Brown family wins Communities In Bloom Contest

The Browns were the winners of the Communities In Bloom Contest last summer, and the grand prize included $500 and a chance to have their garden featured on the 2011 Communities In Bloom tour.

PHOTO CREDIT - City of Cornwall

Cornwall - Apr. 7, 2011 - Communities In Bloom judges will have a new location to visit in Cornwall this year - Bob and Carol Brown’s Dundas Street garden.

The Browns were the winners of the Communities In Bloom Contest which ran last summer. The grand prize included $500 and a chance to have their garden featured on the 2011 Communities In Bloom tour.

“As part of the Communities In Bloom program, we select a few residential gardens to showcase. In our second year we decided to open up the opportunity to all Cornwall residents to show the wonderful gardening work they do,” said Gaye Adams, co-chair of the Cornwall - A Community In Bloom Committee.

“Mr. & Mrs. Brown will host two Communities In Bloom judges, who are typically renowned garden experts."

Local gardens were graded on six categories - design, plant material, maintenance, visual impact, environmental awareness and implementation.

The Brown’s garden was selected after scoring 140.5 points out of a total of 145 points. The impressive garden displays spanned both the front and back yard and was planted and maintained solely by the two owners, keeping everything as environmentally friendly as possible.

Phil and Catherine Poirier as well as Colombe Amelotte also did very well in the competition with incredible flower displays in their gardens.

Last year, Cornwall was formally recognized with a Trillium Bloom Rating of 5 Blooms. The Trillium Bloom rating is a result of a comprehensive evaluation of a community’s attributes over eight criteria by two Communities in Bloom judges. The 5-Bloom rating is the highest possible.

Communities in Bloom is a national program committed to fostering civic pride, environmental responsibility and beautification through community participation and the challenge of friendly competition. The program strives to improve the tidiness, appearance and visual appeal of Canada’s neighbourhoods, parks, open spaces and streets through the imaginative use of flowers, plants and trees. A focus on environmental awareness and preservation of heritage and culture is also an integral part of the program.