Feeding the eye: why beautification matters

Spring finally is upon us. Which poses the question, what can we do to get a jump on enhancing Bolton Hill? The neighborhood is blessed with many wonderful historic buildings. Maintaining and restoring them and hardscape areas in need of repair require capital investment.

One low-cost but significant thing we can all do to improve the overall look and tenor of Bolton Hill is to increase greening and beautification activities. These improving activities, small in cost in relation to capital ones, result in enhancing the feeling of areas by delighting the eye and senses. Perhaps seen as window dressing to some, it is nonetheless quite important. Beauty, and its appreciation, is an essential need for us as it feeds the eye, which nourishes the soul. 

When we look for a place to live, we look at the buildings, but we also look at how a neighborhood looks and feels. We are naturally attracted to places that are clean and look well cared for.

This spring, Bolton Hill residents and businesses are encouraged to increase the number of gardens, window boxes, tree wells and planters. This will result in more people appreciating, respecting and being attracted to Bolton Hill and its adjacent neighborhoods.

A bonus to this, other than bringing the softening, cooling effects of the natural world closer (important with global warming upon us), is that studies have shown stress and crime reduces in areas where there is an increase in beautification activity. Why? Because what we realize, perhaps unconsciously, is that well-tended places show there is someone about who is paying attention, someone who cares. There is someone near who is weeding and tending the garden and watering the window boxes and planters.  

So, let us all be encouraged to see what we can do to delight the eye in Bolton Hill and elsewhere in our fair city this growing season. Through our combined efforts, we can make the city truly a blooming garden for everyone. 

Mark your calendars:

  • Bolton Hill Spring Clean Up Day, Saturday, April 16, sunup to sundown, neighborhood wide. Sponsored by BHCA, the Bolton Hill Garden Club, and Midtown Community Benefits District. Rain Date: Sunday, April 17.
  • Bolton Hill Garden Club’s Spring Plant Sale and Garden Shed Sale, Saturday, April 23 in Fitzgerald Park. 
  • Garden club educational programs for 2022 are open to the public in-person and via Zoom. For the program calendar visit: www.boltonhillgardenclub.org.

Lisa Johnson