Generous Gardeners volunteers planted and maintained the landscaping along the Boulevard in Gloucester this summer. (Photo courtesy of Generous Gardeners) 
In the spring, dozens of tulips were planted all along the Boulevard by the Generous Gardeners volunteers. (Photo courtesy of the Generous Gardeners)
GLOUCESTER — Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken and Director of Public Works Michael Hale are pleased to announce the City of Gloucester received a national award for the landscaping and gardening work in the community.
Gloucester was chosen as the winner of the Outstanding Achievement Awards for Flowers and the Outstanding Achievement Award for Community Involvement in honor of the work done by the Department of Public Works and the Generous Gardeners volunteers.
The Generous Gardeners is a non-profit organization whose volunteers are dedicated to promoting philanthropy through gardening by designing and maintaining over 40 public garden spaces in Gloucester. The group nominated the City for these awards.
“Gloucester has always had stunning views of the ocean, but is now also a destination for our groomed flower gardens – tulips in spring, daylilies in summer and dahlias in fall,” Generous Gardeners President and co-founder Susan Kelly said. “It is an honor for us to participate with over 65 volunteers keeping our city beautiful for everyone. Especially during these trying times, we have been told that our gardens are ‘love therapy’.”
The awards are given to the communities that show excellence in community vitality, floral displays, landscaped areas, urban forestry, environmental efforts, celebration of heritage, overall impression and community involvement.
“Anyone who drives through our community can’t help but notice the amazing job the Generous Gardeners do to beautify our City,” Mayor Romeo Theken said. “I’m blown away by all they’ve done and proud that they’ve helped us to receive this honorable recognition.”
“The work done by the Generous Gardeners is a true gift for the City of Gloucester,” Director Hale said. “We are grateful for the work they do to help maintain the public spaces throughout our community and for helping us earn this national recognition.”
The awards were presented by America in Bloom, a non profit organization that supports the vibrancy of communities through beauty, pride in heritage, and volunteerism, as part of the 2020 American in Bloom National Awards Program. The winners were announced at the virtual Symposium in the Sky education conference in early October.
To date, nearly 275 communities from 43 states have participated in the program and more than 22 million people have been touched by it. Eligible participants include towns, cities, college and university campuses, business districts, military installations, and recognized neighborhoods of large cities.
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