Penn State University Master Gardener Kim Stanford is looking for people who like to play in the dirt. Green thumbs are not required.

On May 19, volunteers will descend on DeArment Park, where Park Avenue crosses Linden Street. At approximately 9 a.m., the annual planting of the spectacular serpentine garden that welcomes visitors to Meadville will begin. Although the color scheme is subject to change right up until the plants are delivered late next week, plans call for a pastel garden this year. Pinks, yellows and salmon will be featured, with petunias playing a prominent role in the sweeping section known as the main wave.

As Stanford sees it, the more volunteers the merrier. “I’ve been doing this since 2000 and it’s a lot of fun,” she said. “You get to meet people in the community — a lot of people stop by. The community spirit this generates is great.” The snacks and refreshing beverages people drop by with aren’t bad either, she added with a grin.

Monday afternoon, probably around 3 or 4 p.m., the irrigation system will be put into place. “Anyone who wants to lay irrigation or learn how to hook it up is welcome to join us,” she said hopefully.

Stanford serves as local coordinator for the annual DeArment Park planting, which is part of an ongoing partnership between Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and residents of 19 western Pennsylvania counties. This year, more than 200,000 conservancy-provided flowers will be planted in 135 community gardens during May.

On May 18, the first of Meadville’s two conservancy-sponsored community gardens will be planted on the lawn of Second District Elementary School at the corner of Linden and North Main Street. According to Principal Walt Price, who is working with a master gardener to coordinate the event, plenty of help has already been lined up. In addition to adult volunteers, a stint in the garden has been scheduled for each classroom in the school and students from Meadville Area Senior High School have signed on to both help with the planting and maintain the garden through the summer. “We’re in great shape,” Price said Tuesday.

Across the state, more than half of the 4,000 program volunteers are children and youth, according to Judy Wagner, senior director of the community garden program. “That indicates not only that the program is viable today, but that it has the most important element for a strong future,” she said in a prepared statement.

Based on Pennsylvania Department of Transportation statistics, the conservancy estimates that the 135 community gardens are seen approximately 3.5 million times a day. If they were lined up in a single flowerbed, the 200,000 flowers planted by volunteers would stretch from Pittsburgh to the West Virginia border.

You can participate:

The annual planting at DeArment Park at Park Avenue and Linden Street will begin May 19 at 9 a.m. In preparation for the planting, the irrigation system that will keep the flowers watered throughout the summer will be put into place Monday around 3 or 4 p.m. Volunteers are welcome to help both days.

source : www.meadvilletribune.com