By Khalida Sarwari
Geraniums, geraniums everywhere. That’s what some citizens in Saratoga are hoping to see. A group of dedicated volunteers are working to fill the city with red geraniums, the newly adopted official flower of Saratoga.
The group behind this endeavor, the America In Bloom Committee, recently launched a citywide contest to enlist residents in helping to further beautify the city and help its chances at this year’s America In Bloom competition.
Organizers are offering the contest ahead of an anticipated visit by AIB judges in early May. This will be Saratoga’s second time entering the contest. The city competed for the first time last year and was awarded top honors in the city’s population category and given the Most Beautiful Canopy of Trees Award.
As part of the judging process, the city was offered proposals for building a stronger sense of community and identity, one of which was the designation of a city flower. Members of the Saratoga in Bloom Committee, the group that oversaw the city’s involvement in the contest, recommended that the red geranium be designated as the official city flower. Earlier this month, the Saratoga City Council took heed and adopted the red geranium as the city’s official flower.
“We have found the geranium is perfect for what we are trying to do,” said Jill Hunter, chairwoman of the SVDC and founder of the Village Gardeners group. “It blooms all year, is drought tolerant, clearly visible as you drive by and is easily propagated and can be grown throughout the year.”
Hunter added, “The residents of Saratoga who are gardeners are exhausted throughout the summer trying to water 75 tree wells and 100 pots. Geraniums are our salvation.”
That doesn’t mean the geranium will be Saratoga’s flower for all time, said Hunter, but it’s the best option during the drought.
As per the rules, participants are asked to display their red geraniums either in a garden or in pots. The display must be visible from the street and encompass mostly red geraniums. Beyond that, it’s up to participants to bring their own creativity to the table.
To help folks get started, Ace Hardware at 12870 Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road in the Argonaut Shopping Center has agreed to offer Saratoga residents red geraniums at a discounted price and also keep 4-inch, 6-inch and 10-inch pots of red geraniums in stock. Larger plants and other colors can be ordered and arrive within two days.
Upon receiving participants’ entry forms, judges from the SVDC will be driving by the top 15 displays April 25-27 to make their final selections. Then, with the participants’ permission, the photos of the top 10 displays will be posted on the SVDC website without addresses.
The contest is open to anyone residing in Saratoga. The deadline to apply is April 23 at midnight. Winners will be notified by phone and announced publicly at the Arbor Day event at West Valley College on April 29. Saratoga gift baskets will be awarded to the first-, second- and third-place winners.
More information is included on the entry form, which is available online atsaratogavillage.info or at the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce at 14460 Big Basin Way. Participants are asked to include at least one photo with their entry form.
Link: Saratoga residents seeing red … red geraniums, that is
