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Freshly planted containers are ready to go to the Downtown area where visitors and residents alike enjoy their cheeriness and color. America in Bloom is doing as much beautification as possible for the May visit of AIB national competition judges.
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America in Bloom: Downtown,
Fire Station #1 beautified by volunteers
April 10, 2015
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
America in Bloom (AIB) is always in action but there’s a new urgency in their projects as the date that judges for the national beautification competition will visit Santa Paula approaches.
Some projects are ongoing, such as the beautification of the Downtown area that required AIB volunteers to replant merchants’ flowerboxes.
According to AIB Santa Paula Chapter President Dianne Davis, “Funds for this latest project were donated by Santa Paula Downtown Merchants Association and America In Bloom Santa Paula as well as Frank’s Hardware, Gonzales Furniture, Bailey’s Vacuum, Corina’s Discorama, and Sheila Tate funded the purchase of flowers from DoRight’s Plant Growers for this project.
“There will be several more beautification projects before the judges from the National America in Bloom arrive in May to judge Santa Paula’s entry in the contest.”
America in Bloom also spent part of Saturday replanting the South 10th Street Santa Paula Fire Station #1 with drought tolerant plants, which Davis said with the ongoing drought are becoming more common.
“Much of our business is now focused on drought tolerant plants,” said Davis, who owns DoRight’s with her husband, Dudley. “You have to change with the times … ”
Although many drought tolerant plants are extremely attractive, flowers in baskets and planters are also smart because they are compact and require less water.
Even the historic Glen Tavern Inn came in for some AIB grooming with four special window planters outside the Enzo’s Restaurant portion of the hotel.
“Glen Tavern is again hosting the AIB judges this year,” said Davis.
“We’re a very lucky organization with many volunteers,” including Future Farmers of America under the direction of coordinator Alex Flores.
Davis is urging residents of Santa Paula to take extra care of the exteriors of their homes to present the city’s best face with the AIB judges coming this May
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Anthony Felix of the Future Farmers of America was one of the volunteers at DoRight’s Plant Nursery that helped America in Bloom refresh planters with new flowers for Downtown display. |
