In This Winter Issue
○ Registrations Now Open!
○ Steps to Succesful Registration
○ Meet CiB Judge: Ken Willis
○ Interested in Becoming a CiB Judge?
○ Community Profile Books Now Listed on LIN
○ Effective Use of Perennials
○ Host Community Wanted for 2015 Awards
○ Potential Funding Source
○ GRO1000 Grassroots Grants
○ Walmart-Evergreen Green Grants
○ CiB Communities in the Media

CiB Registrations Are Now Open!

 

Registration is now open for the 2015 Alberta Provincial Edition of Communities in Bloom! Join the many Alberta communities who benefit from participating in the CiB Alberta Program. Your could benefit from:

  • Increased civic pride and community involvement.
  • Information and cultural exchange within the community.
  • Economic development and increased property values.
  • Year-round projects and continuous improvement for the entire community.

Returning communities and new participants can access the Registration Form here and CiB Alberta reference materials here. 

 

Registration deadline is March 31, 2015. Community evaluations will take place in July and August.

 

Steps to a Successful Registration

 

There are three easy steps to ensuring a successful registration:

 

Step 1: Select Competitive or Friends (non-competitive) as your participation category. 

 

Download the Choosing a Category Guide for more information on categories.  

 

Step 2: Complete the 2015 Alberta CiB Registration Form by March 31, 2015. Registration fees are detailed on the form. 

 

2015 CiB Registration Form (fillable PDF)

 

Submit your completed registration form to Karen Snethun, Provincial Coordinator, at [email protected] or via fax to 780-451-7915. Karen can also be reached by phone at 587-520-6287 to answer any program questions.

 

Step 3: Get Started! Visit the CiB Alberta website for more information on the program and how to get your community started, including how to form a local CiB Committee. There are plenty of other resources available, such as the "Blooms & Bits Newsletter" and helpful articles like "Preparing a Community Profile Book."

 

Meet a CiB Judge: Ken Willis

 

Ken Willis resides in Stony Plain, with his wife, Linda.

 

Originally from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, he is a graduate of the Niagara Parks Commission School of Horticulture and a Certified Arborist with the International Society of Arborists. Ken has participated in CiB as a provincial judge in the Alberta and Ontario programs.

 

Ken has spent time in Northern Alberta as Parks Manager for Lac La Biche County and the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. Ken has a particular interest in history and heritage.

 

Currently, Ken is a horticulturalist and an employee of the Town of Stony Plain with responsibilities in the horticulture and urban forestry programs. One of his current projects is the renovation of Shikoai Park, a commemoration garden honouring the twinned town of Shikoai, Japan. As such the park is in the Japanese style and new borders of evergreen shrubs will be planted for form in the spring of 2015. Stony Plain is also blessed with a very attractive and extensive walking trail system, with many fine tree specimens.

 

In his spare time, Ken continues to enjoy the frustration of mastering his golf and curling games. He is a member of the Edmonton House Brigade, portraying the early history of Alberta, the fur trade era and black powder. The Brigade will be appearing at historic sites around the province once again this summer. 

 

Are you interested in becoming a CiB Judge for the 2015 edition of the program? 

Find out how...


Interested in Becoming a CiB Judge?

 

At CiB Alberta, we are always on the lookout for judges and invite you to consider this exciting possibility. If you have previous involvement in CiB in your community, a passion for gardening and/or have community development experience then please contact Karen Snethun for more information at 587.520.6287 or email at [email protected].


CiB Alberta Judges enjoy the 2014 Alberta Provincial Awards in Taber.


 

Back row left to right: Lorna McIlroy, Brenda Isaak Takao, Sharon Miller, Sherry Cote, Marie Wenger, Gillian Evans, Lorrie McFadden

Front row left to right: Maureen Sexsmith-West, Ken Willis, Linda Lockwood

Missing: Barbara Bruce, Berta Briggs, Brendan Casement, Doug Hornbeck, Linda Tomlinson, Lucy Chang, Rose Carmichael.

