A Gift From A Flower To A Garden

By: Claire Tribble

Since downtown Athens has been growing rapidly, the Athens-Limestone Beautification Board has officially opened their Downtown Memorial Flowerpot sale! We are adding 15 new pots to the downtown area for everyone to enjoy. The large concrete pots are beautifully and seasonally planted to give color and beauty to the downtown sidewalks. While they are beautiful all year long, they are especially eye-catching during the dreary winter months with their bright pansies! This is our favorite project, and we look forward to expanding and bringing a little more joy to Athens.

Firstly, let’s talk about cost. These pots are $500 each, and this is a one-time payment. This covers the cost of the large concrete pot, the memorial plaque, and the soil. After the pot is purchased, the Athens-Limestone Beautification Board and the Advanced Ag class from Limestone County Tech School will keep it filled with bright and bold plants year-round. Not only will we plant them, but we will also deadhead and maintain healthy plants throughout each season. We take great pride in the beauty these pots bring to downtown Athens!

The pots will also have the option to include a name plaque like some of the current pots have. These are great ways to memorialize or honor a loved one. As patrons of downtown shop, eat, and stroll by, they are able to remember the honoree when they read the plaque. This helps us as a community remember amazing people and their contributions to Athens. It also helps to teach those who are new to Athens about some of our history. The students at the Limestone County Tech School will be making these plaques for us, allowing them to practice and master this trade and the machines used.

The locations of the new pots are very specific and will be available on a first-come basis. The new locations around the downtown sidewalks include 2 pots in front of the Limestone County Commission Office on Washington Street, the corner of Jefferson Street and Hobbs at the corner of Dream Key Realty, Hobbs Street in front of City Hall, and the north corner of Hobbs and Marion Street (the corner of the old bank), and the south corner by the old Democrat building. There will also be 4 available at the Farmer’s Market and 4 available at the Alabama Veterans Museum and park.

If you are interested in purchasing a memorial flowerpot, the form can be found on our Facebook page, or you can stop by the Keep Athens-Limestone Beautiful Office at 125 East Street and fill out one. You can mail your checks to KALB, P.O. Box 1089, Athens, Alabama 35612. These pots would be a great Christmas gift for that person who has it all or is just plain hard to shop for! Don’t hesitate to contact the KALB office for more information; we are happy to answer any questions you may have. And keep your eye out — the Athens-Limestone Beautification Board has a new project coming this Christmas!

By: Claire Tribble – Executive Director, Keep Athens-Limestone Beautiful