Bloom & Groom event. From Left: Community member, and JPNA board members Bently Turner, Tony Gibson, George Lewis and Liz Drame. Photo by John Sterr

The Johnsons Park Neighborhood Association (JPNA) gave away assorted plants to area residents to kick off the gardening season.

JPNA, and eight other members of the Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative, participated in the one-day Bloom and Groom event as part of the initiative’s effort to engage neighbors and encourage planting flowers in their front yards to improve “curb appeal,” according to Tony Gibson, JPNA board chair. Residents were able to pick two types of perennials and 12 different annual plants. Lowe’s Home Improvement store provided the plants at a reduced price to the nine Healthy Neighborhoods.

Approximately 55 residents came out to the event, and a little over 2,000 individual plants were distributed, according to Brienne Schreiber, UWM graduate fellow working with JPNA. The event was sponsored by the Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative, Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Neighborhood Improvement Development Corporation (NIDC) and Lowe’s. Additionally, JPNA gave flowers to the JOY Center, Christ Presbyterian Church and Alice’s Garden.