Groton beautification committee secures Parks’ help for watering new plantings

The Groton Beautification Committee said it has installed more than $1,000 worth of mostly native shrubs at several town sites and is working with the town parks department to ensure the new plants survive the summer drought.

The committee’s chair said Steve Moffett, the new manager of Parks and Open Space, visited the sites and offered to ‘‘find out whether they can use their watering truck to water’’ the plantings and requested a copy of the planting list the committee provided. The list includes native groundcovers and small shrubs chosen to reduce maintenance and water needs.

Committee members described the plantings to the group, naming species selected from Aldridges’ native plant stock and noting characteristics such as evergreen groundcover, compact chokeberry and a compact hydrangea that will provide fall color. They said the plants require minimal fuss but do need an organized short-term watering plan while established.

To address that, the committee agreed to assemble a volunteer watering rota and to ask Parks about using municipal equipment. ‘‘If Steve can get the water truck to go there, that would be great,’’ the chair said. Committee members discussed assigning one volunteer day per week for supplemental hand-watering and exploring whether Parks or the Navy (for waterfront sites) can provide periodic watering assistance.

Members also said that most of the year’s town allocation (the committee reported a $4,000 annual allotment) has been committed to spring projects and regular maintenance, and that the committee will look for donations and corporate sponsorship for larger projects in coming months.

The committee will provide Parks with the exact planting list and watering needs, and volunteers will be asked to sign up for scheduled watering shifts. The committee set no binding timetable for formal irrigation upgrades; next procedural steps are to confirm Parks’ availability and finalize the volunteer schedule.