‘Love Your Yard’ signs showcase the blooming beauty of Whitecourt

Signs that say Love Your Yard have been popping up in front yards throughout the community
over the last month as Whitecourt Communities in Bloom committee members make their way
around town. The signs acknowledge residents for putting effort into their property, anything
from a small, well-kept flower bed to fully decked-out landscaping and everything in between.
“We see that they’re doing something. It does not have to be with thousands of dollars of
landscaping and flowers, but that they took the initiative to take care of it. That is our main goal.
We want it to spread and have it encourage others to want to do more so that maybe they are
recognized too,” explained Bloom Committee Chair Jeannine Steinke.
One difference between these signs and previous signs from Communities in Bloom is that this
program is not a competition. Previously, the committee had competitions for Best Blooming
Block (signs still remain up from past years) and awards for residential, commercial, apartments
and the like. However, they do not have enough volunteers to make a local competition happen
this year. Instead, they decided to create signs and award them throughout the community.
“I actually got the idea of the signs from Devon. Their Communities in Bloom committee does
something very similar. They highlight every house and do a little blurb on them,” said Steinke.
She explained that they used to highlight yards online, but low volunteer numbers made that
hard to do. “We have come away from posting a lot on Facebook, but we still share a bit online
and then recognizing yards with the signs,” said Steinke.
“The main thing is to be able to tell people thank you. Thank you for taking the time to care for
this little piece of property that you have and making Whitecourt a better place,” she explained.
As of Wednesday last week, there were around 30 signs out. Steinke said they were hoping to
put out 50 total. “We honestly did not think we would get that many nominations, but it has
grown so much.”
The program started with the committee members driving around when they had time. “It just
spiralled from there. People call, text, and message almost daily about yards we should check
out. It’s really cool to see the community come together with this.” Steinke said it’s also nice
because it seems to be inspiring others to tidy up. “We are getting people talking and getting
people thinking about cleaning up their yards.”
Steinke said that next year, the committee might put together swag bags to give to homeowners
who receive a Love You Yard sign. The bag could include things similar to what they have done
in the past, including gardening gloves and gardening-related books. “We might even do gift
certificates towards local garden centers like Thyme to Grow to help support those people too.”
Any residents who love to garden and have some time to volunteer are encouraged to reach out
to the committee. “People who are interested in joining us and helping us do things and help us
make our community a better, cleaner, more beautiful place, then this is the committee to join,”
said Steinke. The committee takes care of donation gardens at the Community Garden, the
Heritage Garden at the FIC, localized competitions (when able), and various workshops,
including a compost-related workshop coming soon at the Whitecourt Library. “It can be taxing if
only a few people are always doing all of the things. Having more people join us would be

wonderful. I love it, and I enjoy it, but I am definitely exhausted when winter comes around,”
laughed Steinke. “It takes manpower and time, and we are all volunteers.”
Though the Whitecourt Communities in Bloom Committee does not have the ability to put on a
localized competition this year, Communities in Bloom National does and will be coming to
Whitecourt to judge the community on August 12. “They will be doing a tour with us. We will see
all the homes with signs and showcase our nice little pockets in town and the things we want to
show off.”
Steinke said residents can do a few things to help the community get the best possible score.
Mowing lawns and cleaning up yards before the judge’s arrival would be great, she said. “Even
if store owners could clean up around their buildings and parking lots. Taking that extra step
would be nice.”
She said if residents spot vandalism, they should call the town office. “We also have free graffiti
removal kits at the AJMC that we are giving out to citizens. We would love people to use them.
Unfortunately, it is sad that people have to clean up vandalism, but we are trying to give people
the resources to do it for free.”
On August 12, Communities in Bloom National will join Whitecourt’s Community in Bloom
members and a member of Town Council to travel around the community. If residents see a bus
out front of their house, give them a wave.
The National Committee is celebrating 30 years and has helped over 1,000 communities in that
time. The comprehensive report that judged communities receive back features nearly 80
elements in seven categories to provide specific suggestions for areas of improvement. Bloom
communities need to be judged every three years to remain active. To join the Whitecourt
Communities in Bloom Committee as a volunteer, contact the group on their Facebook page or
call 780-778-3637 and ask to speak to Recreation Manager Kelly Sadoway.