The morning of May 5, volunteers could be seen replanting the 60 large concrete planters around the downtown, replacing weeds and old mums with lamb’s ear, lantana, and Mexican heather. Deanna Pope was one of the organizers, and could be seen busily buzzing from one planter to the next with trays of potted plants.

Several volunteers came from the Perry Wellness Center, an organization that supports the wellbeing of those with mental health challenges or addictive disorders. Stuart Perry, founder of the organization, expressed a desire to beautify the town. The old mums they were currently removing were planted by eight of their volunteers last year. Stuart is proud of their efforts. “We had a big success with our mums and pumpkins last year.”

In addition to the Perry Wellness Center, volunteers from Early Bloomers Garden Club also helped to make the downtown bloom again.

Local business owners pitched in, including Carla Gammage, a co-owner of Gammage Print Shop who volunteered and helped organize the project. “We love downtown. We want downtown to be beautified.”