Fall 2003
Did you wonder...
...what those glorious pink flowers vining up the trellises on the East State Street tragic island were? They're Mandevilla 'Alice du Pont' and the talk of the town, or at least of you garden folks spending time on East State. Last year these tropical vines appeared on a Richland Avenue traffic island. Our contractor. Christina, and her hardworking Thyme and Again crew removed them before the October frost, wintered them over,and put them on East State this year. They also commissioned the handsome trellises, which were locally made by Tim Hutton of Hutton's Inc.
Christina Deshales, of Thyme and Again Gardening,
works on a Richland Avenue traffic island spring flower bed.
courtesy of The Athens Messenger
Tropical colors prevailed on the East State island: lime green 'Golden Wizard' coleus was joined by lime nicotiana, 'Hawaiian Blue' ageratum, pink and yellow trailing lantana, lavender verbena, variegated flowering maple, Mexican feather grass, and cosmos 'White Sonata' and Alaskan daisies.
Project Plant Adopts More Gardens - Mansfield House and Madison Avenue
Supported by tourism funding, we began work this spring on the garden at Mansfield House, home of the Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau, located at 667 East State. You may have spotted Project Plant volunteers weeding here on Wednesdays.
You may also have spotted Christina and crew covered with mud on the Madison Avenue island this spring. Torrential rains made the site a soggy brown mess the day of installation. Order now prevails: a gravel path through the middle of the island made passage safer. Plus pedestrians get to walk through a garden of white star pinnas, hot pink ice plants, lantana camarata, lavender, sage, and thyme. Athens Flower Shop provides water for lhe garden.
Alvi McWlliams and Valerie Mendoza, members of
Project Plant, examine the verbena camarata on the
new Madison Avenue island garden.
We Started Down This Garden Path ...
...in 1984 when a few Athens residents met to discuss ways to make the City more attractive for businesses and for residents. The first project, wrought iron flower baskets designed by Athens High Industrial Technology students, beautified Court Street for many years. City entry gardens came next: East State at the Rt. 33 entry, Stimson Avenue at East State, Columbus Rd. at Rt. 33, two at the Richland Avenue Rt. 682 entry, plus the Second Street/Lancaster corner. We also started many other City gardens now done by part-time City landscapers.
Athens City Council has supported us with tourism funds, as has the Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau. But the most generous funding for this odd civic enterprise comes from the citizens of Athens City and County. Thank you all!
Like to help us?
You can join in the gardening that helps make Athens such a remarkable place by sending a tax deductible contribution to:
Project Plant, P. O. Box 5676, Athens OH 45701.