From www.clientsolv.com

Despite popular belief, Springfield In Full Bloom is not just about horticulture and cleaning up garden beds.  The activity of the people within the community is just as important.  Volunteering serves as a type of community glue:  as residents come together to improve the condition and image of their city, the members of that place find a sense of identity and pride. 

There is a selfless, altruistic value behind volunteering.  But aside from this “feel-good” effect, several other benefits come from giving of oneself for the greater good.

Learn or develop a new skill.  If you’ve been looking for an excuse to learn home renovation, care for flowers and trees, or even learn a thing or two about Springfield’s history, getting involved with bloom projects can be just the place to expand your knowledge. 

Get motivation and a sense of achievement.  Pick a volunteer position that plays on your interests and passions.  By serving in this way, your desire and enthusiasm for volunteer work is sincere.  This is a simple way to find the joy in giving of oneself.  Seeing your hard work result in a finished project or another person’s happiness gives you a sense of achievement that will encourage ongoing meaningful work.

Boost your career options. By adding a volunteer experience section to your resume, employers will get a sense of your interests and values on top of your professional strivings.  Employers want to know their employees are active, influential citizens of the city where they work.  It doesn’t hurt to show them you have the drive to take on your own personal endeavors.

Meet new people.  You might be surprised at the type of people you can meet digging up weeds, picking up litter on city streets or serving at local events.  Serving alongside other residents and community members can form lasting bonds that not only expand your social group and network where you live, but increases community identity as well.

Have new experiences.  It’s true—service can be FUN! Whether you’ve done a lot of serving in the past or you’re looking to jump in for the first time, you can always find something new to do to give back to your city and your fellow neighbor.  So find something that sparks your interest; you can even suggest new projects to serve in new, exciting ways.

Find out more on how volunteering can benefit you at Wolrd Volunteer Web.

This year, Springfield In Full Bloom projects need volunteers to help promote the great aspects of the community.  By giving of your time, your energy, your passions and your skills to beautification efforts, you’re sure to find numerous reasons to take pride in the community you live in.

Want to know how you can get started? Contact a local organization that is already involved in community efforts; these include 4-H, Clark County Waste Management District, Springfield Kiwanis, Springfield Rotary, the Council of Neighborhood Associations, Master Gardeners, Keep Clark County Beautiful and more.  Keep checking back on this blog for helpful tips and news on upcoming opportunities to support Springfield In Full Bloom’s mission to increase community pride.  You can also follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/springfieldinfullbloom) for all the latest news and to share your suggestions and ideas.

From www.DenverGov.org

Perhaps you’re an individual who tries to live by green standards. You minimize your water and electricity use, you carpool and ride your bike when you can, and you even have a recycle bin for paper, plastics, and glass.  But what should you do with all that garbage that can’t be recycled?  Yard scraps, fruit skins, coffee grounds–you can’t throw these in the recycling, so what can be done?

Even if you aren’t practicing the latest green techniques, reusing your kitchen and yard waste can make your home’s gardens and floral displays healthier and more vibrant.  Composting takes the trash from your kitchen and lawn and turns it into usable fertilizer that makes it easier for your plants to grow. 

To learn more about composting as a way to reduce waste, attend the Waste Reduction 101: Introduction to Composting workshop on Wednesday, March 16, from 7:00 p.m. until 8:30 p.m.  The class is free to attend and will feature information and tools to make waste reduction simple and easy.  The workshop will take place in City Hall Forum, located at 76 E. High Street.  In order to register, call (937) 521-2025 or you can email your name, phone number, and home address to ccompton@clarkcountyohio.gov. 

If you want a better idea of what you’ll be in for at the workshop, here’s a brief rundown on composting practices:

What is compost? – From grass clippings to hair trimmings, there are numerous materials that can enrich your garden and make it easier for your plants and crop to grow. Other examples include:

• Coffee grounds
• Tea bags
• Raw fruit and vegetable scraps
• Wood chips
• Corncobs and stalks
• Shredded newspaper

How does composting work? – Nutrients from scraps can be absorbed by microbes in the soil of your garden, plant box and pots.  This gives the microbes added energy and material to function more effectively, which also helps plants grow. The material also loosens up the soil and allows air and water to travel to the roots of plants better.

What are the benefits to composting? – When you use compost in a garden or floral box, roots can penetrate the soil better.  The soil is able to hold water and nutrients more effectively, and the compost itself provides some of those nutrients. All of this improves the overall health of your plants.

What shouldn’t I use as compost? – Here’s  a quick list of things to avoid putting in with your plants:

• Food with meat, dairy or oils
• Pet feces (dog, cat or bird)
• Diseased plants
• Weeds gone to seed
• Ash from charcoal or coal

There are lots of different ways to go about composting. If you’re wondering where to start, the Clark County Waste Management District has a lot of information on composting and other ways to reduce, reuse and recycle around your home and in the community.  These are great tips as you start to prepare for spring, especially if you’re looking to make your home stand out during this summer’s Springfield In Full Bloom and the judges’ visit.  By turning your garbage into “garden gold,” you can help the environment while making your home look good.

