The flowers that suddenly spring from the planters on the sidewalks in La Grange’s downtown are the work of the members of the La Grange Garden Club.
Nearly 20 members worked Wednesday filling different-sized planters on La Grange Road, Calendar and Burlington avenues.
“It may not be for everybody, but I look forward to it every year,” Donna Walsh said. “The plants are so nice. The ground is nice and soft, so it’s easy to dig. I love it,” said Walsh, who lives in Indian Head Park, but has been a member of the La Grange Garden Club for years.
In January, the members decided which flowers and grasses will go in which pots. There are 80 total, including three different size round bowls on La Grange Road and a series of rectangular brick planters along the Metra train station, said Jan McFarland, the garden club president.
The village public works department orders the plants, according to the club’s specifications, from Bella Flowers & Greenhouse in Bridgeview.
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On planting day, public works employees haul the flowers and foliage on a flatbed truck around as the gardeners move from spot to spot.
“They stage everything, but they don’t know how to design,” McFarland said. “You don’t want it to look the same every year.”
On Burlington Avenue, she and Walsh, with help from some of the public work employees, were planting purple salvia, canna, begonias, asparagus fern, licorice and wave petunias to spill down the sides of the planters.
In La Grange Park, volunteers are helping plant butterfly gardens in the village, three of which will include a water feature.
The La Grange Park Sustainability Commission planted the butterfly garden in the northern part of the triangle formed by Edgewood, Dover and Oak avenues.
Forest Road Girl Scout Troop 56054 is scheduled Saturday to plant perennials native to Illinois, such as Joe Pye weed, bee balm, turtleheads and coneflowers, in the median at Beach and Oak avenues.
Plants of various colors and heights, which provide food and nutrients to caterpillars and butterflies, were chosen, said John Jandak, foreman with the LaGrange Park Public Works Department.
The third butterfly garden is at Woodside Avenue and Meadowcrest Road in northwestern La Grange Park, and a fourth will be planted in front of the village pump station, at 937 Barnsdale Road, Jandak said.
The village received a grant through ComEd’s Green Region program to help pay for the butterfly gardens.