Residents are encouraged to beautify their own gardens in order to have their neighbourhood look its best.

Following its success in the provincial contest Fleurons du Québec, Westmount will be participating in a nationwide search for Canada’s greenest community. The Communities in Bloom contest will be held throughout the summer, with judges visiting Westmount in August.

The Communities in Bloom organization is promoting the competition as a way of enhancing civic pride, environmental responsibility, and beautification amongst Canadian neighbourhoods. The program is intended to improve the visual appeal of these neighbourhoods through ‘the imaginative use of flowers, plants, and trees,’ within the community’s public spaces.

“It is a challenge and it is about community participation," said Westmount city councillor George Bowser, who also serves as chair of the Horticultural Advisory Committee. "The judges want to see that the people who live in the city enjoy their surroundings and contribute to them, for example, by keeping their places looking nice.”

Neighbourhood groups such as the Rotary Club are important components in the judging process. Other criteria include tidiness, environmental awareness, community involvement, natural and cultural heritage conservation, tree and urban forest management, and the quality of the community’s landscaped areas. The city has taken a few lessons from the provincial competition.

In Fleurons du Québec, Westmount received a score four out of five blooms, losing points for its ragweed control as well as the lack of care taken in maintaining the numerous back lanes in the city.

"We want to pull up all the ragweed…that is one bloom we do not want to see. And we're also hoping that our commercial centres will be inspired to maybe improve their businesses’ exterior decoration,” said Bowser.

For Communities in Bloom the City will treat these lanes as streets, and residents can also get involved by improving their own portions of Westmount’s back lanes. The City will also provide free flowers and horticultural advice for residents who are intent on beautifying their land.

Westmount will be judged against towns with populations ranging from 20,000 to 50,000 residents, which includes communities such as Charlottetown, PEI, and Lloydminster, BC. The program is intended to continue from year to year in order to encourage citizens to improve and maintain their community’s green spaces.

“If we win, we get invited to the international competition, but really it’s about the ongoing challenge," said Bowser. "We want to do this every year, and that’s what it’s really about: to enjoy our surroundings. We’d certainly rather look at green things and beautiful things than graffiti and broken windows.”

Residents looking for advice on how to beautify their gardens can go online at the website: www.westmount.org.