07/10/12 America in Bloom announced that the judges will be visiting Plymouth July 17-19, to evaluate the progress Plymouth has made in the past year and to offer suggestions for further beautification of our community.
Mr. Jack Clasen has been with AIB since its inception judging communities, universities, and business districts throughout the United States. In 2009 he was the international representative for AIB judging towns in Canada, Ireland, and Scotland.
Jack chairs the Contest Committee, is judge coordinator and serves on the AIB Board of Directors.
As a Master Gardner Jack is an avid volunteer. He co-founded “Mason in Bloom”, chaired the annual “Art in the Garden Tour”, supervised the period restoration of the historical society property, and spearheaded Mason’s participation in AIB in 2004 and 2005.
Jack’s own garden was selected as one of the ten best amateur gardens in Cincinnati, filmed for Home and Gardens TV”s DIY Network, scouted by editors of “Better Homes and Gardens”, and featured in the October 2007, issue of Cincinnati Magazine.
Mr. Billy Butterfield has been active in the landscape field for 35 years. His management experience is vast and diverse in the areas of commercial and industrial landscape management. Billy is certified and licensed in all areas of landscape and horticulture management. He serves on numerous committees such as Orange County Horticulture Advisory Committee, The FNGLA Landscape Show committee, and the Water Star Technical Advisory committee with the St. Johns Water Management District.
Billy is Manager of AmeriScapes Landscape Management Services, LLC, a landscape management company he started in 1955 which has grown into a $4 million operation covering four central Florida counties.
The judges will be evaluating Plymouth on our efforts in management, planning, maintenance, improvement, and innovation of the following criteria: Floral Displays, Landscape Areas, Urban Forestry, Environmental Efforts, Heritage Preservation and overall Impression. These areas will be given a Bloom Rating ranging from one bloom to five blooms. Last year was Plymouth’s first year they received a two bloom rating.
We encourage all residents to take a look around their home and see what they can do to make it more attractive—pick up the trash, clean the weeds out of the sidewalks, mowed the grass, trim the bushes and weed the flowers. If everyone worked on their home and helped your neighbors if they are unable to do the work, we can really make a difference.
