Tree City USA
Fredville has held the Tree City USA designation for more than two decades. Communities earn it by meeting four standards set by the National Association of State Foresters and the Arbor Day Foundation. Together they confirm that a city has a working plan and program for caring for its trees. Fredville is proud of this long record and has also received the program's Growth Award several times.
Grow With Us on FVTV
The city horticulturist hosts Grow With Us, a gardening show on FVTV, the city's government cable channel. Episodes cover saving water and protecting the environment, organic gardening methods and choosing native and adapted plants. How-to segments show viewers how to repot plants or transplant seedlings and cuttings so they can spend less on landscaping. The show also tours native and adapted landscapes around town, from public buildings to private yards named Yard of the Month. Past episodes are on the FVTV page.
Horticulture Classes
A free class series takes gardeners from the basics to more advanced topics, with sessions such as Spring Planting Basics, Soil Talk, Small-Space Landscapes, Planning a Successful Landscape, Smart Plant Choices and Container Gardening. Classes meet each spring and fall at Ora Vance Recreation Center, 715 E. Fredville Road. Graduates can join the Fredville Garden Guild, a volunteer group trained to give back through public garden projects. Every series is lively and practical and ends with a plant swap, where you can take home plants that already thrive here, along with advice from gardeners who know our soils. More resources are on the Community Garden Program page.
Urban Forestry in Fredville
Fredville takes pride in its urban forestry program. The city has no dedicated forestry crew, but the horticulturist is a Certified Arborist who serves on several urban forestry boards and commissions. Grant funding recently paid for a detailed inventory of the city's public trees, which shows both what those trees are worth and the environmental benefits they provide. Many homeowners are surprised to learn that healthy trees can add 10 percent or more to a home's value, on top of shade, cleaner air and lower energy bills. Ask the horticulturist about the ways trees can lower your costs and lift your property value.
Fredville is a demonstration city built by Talk to Fred. Names, numbers and details on this page are sample content.