There are people among us who do remarkable things. Plant seeds, seeds of change, seeds of inspiration, seeds of support. At the California Spring Trials, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Jennifer Calhoun, a horticulture industry professional who is also a long time supporter of America in Bloom.


She has a remarkable background. Her mother was one of the first people in Chicago to have a rooftop garden, way back in the mid 1960s. Having grown up on a farm, her mom missed being able to grow her own food, so she put tarpaper on the roof of the building where they lived, built raised beds, and grew everything from peppers, tomatoes, watermelon, and even pumpkins.

Fast forward a decade or so, and Jennifer became involved with America in Bloom, helping her hometown of Batavia, IL win a prestigious four bloom rating and win their population category in 2003. Jennifer says proudly that Batavia's AIB involvement has literally changed lives. The alliances formed by people and organizations who worked together on AIB-related projects in 2003 are still working together creating improvements all over Batavia. She also said that people are thinking more often about the need for green spaces in the town and gardening in their own yards.

Because of her horticultural expertise, Jennifer has had many requests to speak to garden clubs. She gives talks about new plant introductions, how to create container gardens, gardening tips and techniques, and much more. Each time she gave a talk, she also mentioned America in Bloom and handed out literature about the program. When garden clubs gave her an honorarium, she donated it to America in Bloom because she felt so strongly about the benefits the program offers to towns and their residents.

Thanks, Jennifer, for your continued enthusiasm.