Evelyn Alemanni

Evelyn is a self-employed writer, web site designer, award winning gardener and artist.

Evelyn is the editor/creator of America in Bloom's newly published Best Ideas book, which features more than 2000 best practices of American towns and cities that can easily be adapted as models for improvements in towns across America. The book features Evelyn's stunning photography and has been nominated for an American Horticultural Society national book award.

Evelyn is a member of the board of directors of America in Bloom, a national organization that promotes the use of plants to improve the quality of life in our towns and cities. She has judged for the America in Bloom program since 2003 and also serves as an international judge for the Canadian Communities in  Bloom program and for the international LivCom Awards; experiences which Evelyn says has given her the opportunity to share wonderful ideas and inspirations with communities in many countries, and to build networks of people committed to improving their hometowns. She has judged more than 60 towns in five countries.

In 2001, Good Morning America named Evelyn's garden one of the five best in the U.S. San Diego Home/Garden Lifestyles has twice named it one of its gardens of the year. Garden Ideas and Outdoor Living featured it on its cover. It has also been in Garden Shed, Better Homes and Gardens, Gardens, Decks and Landscapes and many other garden-related magazines.

Although providing technical writing services for high tech companies is the main focus of her business, Evelyn's garden writing has appeared monthly in Southern California Home & Outdoor magazine and in San Diego Home/Garden Lifestyles, Garden Compass, Pacific Horticulture, Planting Pride, the San Diego Union and other publications. She is a popular speaker at local garden clubs and has appeared on many radio and television programs.

In addition to her gardening obsession, Evelyn served on the Elfin Forest Town Council for 12 years (6 years as Chair ((mayor)), has been citizen of the year, and has co-chaired Elfin Forest's two entries in the America in Bloom contest. She is also the founder of the Elfin Forest Garden Festival, when some of Elfin Forest's finest gardens are open to the public. Evelyn also served on the board of trustees of the San Diego Botanic Garden in Encinitas, CA.

Evelyn lives with her husband, two basset hounds and a Westie in a near perfect zone 9.5 in Elfin Forest, California and gardens on 5.5 acres.

You can take a virtual tour of Evelyn's garden at www.allea.com/gardening-ea.htm.

Bill Hahn

For the past thirty-four years the City of Akron has employed Bill in a number of roles.  Since 1993 his title has been City Arborist and Horticulturist.  In that capacity the following duties have occupied his time:

• reforestation and diversification of Akron's urban forest,

• designing and implementing a masterplan for the entire expressway system,

• historic rehabilitation of Neptune Park, circa the 1880s

• design participation and implementation of an expressway noise attenuation project,

• Co-chair of Akron's 2002 and 2003 America in Bloom competitions, and

• America In Bloom judge for the 2004-2008 seasons.

Bill has received several citations for his work including Akron's winning the 2003 America in Bloom national competition for the 101,000-300,000 population category, Neptune Park Historic Restoration, and the Akron Noise Attenuation Project being featured by Scenic America as an "Environmental Solution" to highway noise.

Bill has been a registered Landscape Architect since 1984, and earned an Associates Degree in Ornamental Horticulture from Ohio State University in 1974.  He is an environmental enthusiast, is well traveled, visiting many of the national, state and provincial parks, gardens, arboreta and nursery growers.  He is member of ONLA, ISA,  and Scenic America, serves on the Contest Committee of America in Bloom and is privileged to serve the people of Akron, his church, as well as being in his 40^th year of service to the Green Industry.