The Community Pride award for a business goes to Ken Kincaid’s State Farm Agency at 5259 Stewart Street, Milton. Ken said thirty five years ago State Farm said he could open an insurance agency in Milton and he said, “Where’s Milton?” Ken is obviously not from Santa Rosa County but he arrived, looked around and found an abandoned gas station and purchased the property. Although his wife and mother thought he’d made a terrible mistake, Ken remodeled and worked on the landscaping. To help with street noise, Ken planted trees, azaleas and placed six foot privacy fence to help with noise abatement and to also help his long-time neighbor Ms. Amos. Ken uses Green Day Nursery, West Spencerfield Road, Pace. Anyone who has driven by on Stewart Street is familiar with three-tier lighted fountain and American flag. The beautiful red azaleas provide color across the front. There are two tall windmill and sego palms. In among the lava rock are variegated liriope and alliums. All the way across the front of the building are Indian hawthorns with their little pink flowers and tall cedars on the corners. Around the building are slow growing gold spotted aucubas and feathery asparagus ferns. Ken uses a drip system to water them. On the side of the parking lot against the fence are some Leland cypress, named for Sir Christopher Leland, England from the 18th century; small magnolias, nandina bushes, asparagus ferns, Indian hawthorns and variegated liriope. Thank you, Ken for providing us with a bright spot of color after our very drab winter.
Pictured in the photo is Ken Kincaid, Lori Brabham, Rick Malbeck, Donna Jackson, J.J. Kimbrough
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Milton Garden Club’s Community Pride Award