Town horticulturist Beth Carson outlines downtown hanging-basket program and water savings

Beth Carson, the town horticulturist, described the town’s downtown hanging-basket program and the horticulture crew that maintains the town’s properties, trails and right-of-ways. “My team is the green and growing part of public works,” Carson said, and noted the crew is best known for the hanging baskets downtown.

Carson said the program includes 280 baskets placed along Main Street and side streets in the main square. “We have 280 baskets in our downtown,” she said, and added that the baskets are typically timed to be ready for spring graduation at Tech.

When designing the baskets, Carson said the team prioritizes plants that are tough, disease- and pest-resistant and that will bloom throughout the summer. She said the baskets are manufactured in England by a company called AmberOff and include a built-in reservoir. “They have a reservoir which will hold about a gallon and a half of water,” Carson said.

Carson said the reservoir has reduced the crew’s watering schedule: where baskets once required daily watering, the team now waters about two to three times per week. She said that change saves time, money and effort for the crew.

Beyond the baskets, Carson said the crew performs a range of landscaping duties around town and described their overarching goal as making the hometown one residents can be proud of.

The presentation was informational; no formal actions or votes were announced during the remarks.