WHITEHOUSE, Ohio (WOWO) — A northwest Ohio village is receiving national recognition for its flowers, landscaping and efforts to enhance the community.
The Village of Whitehouse has been awarded two honors from America in Bloom, a national organization focused on community beautification and quality-of-life improvements.
Whitehouse received the Small Town, Big Impact Award and the Floral Impact Outstanding Achievement Award.
Village officials announced the awards Tuesday, crediting the community’s Public Service Department for helping transform Whitehouse through landscaping and floral displays.
Officials dedicated the awards to the department’s employees, citing their work and commitment to keeping the village looking its best.
The village’s floral efforts have grown significantly over the years.
James Forrest, a worker with the Whitehouse Public Works Department, told WTOL in July that the effort started with a relatively small number of planters in downtown plazas.
“We started into the flowers downtown, started out really small, just some planters here in the plazas, and it’s kind of escalated from there,” Forrest said.
What began with downtown planters has expanded into larger floral displays, landscaped areas and streetscapes throughout the community.
America in Bloom’s National Awards Program recognizes communities for efforts involving beautification, economic development, quality of life, civic participation and overall community vitality.
The organization’s Floral Impact Outstanding Achievement Award recognizes communities that create a noticeable impact through flowers, landscaped areas, heritage-related displays and other beautification projects.
America in Bloom also presents population-based awards, with communities competing within groups of similarly sized towns.
For Whitehouse, the recognition highlights an effort that village officials say has developed gradually through continued work by local public-service employees.
The village’s downtown planters and other floral displays have become part of the community’s streetscape, helping add color and landscaping to public spaces.
Whitehouse officials said the national awards are a reflection of the work performed by the Public Service Department and its employees according to WTOL.
The awards also recognize the broader role that community beautification can play in creating attractive public spaces and enhancing quality of life.
Whitehouse is a small community in Lucas County, just west of Toledo, where local officials have continued investing in landscaping and floral displays as part of the village’s overall appearance.
For village leaders, the two national honors represent the results of an effort that started small and has continued to grow — one planter, flower bed and streetscape at a time.
