Making Helena Beautiful
Making Helena beautiful is a duty we all share and one we can all take pride in
Getting on the subject of beautification is like picking up a tangled skein of wool. All the threads are interwoven - recreation and pollution and mental health, and the crime rate, and mass transit, and highway beautification, and the war on poverty, and parks - national, state and local. It is hard to hitch the conversation into one straight line, because everything leads to something else" - Lady Bird Johnson, 1965
When I read these words, I thought how relevant they still are today. With all that is happening in the world, the need to bring citizens and businesses together for the common purpose of beautifying our community is as strong as ever. The Helena Beautification Board is working hard to establish and maintain a sustainalbe plan for beautifying Helena and we need your help and cooperation.
Making Helena beautiful is a duty that we all share and can take pride in. This endeavor creates a sense of collective accomplishment and enhances the world around us in a multitude of ways. We welcome your feedback and suggestions as we explore ways to make life better for all. We will be good environmental stewards of our resources by selecting plants, shrubs and flowers that are sustainable, disease resistant heat and drought tolerant. We want to encourage you to do the same and we'll provide resources and educational opportunities through seminars and "how to" events to help you accomplish your individual goals.
I want to challenge everyone to show your Helena pride by making an extra effort in your own yard. By planting flowers, trees and shrubs at our own home, you enrich the overall look of your neighborhood and by doing so reap some of the great benefits of beautification; increased property values, attracting business investment as well as creating a sense of harmony and community among those around you.
Most of us have access to PC's, tablets and smart phones and post to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as well as other social media outlets. I want to encourage you to post pictures of our beautiful town, of local landscapes, events and all things that make Helena a beautiful place to live work and shop. Use the #HelenaAL hashtag in your posts. It will serve as a collective calling card to the tens of millioins social media users who want a glimpse of what life in small town America is all about.
To quote another phrase from Lady Bird Johnson, "Paint it up, Pick it up, Plant it up," Together, we make Helena beautiful.
When I read these words, I thought how relevant they still are today. With all that is happening in the world, the need to bring citizens and businesses together for the common purpose of beautifying our community is as strong as ever. The Helena Beautification Board is working hard to establish and maintain a sustainalbe plan for beautifying Helena and we need your help and cooperation.
Making Helena beautiful is a duty that we all share and can take pride in. This endeavor creates a sense of collective accomplishment and enhances the world around us in a multitude of ways. We welcome your feedback and suggestions as we explore ways to make life better for all. We will be good environmental stewards of our resources by selecting plants, shrubs and flowers that are sustainable, disease resistant heat and drought tolerant. We want to encourage you to do the same and we'll provide resources and educational opportunities through seminars and "how to" events to help you accomplish your individual goals.
I want to challenge everyone to show your Helena pride by making an extra effort in your own yard. By planting flowers, trees and shrubs at our own home, you enrich the overall look of your neighborhood and by doing so reap some of the great benefits of beautification; increased property values, attracting business investment as well as creating a sense of harmony and community among those around you.
Most of us have access to PC's, tablets and smart phones and post to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as well as other social media outlets. I want to encourage you to post pictures of our beautiful town, of local landscapes, events and all things that make Helena a beautiful place to live work and shop. Use the #HelenaAL hashtag in your posts. It will serve as a collective calling card to the tens of millioins social media users who want a glimpse of what life in small town America is all about.
To quote another phrase from Lady Bird Johnson, "Paint it up, Pick it up, Plant it up," Together, we make Helena beautiful.
About The Author
Nicknamed "The Redneck Rosarian", Chris VanCleave is passionate about gardening and growing roses. He is an active member of the Birmingham chapter of the American Rose Society, serving two terms as President. In 2007, he created the Rose Chat Podcast which has reached over a half a million listeners with news and information on growing the world's most beloved flower, the rose. He was a contributor to the 2015 Southern Living Gardening Book, has appeared on P. Allen Smith's Garden Home television show and was featured in the June 2015 issue of Southern Living Magazine. Locally, Chris serves as Chairman of the Helena Beautification Board where he has spearheaded efforts to create a sustainable landscape in one of the Top 100 places to live in the US. His writing is seen on About.com, HGTV, Home Depot Gardening Club and on his popular website; RedneckRosarian.com, where he chronicles his gardening adventures and explores an intrinsic mix of life, faith and gardening. An agent of change with over 20 years' experience in process innovation, Mr. VanCleave is leading the charge to reinvigorate horticulture societies and helping them to reach their full potential in the social media age.