Greenhouse installation complete and fully operational to help propagate plants for City's public spaces.
The City of Allen Urban Forestry Division, in partnership with Keep Allen Beautiful, was awarded the $5,000 Lowe's Local Heroes Grant and matching funds from the Allen Community Development Corporation toward purchase and installation of a greenhouse structure that will serve as a nursery to propagate and save plants. With the completed installation, the Urban Forestry Division now has the ability to care for plant materials year-round including preventing new plants from declining during extreme temperatures, recuperating plants that may have been removed due to road construction, and maintaining healthy stock for spring plantings.
Allen's Urban Forestry Division is responsible for the trees and landscaping within all public park, open space and greenbelts totaling over a thousand acres of developed and undeveloped land to maintain. The new greenhouse will provide long-term solutions to sustain and beautify the City's public landscape while saving money. It is much more cost efficient to grow plants from seeds, cuttings and divisions as opposed to purchasing already developed "new" plants.
Staff in the Urban Forestry Division are working on programs to help provide educational tours and volunteer opportunities for KAB volunteers, local scout troops, school groups and numerous other community groups.