Twenty years ago a group of green-thumbers gathered along Columbus Road to prune crabapple trees. Today, the same group continues to work to beautify Athens, through the strategic planting of flowers in the city.

Project Plant began in 1984 as a "consciousness-raising exercise," founding member Alvi McWilliams said.

"At that time, Athens was going through a very rough patch," McWilliams said, recalling that several lots on Court Street remained barren after fires. The group formed in hopes of attracting visitors to Athens and improving local business, she said.

A group of concerned citizens began meeting, including McWilliams, Pat Grean, Mary Culp, Sue Boyd, Sue Crook, Jane Richter and Robin Todhunter. David Brennan dubbed the group "Project Plant" and the beautification club was born, Mcmlliams explained.

The first action of the group was to prune crabapple trees near the Columbus Road fire station, McWilliams said. And that's where longtime member Pat Grean joined the group. "Alvi told me they were going to prune these trees and asked if I'd like to help," Grean recalled. "It's the kind of thing I love doing."

On Dec. 3, 1984, the nonprofit organization received its articles of incorporation. The group celebrated by breaking ground on a frozen traflic island at East State Street and Route 33 and adding color to the island with a cluster of red tulips.

By the time the group was ready to take on their first big project in 1985, they had gotten organized, enlisting the help of the city and Athens High School students to help create hanging baskets that would adorn the streets of Athens for the next several years.

The industrial technology class at Athens High School built 16 large baskets to affix to the light poles along Court Street and Tri-County Joint Vocational School horticulture students grew flowers to plant in soil inside the baskets, McWilliams said. By June 1985, the streets were brimming with blooming flowers a11 along the business hub of Court Street, McWilliams recalled.

lt was the beginning of tourism season and we saw a real potential for Athens to be a very attractive town for tourism." she said.

The group also turned its attention to empty lots on Court Street, planting trees where there now is a parking lot between Lucky's Sports Tavern, 11 N. Court St., and Attractions Beauty Salon, 19 N. Court St., and planting flowers at the lot where CVS is now located.

"We viewed this as a way to produce some action and show people in the community we really cared about Court Street. The strong feeling was love of community," McWilliams said.

In 1986, Project Plant got more than 1,000 Athens elementary school students involved in Operation Marigold, in which the youngsters each grew a marigold from seed. The flowers were planted in traffic islands and barrels downtown, McWilliams said. Seeing the flowers in the community was supposed to give the children a sense of ownership of their surroundings, she said.

"Each kid got a plant and it gave them a sense that one of their flowers was outside in Athens," McWilliams said.

However, after the barrels suffered some vandalism, they were removed from the streets, McWilliams said.

The most current sign of the organizations' work is seen in various traffic islands throughout the city. From the first island planting in 1985, the group has maintained its goal to beautify Athens for visitors and businesses by decorating the islands, which are often the first impression visitors get of the city, McWilliams said.

However, the islands have not always gone as planned. Several years ago an unexpected guest took up residence at an island on Stimson Avenue. A tiny rabbit was found living among the leafy planting, McWilliams said. On another occasion, marijuana plants were found among flowers in another traffic island, she said.

One year near the start of planting season, members of the organization noticed that the plants had all been cut down to one-inch stumps, Mcmlliams recalled. Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that the plants were infested with slugs. which apparently decided they had found a tasty treat. To rid the garden of the slimy squatters, the group sunk empty tuna cans in the soil and filled them with cheap light beer to attract, and eventually drown, the slugs.

"But I guess the beer we got was too cheap," McWilliams said, remembering that the slugs wouldn't touch the discount beer.

However, once the group shelled out the money for a more high-class ale, the slugs' craving for hops got the best of them.

"Slugs don't like light beer--they want more calories," McWilliams joked.

Project Plant now receives $9,000 to $10,000 in donations each year. Most come from the nearly 1,000 people who receive the organization's newsletter, McWilliams said. The Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau donates $3,000 for the work the group does on the gardens at the Mansfield House each year.

In fact the organization's projects have grown so large that the group has hired professional gardener Christina Deshaies, owner of Thyme and Again Gardening, to maintain growth on the various traffic islands. Deshaies and her crew work to visit each island at least once a week, employee Lisa Agriesti said.

It's a lot of work, but it's a lot of fun," Agriesti said.

Stan Zalek, the newest member of Project Plant, said he joined as a way to get involved with community service after he and his wife retired in Athens after spending years in Detroit.

"I like being outside with plants," Zalek said. "It's a good people event."

With the help of Zalek, the organization has gone to high-tech with its own Web site at www.seorf.ohiou.edu/~xx180/proj_plant.

"It's a great group of people and we're always looking for volunteers," Zalek said.

Those who want to join Project Plant can Click here: Project Plant