The Re-Blooming of Front Yards in Bloom

Every spring, for the last 25 years, people all across Edmonton nominated beautiful front gardens for recognition in the Front Yards in Bloom program. It was an annual tradition that was welcomed and celebrated in communities.  Unfortunately, in April this year, the City decided to withdraw funding for the program citing budgetary constraints.  This has left the partners (the Edmonton Horticultural Society, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers) and supporting organizations like ENPS very disappointed. (As a retired letter carrier, I found nominating front yards to be a highlight of spring.)  Everyone felt that FYIB was a strong community-building program that delivered a big impact for a relatively small financial cost. And the growth in interest in creating alternative front yards, like edible and native plant yards, was no doubt sparked by FYIB. 

A working group has been formed with the former partners, along with the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues (EFCL), Salisbury Greenhouses and ENPS, to keep FYIB blooming. Starting May 20, EFCL is canvassing community leagues to have yards nominated by volunteers in each community. Nominated yards will have postcards delivered to them in recognition. On June 3, at the EFCL AGM, participating leagues will collect information packages and nominate yards. ENPS will act as the technical experts on the growing of native plants in gardens and be willing to provide information to interested community leagues.  Salisbury Greenhouses will sponsor a spring growing festival and workshops.  

We are hopeful that there will be sufficient interest to keep FYIB going.  We are looking for businesses to sponsor the program so that the small nominating signs can re-appear, along with the spirit of community that makes FYIB a special tradition in Edmonton.