More than 60 new seedling trees and plants are now growing as part of a new community effort to beautify Alpine’s main street!
Property owners, business people, organizations and volunteers have gotten behind the project to make the boulevard look better after years of construction damage.
The most recent plantings in mid-December were at the Alpine Community Center, at 1830 Alpine Blvd.; the Alpine Tobacco Co., 2151 Alpine Blvd., and Alpine Country Feed & Supply, 2101 Alpine Blvd.
“We just want to make Alpine prettier, to put the greenery back,” said Tammy Rogers, Alpine Country Feed & Supply owner. “We chose to keep the plants at our place lower and fuller so you can still see the building and all of the signs.”
Asked how much the project and the 14 native, drought-tolerant plants cost her, Rogers said she didn’t have to pay for anything. However, she provided doughnuts and coffee at her own expense for the volunteers.
“They are going to come back and check on the planting, because I have a black thumb,” Rogers quipped.
The Alpine Mountain Empire Chamber of Commerce, Back Country Land Trust (BCLT) and the Certified Community Wildlife Habitat partnered to replant the boulevard.
Five hundred free plants are being used, thanks to a Lush Handmade Cosmetics grant to the land trust. Watering arrangements for the new plants are available for the first year.
“It was nice to have the early rain this fall,” said Jon Green, BCLT outreach and program director who works with the volunteers at each spot. “It’s a good time for planting.”
At each location there is careful consideration for what the property owners or users already have, what plants they want and how they want the plantings to look.
“Because this property already has unique landscaping, we’re trying to match the landscaping, which has a little more of a theme,” Green said during the Alpine Community Center work.
Property owners, businesses or organizations who want to participate need to sign up as soon as possible.
For more information, to be a sponsor or to volunteer, call the Chamber at (619) 445-2722 or e-mail backcountrylandtrust@gmail.com; lorib@alpinechamber.com or carletteanderson@aol.com.