Gardner flowerpots project Valley Florist

A plan to beautify the city of Gardner is in full bloom.

Visitors to downtown and other parts of the city may have noticed that 250 large flower pots have been placed throughout the community.

The beautification plan, which invites local residents and businesses to sponsor a pot, includes two annual plantings – summer flowers planted in May and mums planted in September. The planters will be placed outside each May and removed the week after Thanksgiving, according to city officials.

The city contracted Valley Florist and Greenhouse to oversee the project, and owner Brendan Loughman said the spring flowers recently placed throughout the city were first planted at his business back in February.

"We used geraniums, marigolds, snapdragons, and petunias, among many others, including herbs such as thyme, basil, and rosemary," he said.

Loughman said the project, which saw the number of flower pots double from last fall to this spring, was a massive undertaking for him and his staff.

"We had about four or five people working on the project – some days we had two, some days we had about five or six of us out there," he said, adding that an entire Valley Florist greenhouse was dedicated to growing flowers for the city project. "I was growing all of that stuff, then transplanting it into larger pots after it was done, and then moving it all into the city."

A few recent days that saw temperatures in the city rise above 90 degrees were especially challenging for Loughman and his staff.

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"We were wilting, never mind the plants," he added.

Loughman said he had heard from many passers-by while he was out tending to the planters, and judging from their response it was clear that residents overwhelmingly supported the project.

"They love seeing the pots and the colors of the flowers, so they’ve been very, very pleased from what I’ve heard," he explained.

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Although the Department of Public Works was given the task of putting the flower pots out each spring and removing them each fall, its employees are not responsible for watering the plants each day. For that task, city officials will utilize its temporary summer help as well as inviting residents of a certain age to participate in the state's Senior Property Tax Work-Off Program, which allows seniors to volunteer to help out with community projects and work off up to $1,500 on their property tax bill.

"(These employees and volunteers) will be going around periodically to water the pots," said Mayor Michael Nicholson. "We’re just still in the process of filling those positions and are just sorting through the applications."

Loughman said he looked forward to being involved with the project in the future, even if he was still figuring out the best way to handle the city's flower pots while also running a business.