student who was running the Boston Marathon to help raise money for a particular cause about which he was quite passionate. His goal was to raise $100,000. The quote above was cited as part of his motivation. That is passion. Read more.

Gateways, Gardens, and Grandeur at the AIB Symposium

This year's AIB Symposium & Awards will be in St. Louis, Missouri, September 30-October 2. Mark your calendars for this unique learning opportunity designed to educate, motivate, and inspire.

The symposium is open to everyone, not just for contest participants. If you are interested in beautifying and celebrating your community you should attend! For details on the educational sessions and tours visit the AIB web site, www.americainbloom.org.   



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Find America in Bloom on the web at www.americainbloom.org.
 
Have a story to share? 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.