A new season has begun for a neighborhood beautification initiative in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Baskets of colorful flowering plants are hanging again from light poles in Springfield’s Indian Orchard neighborhood.
“And we are just really excited about it,” said Ward 8 City Councilor Zaida Govan, who is also president of the Indian Orchard Citizens Council.
Now in its fifth season, the “Indian Orchard Blooms” program had to overcome the loss of its original vendor and find a funding source, she said.
The board of the neighborhood council voted to spend $18,000 from federal pandemic recovery funds awarded it by the city to purchase 125 flower baskets, Govan said.
“We just hope the community will continue to enjoy the beauty of the flowers that will continue to bloom into October,” she said.
Initially, the neighborhood council and a business group partnered on the beautification campaign that invited business owners to purchase a flower basket that would be hung in front of their business. What started in 2019 with 75 baskets grew to 225 baskets last year.
Last winter, Garten Landscaping, which had provided the flower baskets and done the watering and other maintenance for the first four years of the program, said it could no longer continue.
Because of the uncertainty over whether a new supplier for the flower baskets could be found in time, the neighborhood council decided to fund the program as a stopgap. Next year, businesses will again be asked to pay for the baskets, Govan said.
“The reason, I think, people like doing that is because they like to see Indian Orchard look beautiful.” Govan said. “The flowers kind of give you a sense of hope even on rainy days. It is something that makes people proud to live in the city of Springfield and in this neighborhood.”
This year’s flower baskets are from Flower Power Gardens of East Windsor, Connecticut. Owner Stephen Stanley said he is very excited to be the vendor for the program.
“Being able to beautify the city is a great opportunity,” he said.
The flowers in the baskets are geraniums and dahlias with vinca vines.
