This coming Monday, July 11, judges from Communities in Bloom will be touring Stettler to decide whether or not the community is living up to its five-bloom reputation.
The annual competition judges the community not just on physical appearance, but also factors in eco-friendly programs, heritage building preservation, cultural opportunities and more.
This year’s judges are Gaétan Deschênes, from Saint-Basile-le-Grand, Que. and Evelyn Alemanni, from Elfin Forest, Cali.
Alemanni, a writer, photographer and award-winning gardener, had her garden named one of Good Morning America’s five best gardens in the United States in 2001. She is on the board of directors of the San Diego Botanical Garden and a town councillor of Elfin Forest. She has been involved with America in Bloom since 2002, and Canada’s Communities in Bloom since 2005.
Deschênes spent 30 years working for Radio-Canada (French-language CBC) as a journalist and editor, but has always had a passion for gardening and horticulture, a press release said.
He has published six books on the subject, regularly publishes feature articles in magazines, and presented Canada’s Francophone community with coverage of several private and public gardens across Canada, the United States and Europe.
He has been working with Communities in Bloom as a judge since 2008.
With the judging tour coming up this Monday, members of the Heartland Beautification Committee are hoping local residents will be willing to help tidy up and show the community at its best.