The Civic Improvements Committee had an active planting season during the
2018-19 year, participating or coordinating multiple planting events. After the devastation seen from Hurricane Florence on our area, Cathy Poulos, Chair, worked with Janine Powell at Airlie Gardens to apply for a Natural Disaster Grant from the National Garden Club. Grant funds were approved for $1,000 and given to Airlie Gardens for restoration of shrubs lost to the hurricane. Civic Improvements Committee members, along with some of the officers and members of the CFGC, gathered on March 22nd at Airlie to plant a variety of shrubs in the Mystery Garden, a prominent attraction within Airlie, and near the bridal path used during weddings in the garden.
A second planting project was completed on April 1st during the annual “Plant an Azalea Week”, coordinated by Janine Powell, Chair for this event. Fifty-three azaleas were planted at Airlie Gardens in a location near the gift shop along paths leading to the giant Airlie Oak. Donations for the azaleas were given by the Oleander Garden Club and by CFGC member Jamie Lanzi. New Hanover County Commissioners Jonathan Barfield and Rob Zapple were among the dignitaries attending this event, along with CFGC members who turned out to join Civic Improvement members to plant.
The big planting project this year used our budgeted funds of $1,100 for Akers Trees to transport and plant a twenty-foot Live Oak Tree in the Thomas and Wilie E. Jervay City Freedom Walk, Plaza and Park in downtown Wilmington on Tuesday, May 14. This park, seen from the Isabelle Holmes Bridge, is part of the gateway entrance into Wilmington.
We are extremely thankful to Mr. Jim Batey of Live Oak Trees in Castle Hayne, who donated the spectacular tree to replace a large Live Oak tree lost to Hurricane Florence.
Civic Improvement ended our year with the annual “Beauty Spot – Outstanding Landscape Awards” on June 3rd during National Garden Week to the following recipients
Neighborhood Award – Harbor Way Gardens, created by Harbor Island Garden Club volunteers at Wrightsville Beach, N.C.
Residential Award – Pia Ann Robison, 4904 Brownlow Circle, Masonboro Forest Development, Wilmington, N.C. Featured as one of the gardens on the 2019 Azalea Garden Tour. Work Completed by Classic Landscaping
Business Award
New Hanover County Arboretum
6206 Oleander Drive, Wilmington, N.C
Work Completed by Volunteers
We continued our partnership with the Alliance for Cape Fear Trees, participating with their projects of urban forest tree planting along streets in lower income neighborhoods and adding bald cypress trees in the Cape Fear River. We wrote letters of support to city officials for continued grants to support such projects and worked to make CFGC members aware of opportunities to sign petitions with the city and county to support the protection of the tree canopy in the face of rapid development.