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Donations fund downtown flowers

Community rallies around

ERIN O’NEILL The Marietta Times Peggy Douglas, an employee of Huck’s Greenhouse, waters some of the 300 purple petunia baskets which will be hung in downtown Marietta thanks to donations from the community.

Within three days of launching the Save Our Flowers campaign, Marietta Main Street has exceeded its $4,000 goal to fund the maintenance of flower baskets downtown. The campaign kicked off on May 9 and by Friday, the organization had raised $4,350.

“We just have a really wonderful community,” said Cristie Thomas, executive director of Marietta Main Street. “We had this urgency and seized the opportunity to reach out.”

The urgency came after a community partner had to back out of an agreement made last year to maintain the flowers, including watering and fertilizing. Because of the agreement with the community partner, which Thomas declined to name, grants through Marietta Community Foundation and the Community Block Development Grant weren’t sought.

Thomas explained that the downtown beautification plan is not paid for by the City of Marietta or through city taxes.

“We have always done this on our own through writing grants and fundraising. Annually we need to raise $12,000 for our beautification program,” Thomas said. The beautification program includes the hanging flower baskets, baskets over the Putnam Bridge, downtown flag program and cleanup.

An employee of the Lafayette Hotel, who was also on Marietta Main Street’s payroll, had previously had the task of watering the flowers and decided, because of the planned community partnership, that he could retire.

“Then the partnership fell through and he was feeling like maybe he should come back. But we told him to enjoy his retirement and that’s when we decided to look for someone else,” Thomas said.

Now with the funding raised through citizens in the community, an intern at Marietta College will likely be handed the keys to the cart with the watering hose and the purple wave petunias can once again hang high in the city’s downtown.

“We’ve got about 300 baskets for downtown,” said Peggy Douglas, a 17-year employee of Huck’s Greenhouse, which provides the petunias. “These are fuschia but they’re called purple wave and we do have homeowners ask for the flowers they see downtown.”

Douglas and others at the greenhouse take on the task of watering and fertilizing the baskets at the greenhouse on Masonic Park Road until they are able to be hung up on light poles along Front, Putnam and Second streets and along the Putnam Bridge. Thomas said they don’t yet know when the flowers will go up this year as the new intern needs to be trained first.

Debbie Cline, owner of Twisted Sisters Boutique, said she believes the beautification efforts by Marietta Main Street help to make a better experience for shoppers and visitors to the town.

“It’s just very quaint and I think it’s important because it gives a good feeling that someone is taking care of the community,” she said.

While the $4,000 goal has been reached, Thomas said that any donations over and above will be maintained in a restricted fund for future downtown beautification efforts. Those who would like to contribute should contact Marietta Main Street, the Marietta Community Foundation or visit mariettamainstreet.org/save-our-flowers.

Save Our Flowers

¯ Campaign launched on May 9.

¯ Goal was to raise $4,000.

¯ Funding had been lost when community partner dropped out.

¯ Exceeded goal by Friday.

¯ Total raised $4,350.

¯ To donate: mariettamainstreet.org/save-our-flowers

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