Staff writer
Partners of Peabody Parks is looking for groups, couples, or individuals who enjoy playing in the dirt and watching things grow.
POPPs is a volunteer organization made up people with a couple of hours a week to devote to new trees, shrubs, flower beds, and planters in Peabody’s parks and public areas.
“We need volunteers who will plant, water, mulch, weed, and trim the plants that brighten up the community,” POPPs president N.M. Patton said. “We planted new trees at City Park as part of the tree renewal program and they need to be watered from time to time. Our downtown merchants take care of some of the planters downtown, but sometimes a couple need to be ‘adopted’ so the plants stay healthy during the summer.”
Patton also named the flowerbeds at the back of City Park, the roses and shrubs along the park’s east fence, and the flowerbed at the city building as areas in need of attention from volunteers.
He said that some areas such as the flower bed in front of the stone Peabody sign at the corner of Ninth and Walnut Sts. have drip irrigation systems with a water source nearby.
“Those are not hard to take care of,” he said. “It is mostly just a matter of getting on a watering schedule that suits the plants and trimming off the dead blooms.”
Patton said that POPPs and the city pay for the flowers, trees, and mulch. The only things most volunteers need to bring to the project are gardening tools they prefer to use and a basket or trash bag to remove the flowerbed waste.
Anyone wishing to volunteer or find out more information about the POPPs group may contact Patton at (316) 772-8048.