 

Electronic Community Profile Books Now Listed on LIN

  

Community Profile Books are provided to the CiB judges by communities as part of the evaluation process. They contain information on programs, activities and events pertaining to parks and green spaces, environmental actions and community engagement. The Community Profile books are a valuable collection of best practices and community achievements.

 

Besides being a required informational tool for judges, the Community Profile Books (CPB) are an excellent means of promoting a community to visitors, town administration, local sponsors and potential volunteers.

 

Consider producing an Electronic Community Profile Book for your community in 2015 and you will be able to:

  • Put your CPB on your community website, the CiB website and other national databases.
  • Easily update your Community Profile Book each year.
  • Provide your Town Council with a summary of the community. It is also easier for Council to use when promoting their community.
  • Have your community send an electronic version (PDF) of your CiB Alberta CPB for inclusion on the Leisure Information Network (LIN).

You can view examples of electronic Community Profile Books here. For Guidelines on how to create a Community Profile Book, visit our website and choose the "Guidelines for Preparing an Electronic Community Profile Book" link.

 

The Leisure Information Network has included the Community Profile Books from Alberta communities that participated in the 2014 edition of Communities in Bloom. You can view the CPBs here.
 
Effective Use of Perennials in CiB Projects

 

Perennials are an important part of any garden - public or private, large or small.  They allow us to extend the season from early spring until late fall - even into the fourth gardening season - winter!  Plants such as showy stonecrop (sedum), echinacea and many ornamental grasses remaining standing all winter, providing relief from an often flat, white landscape. 

 

Re-emerging from their roots each spring, herbaceous perennials provide good value for the investment. Annuals are ephemeral and by definition need to be replaced each year, but perennials provide a wonderful combination of continuity from year to year combined with flexibility. Unlike woody perennials (trees and shrubs) most are relatively easy to move, or divide to create new plants.

 

Selecting Perennials

 

It pays to select perennials for any garden carefully. There are hundreds if not thousands to choose from, so identifying some criteria to narrow your selection will make the work easier and create better results in the garden. First be sure the plants you are considering are hardy to your zone and appropriate for the growing conditions in your landscape. Look closely at microclimates and match the right plant to the right place. There's a perennial for any situation - full sun, dense shade, moist or dry soil.  Selecting one that is suited to the specific conditions you have will help to ensure success.

 

Perennial blooms come in all the colours of the rainbow, but perennials typically flower for only a few weeks at most, so look further to other characteristics of the plant to add value to the landscape throughout the season.  Foliage can be found in all shades of green as well as silver, purple, chartreuse, copper and more. You'll also find variegated choices - leaves that have stripes or markings of different colours. Foliage also varies in texture from the finest blade of a grass such as blue fescue, to the broad coarse leaves of ornamental rhubarb. Consider the overall shape and structure of the plants. Is it tall and upright or rounded with a mounding habit? Does it have a stiff structure, or does it move with the wind, like many ornamental grasses? The blooms may fade, but the rest of the plant remains in the garden all season so take the time to consider the whole plant.

 

Designing Gardens with Perennials

 

When designing with perennials, it's important to be clear on the purpose of the garden and the desired impact. Collectors may choose to plant one each of many different specimens, but this often creates a cluttered, busy look. Grouping plants helps to create a stronger impact.  In a smaller garden groups may be of 3's or 5's, but in a larger landscape - a park, public garden or acreage - be bold and experiment with using larger groups or swaths consisting of 15 or 20 or more plants. Some perennials demand attention, while others create an excellent supporting cast - be sure to select some of each to create a balanced effect.

 

If your CiB committee would like to get ideas for own projects, visit Old College Botanic Gardens where you'll find a wide range of perennials in a variety of settings - perfect for any garden, regardless of size, style or purpose.

 

Article compliments of Jane Reksten

Manager, Botanic Gardens and Greenhouses

Olds College

 

WANTED: Host Community for 2015 CiB Provincial Awards

 

Communities in Bloom Alberta is now accepting applications from communities who have an interest in hosting the 2015 Provincial Awards on Saturday, September 12, 2015.

