Midland Blooms plants 30 years of vibrancy and volunteerism

Whether it is better designed streets, public art, façade improvements or an increase in amenities there are numerous examples of placemaking in Midland. Such investments do much more than beautify a community, they bring it together. One such initiative that has a rich history is the floral corridor that flanks Eastman Avenue each year otherwise known as Midland Blooms.

On one exceptionally rainy morning this past May, more than 500 volunteers worked closely with key city staff members, the Blooms Planning Committee and the Midland Area Chamber of Commerce to coordinate the thirtieth annual Midland Blooms beautification project for the community.

An overhead view of Eastman Avenue in full bloom.

The annual volunteer effort once again banded together to plant 1,300 flats of marigolds compliments of Roy Kutchey Greenhouse, a long time provider for the city’s planting efforts. Marigolds hug the curb of the east and west sides of Eastman Avenue for a two-and-a-half mile stretch. This stretch has remained consistent since the origin year in 1988 because it passes through Business Route US-10, Midland Country Club, Whiting Forest, Grace A. Dow Library, Midland Center for the Arts, Dow Gardens and Midland’s Historic District and acts as the gateway to the Midland Governmental Center, the Tridge, Northwood University and riverfront areas.

This year’s efforts were supported by 63 teams including groups from Members First Credit Union, Hemlock Semiconductor, Muslim Youth of Mid-Michigan and many more. What might have started off as a rainy and problematic day, has turned into a vibrant part of the Eastman Avenue streetscape, with vibrant colors and lush views.

Joel Beeck, vice president of Mortgage Sales at Huntington Bank on Eastman Avenue, worked with his team on their section through the rain, “I have been working for the bank on this corner for almost 20 years and I think we’ve done this every year."

"What an amazing opportunity to work as a community to really do something that improves our town and shows pride in our community. I had a team of about 12 people who came out that morning in a complete downpour and worked through it to get our section done," says Beeck. "They were so set on working that we even went further in case folks from the next section couldn’t come because of the rain. It was just an amazing experience -- even though we were soaked head to toe when we were done.”

The 2018 Huntington Bank Team for Midland Blooms

The unique aspect of Midland Blooms is that it is an effort that benefits everyone and its free. It’s hard not to drive, bike or walk down the corridor without a little smile on your face.

Richard Piotrowski is the owner of Roy Kutchey Greenhouse, which has been involved in Midland Blooms since the year it started. Piotrowski commented on the greenhouse's role in keeping the flowers healthy leading up to planting day and beyond: “We try to acclimate them here in the greenhouse as they’re growing so they’re set for the weather when they’re planted. In years past we’ve had to bring cool weather into the greenhouses to make sure they’ll survive when they’re exposed to the elements. Because planting day is usually early May, it’s not uncommon to have a few nights of frost. This year we watered the marigolds and were fortunate that it rained the day of planting. They got their roots established really nicely.”

Over 1,300 flats of marigolds were planted in 2018.

A beautification effort with significant history, Midland Blooms was founded in 1988 by Stacey Gannon through her vision of bringing members of the Midland community together around a worthy cause. Inspired by what she saw as fellow Michigan cities like Holland (the “Tulip Capital”) and Charlevoix (Operation Petunia) gained national recognition for their efforts, she thought there was an opportunity for Midland to stand out. Beyond visual aesthetics for residents of the community, the beautification efforts provided a unique tourist attraction. Thus, Gannon contacted local civic and service organizations, public officials and the Midland Beautification Advisory Commission. With overwhelming positive feedback, Midland Blooms was born.

Thirty years running, Midland Blooms brightens up Eastman Avenue and surrounding areas.

Historically, Midland Blooms has always been a large community effort. Back in one of the first planting years, committee members worked tirelessly until 4:00 p.m. in the pouring rain to prepare for the volunteers who would show to plant the first petunias. In 1989, 1,000 dedicated community members, young and old gathered to make Gannon’s vision a reality, completing the planting in just 45 minutes. In the first year, volunteers released 1,000 balloons that read, “Five Miles of Petunias in Midland, Michigan, Come see us, Midland Blooms” after a picnic at the Midland Fairgrounds. The Chamber noted that many of the volunteers return year after year. Previous mentions of Midland Blooms have noted that many of the initial volunteers from the 1980s were still donating their time to the annual planting more than twenty years later.

"We are blessed to have a long history of volunteerism with this event and it is something that really brings the community together," says Tina Lynch, business development coordinator and director of events with the Midland Area Chamber of Commerce. "It's always a rain or shine event, and this year our volunteers turned out just as strong even with the weather, which we appreciate. We couldn't pull this off without all of the help and dedication from the community."

Tina Lynch of the Midland Chamber of Commerce.

What started as a one-day experience turned into a thirty-year-long community. Volunteers who were present at the first planting day have continued to be faithful to the beautification efforts as years have progressed. The effort has long drawn attention and inspired people to enhance their own spaces with flowers and greenery. Years ago, a woman from New York City spent time visiting her daughter in Midland and was so impressed by the Midland Blooms planting, that she went toKutchey’s Greenhouse and filled her vehicle to the brim with flats of petunias to take home with her and create her own colorful array. You can see a video of Midland Blooms planting in action from 2016 here. 

Volunteers make up much of the effort with Midland Blooms each year.

It takes more than just the planting volunteers, Midland Blooms is made possible by a much larger community effort. Each year, Colonial Villa hosts an outstanding pancake breakfast for the volunteers following planting. Area auto dealers including Garber Chevrolet, Midland Ford Lincoln and McArdle Buick GMC Cadillac donated vehicles used for planting. Coffee Chaos opened early to provide an extra boost of caffeine and food for the morning crew who set up cones along the planting area several hours before the effort begins. Lastly, the city of Midland provided significant support by prepping the beds and soil, and managed logistics of traffic control, cones, and law enforcement on the day of planting itself. Beyond day-of support, they continue to maintain the flowerbeds throughout the summer utilizing the very recognizable Midland Blooms watering truck that holds over 4,000 gallons of water.

Funding for the effort this year was provided by The Dow Chemical Company Foundation, Charles A. Strosacker Foundation, Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation, and Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation

Midland Blooms makes the city a quintessential location for residents and tourists alike. Bringing together a plethora of businesses and organizations to make it possible in the first place, one inevitably feels the communal vibe Midland seems to effortlessly emulates. It’s not too early to sign up for next year, you can find more information on the Chamber website for Midland Blooms 2019.