Volunteers roll out paper to help hold mulch in place before planting flowers as part of the Butler AM Rotary's annual flower planting Saturday, May 23, at the intersection of New Castle Street and Hanson Avenue in Butler. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Matthew Brown
Rotary Club keeps one of Butler’s entry roads planted annually
The median that divides Hansen Avenue from New Castle Road in Butler provides more than a traffic separator, it’s a “warm welcome gateway garden” for people driving into Butler from that direction.
For 26 years, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy has provided plants for the garden that sits on the grassy median, and on Saturday, May 23, the Butler AM Rotary Club walked the soggy ground to get them planted.
Marah Fielden, director of community greening with the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, said several planting teams were out Saturday, helping maintain gardens around Butler that are under the care of the conservancy. While there are perennial flowers and plants at each garden, Fielden said the gardens need new annuals each year, which is what the Rotary Club members planted Saturday.
“The Rotary is the stewards of the garden, so they let us know when they want to do the planting and we show up,” Fielden said. “Each of our gardens get annual flowers, that's what they were doing today.”
Fielden also said the conservancy help maintain 125 community flower gardens throughout Western Pennsylvania. The flowers are from Gumto’s Greenhouse, and the conservancy pays for all the plants to be provided. So all the volunteers have to do is put them in the ground and keep them watered through the summer.
“The annuals make it more enjoyable when you're driving through these communities,” Fielden said. “We supply the flowers, mulch, irrigation, the tools. All the volunteers do the hard work.”
Cody Slater, with ANR, tills fresh mulch before flowers can be planted as part of the Butler AM Rotary's annual flower planting at the intersection of New Castle Street and Hanson Avenue in Butler on Saturday, May 23. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Matthew Brown
Harley Smith tills fresh mulch as part of the Butler AM Rotary's annual flower planting at the intersection of New Castle Street and Hanson Avenue in Butler on Saturday, May 23. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Matthew Brown
Robert "RJ" Felton helps plant flowers as part of the Butler AM Rotary's annual flower planting at the intersection of New Castle Street and Hanson Avenue in Butler on Saturday, May 23. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Matthew Brown
Marek Surkosky helps shovel mulch as part of the Butler AM Rotary's annual flower planting at the intersection of New Castle Street and Hanson Avenue in Butler on Saturday, May 23. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Matthew Brown
Sydney O'Donnell, left, and Macie McLister plant flowers as part of the Butler AM Rotary's annual flower planting at the intersection of New Castle Street and Hanson Avenue in Butler on Saturday, May 23. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Matthew Brown
Stu Surkosky helps plant flowers as part of the Butler AM Rotary's annual flower planting at the intersection of New Castle Street and Hanson Avenue in Butler on Saturday, May 23. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Matthew Brown
Cody Slater, with ANR, tills fresh mulch before flowers can be planted as part of the Butler AM Rotary's annual flower planting at the intersection of New Castle Street and Hanson Avenue in Butler on Saturday, May 23. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Matthew Brown
Harley Smith helps plant flowers as part of the Butler AM Rotary's annual flower planting at the intersection of New Castle Street and Hanson Avenue in Butler on Saturday, May 23. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Matthew Brown
Volunteers work to plant flowers as part of the Butler AM Rotary's annual flower planting at the intersection of New Castle Street and Hanson Avenue in Butler on Saturday, May 23. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Matthew Brown
Robert "RJ" Felton, left, and Bryon Robertson help plant flowers as part of the Butler AM Rotary's annual flower planting at the intersection of New Castle Street and Hanson Avenue in Butler on Saturday, May 23. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Matthew Brown
Jeff Geibel works to unload fresh mulch as part of the Butler AM Rotary's annual flower planting at the intersection of New Castle Street and Hanson Avenue in Butler on Saturday, May 23. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Matthew Brown
