The following is an email Patch received from Bernie Stringer on June 25, 2012:
What’s happening with the flower pots in Peekskill this summer? Are they finally done? Is this it? About two weeks ago I went into the BID office and asked Jason where the flowers were for the big pots that dress up downtown Peekskill. He explained that there was a change in the contract process, but the flowers would be along shortly. Fine. OK. Now the flowers have arrived. Some pots have beautiful vines that, hopefully, with proper care will climb bamboo poles. I’m sure those will be beautiful, but what about the other pots. They have a few low flowers that don’t even begin to fill the pots they’re in much less flood over their sides and cascade down as they have in past years. I understand I need to be patient and that flowers need time to grow. But I also have a memory and I remember that this time last every pot in Peekskill was overflowing with flowers.
Finally, yes the flowers were late this year, but why are some pots so well done and some so poorly done? I cannot stress enough how important the flower pots are to the beautification of Peekskill.
Bernie Stringer
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Editor's Note: a Response to Bernie:
In mid-May, the City of Peekskill handed the flower barrel project back to the Peekskill Business Improvement District, according to BID Director Jason Angell. The City had handled and paid for the barrels for the last few years, Angell said. The BID budgeted $10,000 for the flower barrels, put out a Request for Proposal and received responses from Shades of Green and Manzer Landscaping. They awarded the bid to Manzer because it offered to do twice as many barrels, and to plant fall barrels after the summer season, Angell said. Manzer planted 105 barrels by June 16 with a variety of 3-4 plantings. There are some left-over barrels not planted that the BID did not have a budget for. Angel pointed out that they hope to plant the flowers by mid-May next year, but could not do that this year because the project was not theirs until then.
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What do you think of the flower pots this year?