From www.americainbloom.org

You may not have known it, but Springfield In Full Bloom is a locally organized campaign of a larger organization called America In Bloom.  So what exactly is this organization all about?

America In Bloom is an independent, non-profit organization that has been around since 2002, working to beautify our nation and implant a sense of national and community pride in towns and cities throughout the United States.  This is accomplished through their annual beautification competition.  Their mission is to “promote nationwide beautification through education and community involvement by encouraging the use of flowers, plants, trees, and other environmental and lifestyle enhancements.”

This will be Springfield’s second year entering its locally-branded initiative as part of the contest amongst other similar cities across the country.  Each city is visited by judges, who evaluate the beautification efforts of the community.  If you think this contest is all about flowers and gardening, consider the eight criteria that the judges use in determining a city’s beauty:

• Tidiness – the cleanliness of the city
• Environmental Awareness –the city’s sustainability efforts and green practices
• Community Involvement – citizens’ roles in bettering their town
• Heritage Preservation – the maintenance of historical and cultural hallmarks of an area
• Urban Forestry – the green spaces and municipal policies regarding nature
• Landscaped Areas – the appearance of locations such as homes, businesses, etc.
• Floral Displays – plant arrangements and accents around a city
• Turf and Ground Cover Areas – upkeep of recreational and other green spaces

America In Bloom is about more than encouraging pretty city practices.  The yearly program strives to develop a sense of community and identity in American towns.  While the contest only takes place over the summer, the objective aims to spur on beautification efforts year-round.  The achievements of each entered city is celebrated and awarded at the following Symposium and Award Ceremony. 

While America In Bloom looks at the municipal and business sectors, it also stresses the importance of private properties and the individual citizen’s role in making their town beautiful.  As plans come together for Springfield In Full Bloom 2011, consider what you might do to play your part in making Springfield shine. 

Not sure where to begin? Join us on March 2, at 6:30 p.m.  in City Hall’s forum room to brainstorm and discuss what the 2011 initiative could look like. 

For more information on America In Bloom, check out www.AmericaInBloom.org.

It’s that time once again!

The Springfield community is invited to join current committee members on March 2 to begin making plans for this summer’s Springfield in Full Bloom contest. The meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 2 in city hall’s Forum Room, located at 76 E. High Street in downtown Springfield.

Springfield in Full Bloom, the local name of Springfield’s entry into the America in Bloom competition, seeks to promote the city’s sense of community through education, environmental enhancements of the city and lifestyle enrichment of local citizens.  This grassroots movement accomplishes these goals through encouraging the use and care of flowers, plants, trees, and landscaping, as well as community involvement and volunteerism.

Community members are called to join the discussion over this year’s initiatives and project ideas.  Residents are encouraged to share their own ideas for potential projects to increase the city’s aesthetics and boost community pride.  

“This city has many aspects that set it apart from other competitors,” said Pam Bennett, Ohio State University Extension horticulturist and the Master Gardeners state coordinator.  “There were great initiatives started last year, and this year has the potential for even more community involvement in new and continuing beautification efforts.”

Last year, Springfield in Full Bloom featured such efforts as the Buck Creek Ecocorridor Project, the new hospital located downtown, the city’s Graffiti Removal Unit, and the individual efforts of citizens and businesses “sprucing up” their own properties. 

“We have high expectations this year,” said Melanie Wilt, the committee chair for Springfield in Full Bloom. “Last year we received a 3 out of 5 Bloom rating; this year, we’re hoping to increase that rating as more community members take part.”

On behalf of the Springfield in Full Bloom committee, I am pleased to announce the winners of the Beautification Contest are John Michael Hart from Assist-2-Sell and the Baker residence at 818 North Fountain Avenue. The winners were chosen through a random drawing and will be receiving generous prizes donated from local businesses.

We appreciate everyone’s involvement in the 2010 contest. Our participation has helped Springfield foster a sense of local pride, boost local economic development and garner national recognition for our community.

We are starting to plan for our 2011 entry into the American in Bloom competition and again would appreciate your continued support. We believe that with continued community support, Springfield will be even more competitive in the 2011 competition!

Assist-2-Sell Before

Assist-2-Sell After

The Beautification Contest with the “Before and After” beautification pictures is coming to a close on September 30, 2010, when pictures must be delivered by 5:00 PM to:

Wilt Public Relations
20 S. Limestone St.
Suite 247
Springfield, OH 45503

The winner of the Beautification contest will be announced the first week in October, the same weekend that the winner of the America in Bloom Contest will be announced at the 2010 America in Bloom Symposium & Awards Event. Keep an eye on the America in Bloom website on October 2 to find out the national winners of the contest, at www.americainbloom.org.