GROW Jamestown Front Garden Recognition Program Returns

by | Apr 30, 2019 | Uncategorized

Jamestown Renaissance Corporation’s GROW Jamestown Front Garden Recognition Program, returns in 2019 as a way to acknowledge city gardeners who contribute to the curb appeal of Jamestown’s neighborhoods.  It is a project designed to encourage everyone to take part in making Jamestown a more beautiful place.

A front yard garden that was recognized in 2018

The program began in 2011 with the distribution of 250 garden signs given to gardeners who were nominated by the public. In the summer of 2018, 12,000 Jamestown front yards were canvassed by a team of volunteers that recognized over 839 front gardens by providing owners with signs.

With growth comes change. While the program will be run similarly to years past, yards will now be assessed in two separate seasons and groups as follows:

1. The city is divided into 37 sections, with each section encompasses approximately 325 front yards each.

2. Each section is assigned to a volunteer team comprised of a navigator, a photographer, and a data entry person. The navigator is the driver, the photographer takes photos of the selected front yards, and data entry is assigned as the scribe to document the process and list placement locations of the signs. Volunteers DO NOT canvass their own neighborhoods.  Volunteers DO NOT canvass the same area they surveyed in the previous years.

3. This year, the city will be divided from north to south using an imaginary line, beginning at the city’s northern boundary. The imaginary line continues down Lakeview Avenue through downtown and continues to South Main Street reaching the city’s southern boundary.

New boundaries with season to be surveyed

4. The spring season canvassing begins June 3rd and ends June 24th.  Of the total 37 sections, 18 sections located west of the imaginary line, will be surveyed. The volunteers will determine what an “average front yard” looks like for that area.  Front gardens excelling in their efforts to improve curb appeal, will receive a GROW Jamestown sign. Each team is provided a limited number of signs to distribute – making decisions difficult. 

5. The fall season canvassing begins September 9th and ends September 30th. The remaining 19 sections, those located to the east of the imaginary line, will be surveyed. The volunteers will again determine what an “average front yard” looks like for that area.  Front gardens showing exceptional efforts to improve curb appeal, will receive a GROW Jamestown sign.

6. In 2020, properties surveyed in the spring of 2019 will be surveyed in the fall and those surveyed in the fall of 2019 will be surveyed in the spring.

At a minimum, volunteers look for front yard gardens with healthy plants that are well maintained and actively managed. Is the lawn healthy lawn, neatly mowed? Are the shrubs and trees pruned and trimmed? Edging is a plus, along with a balanced garden that is appropriate to house and lot size. House numbers need to be clearly displayed.

As a project of the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation’s Neighborhood Revitalization efforts, the goal is to encourage everyone to contribute to a more beautiful Jamestown. The increase in yearly front yard garden acknowledgements demonstrates how well the program is working.

Would you like to volunteer for this project? It is an excellent way to see the city as you have never seen it before, meet some old friends and make some new ones, and have a chance to make some front yard gardeners very happy. Volunteer workshops will be held the 4th and 5th week of May. For more information, contact Mary Maxwell at mary@jamestownrenaissance.org or (716) 489-3493.

Recent Posts

Opportunity Spotlight: 215 Spring St for Rent

215 Spring St is available for lease. This 400 sq ft storefront/office space is located across the street from City Hall and around the corner from the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts. Rent is $700 a month with all utilities included. Anyone interested should call the...

2024 Downtown Building and Business Improvement Grant Now Open!

Are you looking to adapt or improve your business?Is the downtown building you own not living up to all of its potential?The Jamestown Renaissance Corporation’s Building and Business Improvement Program(BBIP) may have the necessary resources. The program is a 50/50...

ArtScape Jamestown Opens Its 2024 Call for Artists and Sponsors

The Jamestown Renaissance Corporation is again partnering with Chautauqua Art Gallery and the City of Jamestown Parks Department to create an outdoor public art gallery in downtown Jamestown, N.Y. Artists of all ages who live in Chautauqua County or within 35 miles of Jamestown are invited to participate in this juried art competition.

Now Taking 2024 Reservations for Winter Garden Plaza

In 2023, we hosted some fantastic events at Winter Garden Plaza. For music, we hosted Third Thursday concert series and the Whirlybird Music & Arts Festival. We were also able to partner with Jamestown Pride, Jamestown Juneteenth, and the YWCA for programming in...

Hey lover of Jamestown! We need your input!

The Jamestown Renaissance Corporation is excited to be partnering with Main Street America to do some research, planning, and implementation to improve downtown Jamestown. Part of this work involves getting community input through a survey. Survey Link What is Main...

Host your event in Winter Garden Plaza

Vibrant downtowns have a range of events, big and small, that draw visitors and local residents to enjoy community assets, patronize local businesses, and add vitality to public spaces. To stimulate new and better events in downtown Jamestown, the Jamestown...

ArtScape Jamestown Opens Its Call for Artists

ArtScape Jamestown is inviting local artists to submit their work for a new public art program between now and April 7, 2023.  The Jamestown Renaissance Corporation is partnering with Chautauqua Art Gallery and the City of Jamestown Park's Department to create an...

Historic Tax Credit Workshop: February 15th via Zoom

Do you have a property in one of Jamestown's Historic Districts or looking to purchase property in one of them? This tax credit zoom workshop is for you. Earn tax credits for property improvements. Feb. 15th 6:00 p.m. Join Preservation Buffalo Niagara, the...

2023 Grants for Building and Business Owners Now Open!

Are you looking to adapt or improve your business?Is the downtown building you own not living up to all of its potential?The Jamestown Renaissance Corporation’s Building and Business Improvement Program(BBIP) may have the necessary resources. The program is a 50/50...