Kitchener In Bloom
The Edible Forest Heights Committee was happy to host the Bloom Bus Tour at the Forest Heights Food Forest for a quick talk and snack break for Kitchener in Bloom . We also had the pleasure of presenting at the Kitchener in Bloom end of year event where they announced the award winners.
Through the Kitchener in Bloom program, residents who go above and beyond to ‘pretty our city’ may have their front yard properties nominated for recognition of their gardening efforts. Each year the City of Kitchener, along with our local partners, encourage home and and business owners to take pride in and contribute to the city’s visual appeal by beautifying their property through gardening.
This year, over 700 nominations were received and out of those, 120 chose to submit photos. Photos of the participating properties which were a part of the 2016 Kitchener in Bloom program can be seen on our Flickr account.
The addresses of this year’s participating properties are:
1 Marketa Cres 10 Tweedsmuir Crt 102 Roseneath Cres 104 Settlers Dr
105 Brandon Ave 106 Century Hill Dr 1084 Doon Village Rd 1086 Queen’s Blvd
109 Becker St 11 Caryndale Dr 11 Courtland Ave W 11 Dunnington Crt
110 Strange St 118 Young St 121 Laurentian Dr 122 Martinglen Cres
125 Louisa St 128 Brandon Ave 130 Burbank Rd 130 Wilderness Dr
132 Dalegrove Dr 134 Highview Dr 140 Weber St W 149 Southwood Dr
15 Dunnington Crt 15 Everwood Run 15 Greendale Cres 15 Harcourt Cres
152 Krug St 155 Broadview Ave 162 Louisa St 169 Martinglen Cres
172 Max Becker Dr 174 Pleasant Ave 18 Radcliffe Dr 182 Coach Hill Dr
184 Moore Ave 186 Edgehill Dr 189 Duke St E 19 Caryndale Dr
192 Edwin St 2 Rockwood Rd 204 Dinison Cres 211 Lydia St
214 The Country Way 216 Heiman St 22 Forest Hill Dr 23 Lewis Cres
251 Margaret Ave 26 Forest Glen Crt 29 Biehn Dr 29 Melvern Crt
30 Briar Knoll Dr 31 Huntley Cres 31 Woodman’s Crt 342 Oprington Pl
343 Oprington Pl 346 Frederick St 36 Dodge Dr 36 Gildner St
38 Carlyle Pl 38 Darlington Pl 385 Duke St W 39 Medford St
40 Carlyle Pl 40 Furness Dr 41 Broadleaf Pl 42 General Dr
43 Hillmount St 43 Shea Cres 46 Covington Cres 447 Casey Dr
5 Carlyle Pl 5 Dekay St 50 Forest Glen Cres 50 Forest Hill Dr
50 Lydia St 502 Manchester Rd 52 Colebrook Crt 52 Nine Pines Rd
563 Fallview Crt 54 Hohner Ave 54 Wycliffe Pl 57 Betzner Ave N
57 Robertson Cres 59 Camrose Crt 59 Lydia St 59 Manor Dr
6 Anastasia Dr 5 Dekay St 6 Manor Dr 61 Kingswood Dr
65 Chartwell Crt 66 Peter St 68 Larkspur Cres 69 Colebrook Crt
71 Birchcliff Ave 71 Erinbrook Dr 73 Four Seasons Crt 74 Roehampton Crt
78 Carlyle Dr 8 Sunbridge Cres 80 General Dr 801 Strasburg Rd
81 Carnaby Cres 83 Kimberly Cres 83 Radcliffe Dr 84 Chelsea Rd
84 Kensington Ave 85 Chapel St 868 Union St 87 Forest Glen Crt
88 Calmcrest Dr 89 Geneva Cres 90 Church St 920 Erinbrook Crt
94 Brookfield Cres 96 Briar Knoll Dr 97 Cartier Dr 97 Devonglen Dr
The Bloom Bike tour
This year’s Bloom Bike tour was held on Sunday, June 26. The group of 10 avid bike-riders, led by Kitchener in Bloom committee members, toured the Country Hills area then enjoyed refreshments following the ride.
The Bloom Bus tour
The Bloom Bus tour is a FREE tour of selected properties showcasing the various styles and environmentally-friendly gardening being practiced in our community. This year’s registered participants spent a lovely afternoon being escorted to various locations in the Forest Hills and Forest Heights areas then stopped for a break at the Forest Heights Community Centre.
The Program
The KIB program is not a contest, but a recognition program that exists to show appreciation for the efforts of Kitchener citizens in helping to make the city look beautiful. This year’s annual program is made up of four components:
Residential front-yard recognition: Recognizes residents who turn their front yards into a charming haven, filled with gardens and greenery. All nominated properties receive a lawn flag to display in their front yard as recognition for their contribution to making our city beautiful. Ten properties are selected for the Bloom Bus tour as examples of all of the wonderful work being done around our city. In addition, approximately 120 properties are invited to a celebration finale held at Victoria Park Pavilion in mid-September.
Environmental recognition awards: Recognizes those who practice environmental solutions while maintaining beautiful lawns and gardens. Winning methods include the use of drought resistant plant material and native plant species; use of compost and water barrels; supporting bees and butterflies; compliance with watering restrictions and the pesticide bylaw.
Business recognition: Honours businesses that make a contribution to the city’s visual appeal through the beauty of their property. Businesses recognized in 2015 include:
1254 Union Street South – Hacienda Sarria
298 Lawrence Avenue – Hospice of Waterloo Region
725 Belmont Avenue West – Raja Fine Indian Cuisine
1250 Weber Street East – Emmanuel Village
307 Queen Street South – Bread and Roses Co-op Homes
Note: Government properties and places of worship are not eligible.
Stormwater Management Recognition:
In 2014, the KIB committee in co-operation with the City of Kitchener’s Stormwater Utility, chose to annually recognize a business that adopts on-site controls to manage stormwater (i.e. cisterns, rain barrels, a rain garden, infiltration galleries and permeable pavers) in the overall context of a beautiful garden. In 2015, a residential component was added and a property was selected to receive recognition.
2014 Stormwater Management Award for Businesses: Carpenter Properties Inc for their building and grounds at 582 Lancaster Street West
2015 Stormwater Management Award for Businesses: Ontario Die, 235 Gage Avenue
2015 Stormwater Management Award for Private Residence: 77 Strange Street
The KIB Committee
The Kitchener in Bloom Committee is comprised of staff liaisons and area residents – volunteers who are interested in all things “garden”. The group gets together each month from January to October to plan and facilitate the program. Committee positions are open periodically. Interested in joining the committee? Email to kitchenerinbloom@kitchener.ca or call 519-741-2200 ext 7224.
Criteria Selection
Category nominations are evaluated by a panel of local business and municipal judges, including members of the Kitchener Horticultural Society, Landscape Ontario and Kitchener Master Gardeners. Properties are evaluated on the following:
Contribution to the neighbourhood “curb appeal” (perspective viewed from the adjacent municipal roadway(s).
Design features including originality of design, proportion and scale, coordination and harmony of colour, surface treatment (appropriate and varied).
Maintenance and horticulture practices including healthy plant life, good up-keep, cleanliness.
Special features, highlights or extraordinary effort.
Compliance with watering restrictions and pesticide bylaw.
Environmental considerations also include use of drought resistant plant material and native plant species.
For more inf0, please contact Linda Pretty at 519-741-2200 ext 7224 or Janice Ouellette at 519-741-2200 ext 7227.