 

Please indicate your community's interest by completing a 2015 Provincial Awards Hosting Application Form and submitting it along with a brief letter to CiB Provincial Coordinator, Karen Snethun, at [email protected].


Potential Funding Sources for CiB Alberta Communities

 

The benefits of Communities in Bloom activities accumulate over time. Many of Alberta's most

successful Communities in Bloom participants have been involved for many years.


Local Communities in Bloom initiatives obtain support through various methods:

  • Local Sponsorship
  • Municipal Support
  • Private Donations
  • National and Provincial Grants
  • Corporate Sponsorships
  • Fundraising Events

Financial as well as in-kind support can be obtained. In-kind support is equally as valuable, as it provides services or materials in place of cash support.

 

Many funding programs exist. A selection of programs includes:

 

CiB Programs:

External Programs:

Contact each of the above organizations for more information.

 

2015 GRO1000 Grassroots Grants Accepting Applications

 

GRO1000 rewards deserving communities and non-profit civic organizations seeking to develop sustainable community gardens and green spaces. The grants are part of the larger GRO1000 Gardens and Green Spaces Program, which is ScottsMiracle-Gro's commitment to create over 1,000 community gardens and green spaces in Canada, the U.S., and Europe by 2018, the company's 150th anniversary. To date, hundreds of community projects have received GRO1000 funding.

 

Grassroots Grants, which range from $500 to $1500 will be awarded to selected projects across Canada based on community impact, youth involvement, harvest donation, and sustainability, among other factors. If you are or know of a recognized charitable organization or non-profit group committed to establishing or expanding a community garden or green space in Canada, applications for the 2015 GRO1000 Grassroots Grants are now being accepted online.

 

The deadline for application submission is February 13, 2015, at 11:59 p.m. EST. GRO1000 Grassroots Grants will be awarded as a combination of cash and in-kind product donation. Projects must be able to accept in-kind donations prior to April 30, 2015 and must be completed in 2015.

 

For further details on the GRO1000 Gardens and Green Spaces Program, please visit GRO1000.com/canada/. Questions can also be directed to [email protected].

 

Walmart-Evergreen Green Grants Now Available

 

Walmart Canada and Evergreen have partnered to offer the Walmart-Evergreen Green Grant. This national program provides funding for community-based initiatives across Canada. Projects supported through the Green Grants program include, but are not limited to:

  • Native planting initiatives
  • Invasive species removal
  • Community food gardens
  • Youth-based and intergenerational projects
  • Wildlife habitat restoration
  • Aquatic stewardship projects
  • Environmental workshops and educational events
  • Community skills sharing workshops
  • Projects serving underserved communities

Amount offered: grants of  $10,000, $5,000, and $3,500 are available (up to 50% of the total project budget).

 

The 2015 deadline for applications is Monday, February 2, 2015. Hard-copy applications must be received in head office by the deadline. Late applications will not be accepted.

 

Learn more...

 

Alberta Communities in Bloom Participants in the Media

 

Communities from across Alberta have been featured in the media over the course of the 2014 season. Have a look at the media section of the CiB Alberta website to see what's going on with CiB projects and events.

 

Connect with Us!

 

Communities in Bloom is all about creating synergy and connecting people and communities.

 

If you have an event coming up or you're interested in connecting with other like-minded communities, let us know. We'll put you in touch with another community, publicize your event in our newsletter or send out a CiB Alberta community announcement. 

 

Do you know a neighboring community that may be interested in participating in the CiB Alberta program? If so, send them the Growing Your Way Brochure!

 

If you know of someone who may be interested in the CiB Alberta Program, please forward their contact information to Karen Snethun, CiB Alberta Provincial Coordinator ([email protected]). We would love to have them grow with us!

 

Communities in Bloom Alberta | www.arpaonline.ca/program/cib
Karen Snethun | ph: 587-520-6287 | fax: 780-451-7915 | [email protected]