Crestline Chamber gets garden makeover

While the mountain communities begin to reopen after the COVID-19 lockdowns, the Crestline-Lake Gregory Chamber of Commerce has decided to update its landscaping to look more inviting to new visitors to the community.

Crestline’s chamber of commerce has an office at 24385 Lake Drive on the North Shore of Lake Gregory, next to a picnic area on a bluff overlooking the lower shore trail around the lake, near a fishing area.

The chamber office gets a lot of visitors from those who walk around the lake and those who like to fish. Many visitors and locals stop by to ask questions about events occurring on the mountain during the various seasons of the year. The chamber hands out maps and fliers of local events and, on the phone, they answer even more questions about the communities and referrals for local businesses.

In the last couple weeks, Shannon Bizzy of Bizzyland Landscaping and Floral has had her hands in the dirt, planting new flowers and ferns to upgrade the look of the chamber office. She enlarged the previous planting area, which only had birch trees in them in the past, and she had new planter boxes built for under the front windows, as the older ones had deteriorated over the years.

The new boxes hold autumn ferns. The new growth of autumn fern leaves come in with a rusty color before turning green. They are now adapting to the summer afternoon sun on the west side of the building, looking very nice.

In the ground under the birch trees, Bizzy planted several flowering plants, with various colors, but with a hot pink dominance to pop this summer. The Chinese Fringe flowers will have tassel-shaped flowers and boom with hot pink colors. The flowers hang down slightly from the stems like a Chinese lantern and, as a benefit, most deer do not like to eat them.

“I put all the plants in gopher cages so the underground critters won’t bother these new plants and eat their roots either,” said Bizzy.

Also blooming in pink will be the wide-leaf Bergenia. The shiny round leaves will change colors in the fall, adding a bronze color, and the flowers will bloom on taller stems above the round large leaves. They will add a splash of color blooming at a different time than the Chinese Fringe.

Adding to that, Bizzy planted Blue Flax, a California native flower that produces a small but beautiful blue color flower that blooms through September, or until the first frost. It reseeds itself and returns yearly.

Although the gardens are small against the building, they add a friendly welcoming feeling to Crestline’s welcome center. It is suggested those who are new to the area stop in and get the local maps and information about the local businesses and events in the community.

Not only does Bizzy do landscaping all over the mountain, she also has a gift and floral shop at 23875 Lake Drive where she does arrangements for weddings and other events from her full-service floral shop.

Behind her floral shop is the best kept secret in Crestline – Bizzyland Gardens, with a stage, lovely surrounding gardens and a patio, where many weddings and receptions have been held. Corks & Hops has used Bizzyland Garden as one of their pour stations.

Last summer, several karaoke shows were broadcast from Bizzyland Gardens, located next door to the Stockade. When group gatherings are again allowed to occur, these shows may begin their season. It is a lovely setting to spend a summer evening, under the tall trees.

For more information on Bizzyland or for landscaping designs, call Bizzy at (909) 589-2888 or stop by the store and experience for yourself her excellent gardening skills. The chamber gardens have not looked so nice in many years. Next time you stop by the Crestline chamber office, be sure to notice them, although they are difficult to miss.