Results from our first Blackstone in Bloom competition:
See how these communities are making
Blackstone Valley more beautiful.
Five of our Rhode Island Blackstone Valley communities participated in the first Blackstone in Bloom contest hosted by Keep Blackstone Valley Beautiful (KBVB) a program of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council. This friendly competition was an opportunity between our cities and towns to pick a spot, beautify it, enter to win bragging rights and possible cash prizes, while making a new beautified location in their municipality.
Slideshows for each community are below.
The first slide of each slideshow shows the site prior to the project.
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Smithfield – Anna McCabe SchoolThe Town of Smithfield picked a barren area in front of Anna McCabe School on Pleasant View Avenue, and turned it into a beautiful display of trees, perennials and flowers. Now this garden along the new basketball court, designed with proper storm water flow, brings color, interest and wildlife to an area that was once dirt. Paul Pasquariello drew a planting design, with Parks & Recreation, Public Works, the Rotary Club, Rotary Interactive Group and Smithfield Public Schools all working together to accomplish this project. |
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Burrillville – Bleiweis ParkThe Town of Burrillville redesigned Bleiweis Park on Sherman Farm Road, and turned this park into a wonderful peaceful area that makes you want to stay awhile. Burrillville Parks and Recreation, Lions Club and the Conservation Commission planted many new shrubs, trees and perennials, improved the beautiful stone marker and park sign, and designed storm water runoff to recreate this area. Bleiweis Park borders a fishing area, and offers picnic tables and a grill for all to enjoy. |
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Cumberland – Cumberland MonasteryThe Town of Cumberland picked a town treasure and replanted the entrance at the Cumberland Monastery on Diamond Hill Road. This area had gotten overgrown hiding both the beautiful stone wall and the memorial centerpiece. By reusing some plants from the old police station, planting many new shrubs and perennials and refurbishing the signs, this new garden design now matches the feeling of the park. This plan was completed with town administration and a council member, the Highway Department and town volunteers. |
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Glocester – Glocester Senior CenterThe Town of Glocester tackled a very large garden at their Senior Center on Putman Pike. This garden was overgrown and hidden with old debris, but is now a beautiful multi-flowering location showing many different types of perennials with a well thought out color palette. The Conservation Commission organized this project and did a wonderful job bringing this back to a thriving garden. |
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Pawtucket – Festival PierThe City of Pawtucket enhanced their Festival Pier entrance on Tim Healey Way. The sign was overgrown with trees and weeds. Their project now turned this into a beautiful nautical-themed welcome at popular spot along the Blackstone River. Parks and Recreation and the Public Works Dept. worked together chipping the brush, improving the sign, planting sea grasses and perennials, mulching, and seeding the area to make these improvements. |
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Recommended Planting Choices for our Area
Wondering what plants work best in our area? The URI Master Gardner program has all kinds of suggestions that share choices that thrive in our local climate.