Lexington gets national recognition with ‘America in Bloom’ awards

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ)- Lexington is getting national recognition from the America in Bloom organization.  The non-profit group says it promotes nationwide beautification through education and community involvement.

The awards Lexington received are for having the most effective wayfinding signs, and for scoring highest in this year’s competition in the more than 40,000 population category.

“The award for the wayfinding signs was one of the surprise categories,” says Ann Garrity, chair of the America in Bloom Lexington group. “Lexington’s signs were judged the best. All 39 communities had an equal shot at receiving this award.”

Garrity says Lexington scored 844 points out of a possible 1,000 for the overall ranking, beating out the other cities competing in that category. The city earned four blooms, with a score only one point shy of receiving the organization’s top-ranking of five blooms.

“While the America in Bloom program appeals especially to smaller cities and towns, larger cities such as Lexington benefit from having outside evaluation and recommendations for making Lexington even more beautiful,” Garrity says. “For our annual membership cost of $1,500, we get a professional evaluation that would normally cost a great deal more from a private consultant.”

Garrity says the America in Bloom judges cited two other achievements in the city: downtown landscaping and the urban tree canopy.

She says, “Every hanging basket, rain garden, and big pot you see on Main, Vine, and now on Short Street, are cared for by Cathy Mobley of Parks and Recreation and her terrific landscape team…Cathy and her crew work almost non-stop to provide these gorgeous installations. It’s a priority for Mayor Gray, much like beautification was a priority for Mayor Dailey in Chicago some years ago. The only exceptions are the equally stunning pots and small landscapes that many businesses maintain.”

Lexington placed second to Fairhope, Alabama, for its urban forestry program. “It was nice to be recognized by the America in Bloom judges for our efforts to enhance and preserve Lexington’s urban tree canopy,” Tim Queary, the city’s urban forester said.