Communities in Bloom launches Hope is Growing campaign

By Catherine Riediger

REGIONAL — Nanos Research — a Canadian public opinion and research company — tells us that 31 per cent of Canadians between the age of 18 and 34 expect to spend more time gardening in 2021 than in 2020.

Over the past year, everyone has been touched by the COVID-19 pandemic in some way.

For 2021, the National Communities in Bloom (CiB) has launched a ‘Hope is Growing’ campaign.

The goal of this campaign is to encourage Canadians to plant a garden of hope this summer featuring the colour yellow – a refreshing theme after a difficult year.

Yellow is the international colour of hope and represents the colour of happiness and optimism, of sunshine and spring, and of enlightenment and energy.

Anyone and everyone, including municipalities, organizations, schools, churches, colleges and universities, clubs, businesses and especially residents, can participate by planting a Hope Garden.

As the National CiB states: “From parks to playgrounds, front yards, back yards, balconies, baskets, boulevards, barrels and planters, wherever there’s an empty space there is room for a plant, and together we can make this happen”.

If you are interested in participating, here’s what you can do:

• Spread the word and talk about it with your neighbours, friends and family.

• Offer suggestions on plants (annuals and perennials) to incorporate in the gardens.

• Offer starter plants or seeds from your collection and encourage everyone to develop a garden of hope.

Here are a few plant suggestions for a yellow-themed garden: Begonias, Black-Eyed Susan, Daffodils, Daylilies, Irises, Jerusalem Artichoke, Marigolds, Pansies, Petunias, Primulas, Sedums (yellow foliage), Sunflowers, Tulips, Violas and many more.

If you Google “yellow flowers”, you’ll get a lot of ideas.

A super goal would be to bring Leamington to life with drifts of yellow, repeated throughout our community in 2021 and let the winds of spring blow away the COVID blues and usher in the bright renewing yellow hues.

So, join us in planting the seeds of hope in 2021. Plant your Hope Garden, take a photo of it, share it on social media and ask your friends to do the same.

Tag @CiBCef (Instagram) or @communitiesinbloom (Facebook) and use the hashtag #HopeisGrowing to spread hope across Canada in 2021.

Once you have entered your Hope Garden, you will become eligible for national and global recognition for your efforts! You will also receive a downloadable Hope Garden sign, logos and get some garden ideas. After all, the garden is where Hope is Growing.

For more information visit www. hopeisgrowing.ca or email communication@cib-cef.com.

Also, Communities in Bloom is proclaiming that the week of May 2 has been designated as Communities in Bloom Week and will annually recognize and celebrate the benefits derived from participation, and celebrate the countless volunteers and individuals that make our communities great places to live.