La Grande Parks and Rec Announces Summer 2023 Beautification Award Winners
By Garrett Christensen on Friday, August 4th, 2023 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
LA GRANDE – (Release from La Grande Parks and Recreation) The home of Roni Wood, 807 Spring Avenue, has been selected for the City of La Grande summer beautification award. Wood replaced water-hungry lawn grass with a diverse, pollinator friendly garden. “I don’t have a huge yard to maintain, but by the end of summer 2021, I was tired of spending hours every week watering and mowing my grass lawn that would never be a picture-perfect yard,” said Wood. “I started thinking about the possibility of replacing it with more drought tolerant landscaping. In a bit of serendipity, I discovered that Meredith Matthews, the daughter of one of my friends, had been landscaping her yard using the same principles I had been thinking about. She agreed to help me put my ideas into a landscape plan.” Wood and Matthews focused on removing her lawn and replacing it with native plants that were both pollinator friendly and drought tolerant. She also wanted lots of color and plants that would be deer resistant.
After finalizing the plan, Wood and Matthews sourced plants locally and ordered others from native plant nurseries. They prepped and planted the front yard and backyard in May 2022. “Most of the plants survived the first year and have filled in nicely in their second summer,” said Wood. “I was so happy with the results that I went ahead and transformed the parking strip section of the yard this spring, and I’m looking forward to seeing it more established next summer. It’s exciting to see the different and colorful blooms all summer long, from the camas bulbs in May to the goldenrod well into October.”
Wood said she couldn’t be happier with her decision to transform her yard. “It’s fun to watch all the bees, butterflies and hummingbirds enjoying the flowers, including types that I’ve never seen in my yard before, like leaf-cutter bees. This project also helped my yard qualify to become a Monarch Waystation and a Certified Wildlife Habitat, and I feel good about providing a safe space for wildlife in my neighborhood. Something that I hadn’t expected is how many people walk by and say how much they enjoyed watching the transformation as well.”
Matthews has since started her own small business, Camas Mtns Gardens.
John and Judy Bergoyne received the commercial beautification award for their property at 1102 Washington Avenue. The triangular building at the intersection of 4th Street and Washington Avenue was in a state of disrepair when the Bergoynes took on the project. “It was a sad little building that we knew could be beautiful,” said Judy Bergoyne. The renovation project included removing old stucco and restoring the original brickwork, replacing water damaged walls and foundations, and installing a drainage system to direct water away from the building. One Stop Masonry is the contractor for the brick and stonework and the City of La Grande Public Works Department provided assistance in designing the storm water system. Three large maple trees along 4th Street were preserved and pruned to provide clearance and will continue to provide shade for the building and the street.
The south section of the building has been converted into two apartments for short term rentals for business travelers. R-Cal Construction built the apartments and the charming 4th Street entryways. “We were so grateful to receive a façade grant from the City of La Grande to help with this part of the project,” said Bergoyne. Future improvements include the construction of a community space and a commercial kitchen, the installation of period streetlamps and additional landscaping. “It’s been a bigger project than we anticipated,” said John Bergoyne. “The renovation has been well received by the community and that support has been very rewarding.”
The purpose of the Beautification Awards Program is to recognize residential and commercial properties that add to the beauty and diversity of La Grande’s environment. Nominations for this seasonal award are made by members of the La Grande Landscape and Forestry Commission, City employees, and citizens. For more information about the beautification awards program contact the Urban Forestry Division at 541-663-1952, trees@cityoflagrande.org.
