Almost 200 years ago, residents of Baltimore established Catonsville as a summer destination where they could escape the drab grays of the city and enjoy nature.

In that same spirit, a group of local residents are using their collective green thumb to bring even more natural beauty to the area, and particularly along the developed stretch of Frederick Road now known as Catonsville's main street by introducing 20 large planters full of flowers to the commercial strip.

"It's all a local effort, making Catonsville more beautiful," said Carole Langrall, a resident of Paradise for the last 16 years and owner of A Garden of Earthly Delights floral design studio, which she runs out of her home on Ridge Road.

"We just need more green."

Along with three members of the Catonsville Garden Club -- established 93 years ago -- and one other volunteer Langrall set to work in her backyard June 8 filling the planters with a variety of flowers.

Around marigolds, petunias, zinnias and other local annuals, the volunteers planted pennisetum karley rose, a tall grass-like plant.

"They're all annuals and they should do very well," said Danae McDevitt, a longtime member of the garden club and one of the volunteers involved in the project.

McDevitt said she and fellow club members Loan Tran and Claire Willey got involved in Langrall's project in part to continue their drive toward improving Catonsville's aesthetic appeal before the town celebrates its 200th year in 2010.

"It's very appropriate to beautify Catonsville now, especially with the anniversary coming up," McDevitt said.

"We're trying to get as much done as possible to call attention to our lovely community."

The planting project was first inspired during a Greater Catonsville Chamber of Commerce meeting in January, Langrall said, when "green" ideas for the downtown area were being thrown around.

"I thought, 'This is why I'm at this meeting in the middle of freezing weather,'" said Langrall, who had just recently joined the chamber but set to work immediately thinking up green additions to the town.

After talking about her planters idea with chamber Executive Director Teal Cary, who was "very supportive immediately," Langrall said, the project gained traction.

Working alongside Langrall and the three women from the garden club Monday was volunteer Nathaniel Corn, a local photographer and member of the chamber.

Corn was celebrating his 30th birthday June 8, happily helping to make the project a reality.

"I couldn't imagine a better way to spend (my birthday) than getting dirty with some plants," Corn said.

"I love getting my hands in dirt, anyway."

The group planned to drop the planters off later in that afternoon in front of member businesses of the chamber, which funded the $1,800 project with revitalization funds from Baltimore County, Langrall said.

Aside from the flowers, the group spent much of the funding on the 20 planters -- made of a long-lasting resin material called Europlast, Langrall said.

That the planters are extremely durable means they won't have to be replaced each summer, meaning the project will be able to be repeated in coming years with much less funding, Langrall said.

And that's the hope of the group, she said.

"We'd like to make this our first year," she said.

"We just hope this is the beginning of more projects like this in Catonsville."

Ideas for more projects are already under way, too, she said.

One is to plant red and gold flowers -- to represent Maryland flag colors --in the mostly mulch window boxes outside of the downtown offices of U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings and County Councilman Sam Moxley.

Another is to turn the grassy area near the Santa House at the side of the Catonsville Fire Department into a butterfly garden for children, Langrall said.

"Not a park, but just something really nice for kids, because a lot of moms walk with strollers around there," she said.

Then there is the vacant area next to Bill's Music, she said.

"We're thinking about doing something there, but that's a bigger job," she said.

Langrall said she also plans to pitch new ideas as they come to her, helping Catonsville to "get on the green wagon" one project at a time, she said.

"It's a perfect area for beautification," she said.

---

user comments (0)