.png)
Communities in Bloom
Brant is blooming into action! We are thrilled to announce that the County of Brant will be participating in Communities in Bloom 2025!
Communities in Bloom is a Canadian non-profit organization committed to fostering civic pride, environmental responsibility and beautification through community involvement and an annual national program that challenges communities to enhance green spaces.
.jpg)
Eric Tomlinson Access Point, Glen Morris
The theme for 2025 is Edible Gardens
The County of Brant is proud to participate in the 2025 Communities in Bloom tour with a special focus on edible landscaping. We’re encouraging residents, businesses, and community groups to plant gardens featuring fruits, vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers.
Not only do edible gardens look stunning, but they also contribute to food security and sustainability in our community. Whether you’re a gardening expert or just starting, there’s a way for everyone to get involved!
For ideas and ways to get involved, visit our Get Involved in Communities in Bloom page.
Six Factors of Judging Criteria
This July, the County of Brant will proudly host two Communities in Bloom judges for an exclusive tour of our beautiful and thriving communities. During their visit, the judges will evaluate based on the following criteria:
| Community Appearance |
|
Community appearance reflects an overall effort by the municipality, businesses, institutions and the residents throughout the community to create great first impressions and a sense that there is continuous attention and upkeep to critical elements of a community that benefit quality of life and economic vitality Elements for evaluation are: parks and green spaces, medians, boulevards, sidewalks, streets; municipal, commercial, institutional and residential properties; ditches, road shoulders, vacant lots, signs and buildings; weed control, litter clean-up (including cigarette butts and gum), graffiti prevention/removal and vandalism deterrent programs. |
| Environmental Action |
| Environmental action pertains to the impact of human activities on the environment and the subsequent efforts and achievements of the community with respect to: environmental stewardship, policies, by-laws, programs and best practices for waste reduction and landfill diversion, composting sites, landfill sites, hazardous waste collections, water conservation, energy conservation, and activities under the guiding principles of sustainable development pertaining to green spaces. |
| Heritage Conservation |
|
Heritage conservation includes efforts to preserve and protect both natural and cultural heritage within the community. Preservation of natural heritage pertains to policies, plans and actions concerning all elements of biodiversity including flora and fauna ecosystems and associated geological structures and formations. Cultural conservation represents the “persona” of a community and refers to the heritage that helps define the community including the legacy of tangible (built/hard assets) elements such as heritage buildings, monuments, memorials, cemeteries, artifacts, museums and intangible elements such as traditions, customs, festivals and celebrations. The participation of groups such as historical societies, traditional cultural groups, and conservation groups is considered. |
| Tree Management |
| Woodlands, Canopy Management, Urban and Rural Forestry includes the efforts of the municipality, businesses, institutions and residents with regards to written policies, by-laws, standards for tree management protection (selection, planting, and maintenance), long and short-term management plans, tree replacement policies, pollinator-friendly tree selection, tree inventory including heritage, memorial, and commemorative trees, and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs. |
| Landscape |
|
Landscape includes planning, design, construction and maintenance of parks, green spaces and cemeteries suitable for the intended use and location on a year-round basis. Elements for evaluation include: native and introduced materials; biodiversity, materials and constructed elements; appropriate integration of hard surfaces and art elements, use of turf and groundcovers. Landscape design should harmonize the interests of all sectors of the community and provide safe and secure public spaces. Standards of execution and maintenance should demonstrate best practices, including quality of naturalization, use of groundcovers and wildflowers along with turf management. |
| Plant and Floral Displays |
| This category evaluates the efforts of the municipality, businesses, institutions and residents to design, plan, execute, and maintain plant and floral displays of high quality standards. Evaluation includes the design and arrangements of flowers and plants (annuals, perennials, bulbs, ornamental grasses, edible plants, water efficient and pollinator friendly plants) in the context of originality, distribution, location, diversity and balance, colour, and harmony. It also pertains to flowerbeds, carpet bedding, containers, baskets and window boxes. |
What You Can Do
There are a number of fun ways you can get involved and participate in Communities in Bloom this year. From planting to beautification, together we can work together to make Brant bloom!
Communities in Bloom History in Brant
| 2024 Communities in Bloom |
|
For the 2024 campaign, everyone was encouraged to plant orange, as well as pollinator and native plants to showcase our Communities in Bloom spirit, and help create a healthier ecosystem! The 2024 year marks the 30th anniversary of Communities in Bloom, and the County of Brant’s inaugural year of participating! Check out the 2024 Brant in Bloom - Community Profile (PDF)! The Community Profile showcases the beauty, sustainability practices, ecology and diverse attractions that make the County of Brant a vibrant and dynamic place to live and visit. Results:Three Blooms and the Urban Forestry Criteria Award for the County of Brant!The County of Brant is proud to have been awarded three blooms and the Urban Forestry Criteria Award in its inaugural year participating in the 2024 Communities in Bloom (CiB) program. This achievement reflects the collective efforts of the community, staff, and leadership, and highlights our commitment to environmental sustainability, heritage preservation, and civic pride.
The CiB judges praised the County of Brant for a number of outstanding accomplishments, including the well-organized presentation of the Community Profile, which used innovative technology to showcase key aspects of the area. The judges’ feedback highlighted several strengths in Brant’s presentation, including the inclusion of Indigenous history, a comprehensive and well-organized website, and strong collaboration across municipal departments.
Recommendations were also provided and the County looks forward to continuing to build on this years success and planning for improvements by collaborating with community members to further elevate our standing in the Communities in Bloom program.
|
