Flowers Around Town

Our little town has been so pretty this summer. Every corner in the downtown shopping area has flowers planted there.Our new drugstore was planted last fall with flowered shrubbery and other perennials for this year's enjoyment. The big, almost new, library has a garden of natives and trellises with vines growing up the side of the building. Spirea and some grasses and Russian sage are blooming now on the street corners.The drive through, at our bank, has been filled with different lilies on one side. One of our Churches has a wildflower garden on the side of the hill.....and then you come to 2nd street where St. Mary's Church is and the two gardens are thriving.The Mary's Garden in the above picture is so pretty this year. 

 The Grotto too...I should have taken this a little earlier when so many things were in bloom.

I do believe that Father started something last year, when he planted geraniums in the pots.. at the front door. Isn't this the combination that many of us started with? Geraniums, vinca, and a spike.We followed through this year by using geraniums in many plantings.....

 Even our door decor has geraniums in it. Something new this year...all along the front of the Church impatiens are planted. It seems that every available spot has a flower planted. 

I love it when a town decides to dress up. Summer is so short...why not some beauty while shopping?

Our garden club, in a former town, took care of the town plantings. Early morning would find women tending the huge concrete planters to keep them beautiful. There was a year when we used marigolds. Earwigs stripped the flowers of their leaves and spoiled them. It was a hot, hot job most times. We carried water in our cars all summer. We could use the water from the bank and village hall, but the rest came from individual sprinkling cans. When you signed up to take care of a planter...you entered sort of a competition. Who's planter would look the best at the end of summer. We never had a problem with vandalism, only the one in front of the bar....once in a while we would find a beer can or cigarette in with the flowers. Once someone sat on the planter near the bar. Our planters started out very simply...we planted just a few flowers...then as we learned more, our plants got closer together and we really packed the pots. From the first skimpy planter to the now very full ones with grasses and huge flowers...lessons were learned. 

Yesterday I left here with my mind wondering what to do with the day. I ended up doing some "digging" upstairs and more downstairs. Joe brought home pints and pints of blueberries. I started freezing them and will finish today. They will taste so good this coming winter on our cereal. See...I'm looking ahead yet again.

Balisha

Joining with Claudia today at A Favorite Thing. Here is the link to some wonderful reading and viewing.....http://mockingbirdhillcottage.com/