For our third garden "giveaway", we have decided to help improve a public area that is an important resource to our Northwoods way of life, and has a landscape component that we can help improve. Once again, Pat Anderson of Integrity Landscaping has agreed to partner with us in pulling this off. He was our landscaper team member with the first makeover that we did. For information on past projects, see our reports below.

For this cycle, we are looking for entries from such entities as public parks, government building sites, non-profit facilities and community gardens in the Northwoods area. School projects definitely qualify. Potential projects will not be eliminated if they charge user fees, but we will look closely at the nature of any fees charged. Things supported by groups of businesses (through, for instance, a chamber of commerce) could also be considered.

The nature of the work could include grading and tree planting, or perennial bed development, or a native plant teaching garden. It could be any number of things as long as it benefits the community substantially. For this makeover, we will accept requests for consideration in writing through June 20, 2009, with the winner to be hopefully announced on the 4th of July. The project should be located within 50 miles of our nursery although we would consider more distant locations of special merit.

The total value of the projects is generally limited to $5,000; however, we will gladly look at projects of a somewhat more modest scope this time around. We will plan to finish the selected project in 2009 or 2010. We can possibly amplify the results by working with community volunteers that may be interested in that particular public facility.

Request consideration letters should be submitted by someone responsible for the management of the facility, or by someone who has received approval to solicit this aid from a responsible party. Letters should indicate the identity and status of the applicant and the exact location of the potential work site. The letter can include pictures and must indicate the public uses of the facility (or potentially, the future uses). Most of all, the applicant must make a sound case for the merit of the project. Letters of application should cover the basics, but do not need to be overly lengthy. However, they should complete enough to lay out the situation and how we can improve it for all the citizens of the area.

Please submit any proposal to us by mail, fax, or through our website email function, indicating it is for the Xtreme Garden Makeover - Our Community Spaces project. Hanson's Garden Village and Integrity Landscaping reserve the right to reject any and all applications. Letters of application are due, in our office, by June 20, 2009.