July 15, 2016 – The City of Midland will host representatives from national beautification organization America in Bloom for two days next week as the community competes in the 2016 National Awards contest. The program, which promotes nationwide beautification through education and community involvement by encouraging the use of flowers, trees, plants, and other environmental and lifestyle enhancements, has included more than 22 million citizens throughout the United States since its inception in 2002.
AIB judges will tour Midland on Thursday, July 21 and Friday, July 22 to evaluate the community based on a number of factors, including heritage preservation, landscaping, environmental efforts, floral displays, urban forestry, and overall impression. The winning communities will be announced at the 2016 Symposium & Awards program in Arroyo Grande, California on Saturday, October 8, 2016.
Community involvement is an important component of the awards process, so residents are invited to take part by painting, planting, and tidying up their homes, businesses, and neighborhoods to aid in beautification efforts. In addition, the City has launched a “Secret Garden” contest to honor residents’ private garden areas in conjunction with the AIB program and the 2016 Appreciation of Beautification Awards. Residents can nominate their favorite “secret garden” by submitting two photos and the nomination form at www.cityofmidlandmi.gov/1599/America-in-Bloom. Secret Garden submissions must be received by August 1, with winning gardens announced at the annual ABA awards banquet in November 2016.
For more information on the City’s AIB submission, please visit http://bit.ly/midlandaib. For more information on America in Bloom, visit www.americainbloom.org.
