Our thanks and admiration go to Ironton for its participation in the America in Bloom awards program. Special thanks go to Carol Allen, Ironton in Bloom and all of their members, city staff, participants, sponsors and volunteers for organizing two days of remarkable tours and meetings on June 21 and 22.

We have enjoyed meeting and spending time with all of you as you showcased all of the reasons Ironton has to be proud.

America in Bloom envisions communities as welcoming and vibrant places to live, work, and play, benefitting from colorful plants and trees; enjoying clean environments; celebrating heritage; and planting pride through volunteerism.

America in Bloom is more than flowers. Your judges will evaluate your efforts in the six pillars that make communities great — floral display, landscaping, urban forestry, heritage preservation, environmental initiatives and overall impression with community involvement in the residential, commercial, and municipal sectors. We will provide a written evaluation immediately following our symposium.

We welcome everyone to attend our symposium in Arroyo Grande, California, on Oct. 6-8 where we will announce this year’s winners in eight population categories along with other special awards.

 

Kristin Pategas
America in Bloom Judge
Winter Park, Florida