DETROIT LAKES — Technology has caught up with those beautiful oversized flower pots in Detroit Lakes — they now come with scannable QR codes that make it easy to donate to the Downtown Alive beautification effort. “It’s easy-peasy,” said organizer Patty LaBarre. “I want people to scan, scan, scan.
All those little donations come together and really help.” The QR codes are located on heart-shaped signs inserted among the flowers. The donations are needed because the Downtown Alive project has always been privately funded.
The city is not responsible for the flowerpots, although it does help out in different ways, LaBarre said. In the past few years, the group has generally raised from $36,000 to $41,000, but the fluctuations can leave LaBarre quite nervous. ADVERTISEMENT “I’m on pins and needles sometimes,” she added.
“Oh my God, will we have enough money?” There were 151 donors that together paid for this year’s beautification effort. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” LaBarre said. “People are so very giving here, they just are.
They aren’t thanked enough, either.” The downtown beautification project originally seeded by LaBarre and others has bloomed magnificently over the years — there are now 95 of those oversized flowerpots around town. Organizers are hoping to expand the number of big flowerpots to 100, and lots of $10 or $20 donations through the QR codes — available thanks to the work of Kyle Meacham of Detroit Lakes — would make that possible.
And the QR code stickers are courtesy of Lakeshirts. LaBarre said the idea to add accessible QR Codes came from her sister-in-law, Kim LaBarre, who reminded her that lots of people don’t realize the flowerpots are the work of a nonprofit group, and that people who like the flowers might be happy to give a little money to keep the beautification effort going. Downtown Alive has come a long way from its original ceramic flower pots, dependent on water from nearby businesses, LaBarre said.
“Watering is the biggest thing — just the watering," LaBarre said. “It’s like having a dairy farm. You can’t leave for the weekend.
” She gave Bergen’s Greenhouses credit for the project’s success, since it has taken the effort under their wing and handles planting, nurturing, watering and moving the big pots themselves. ADVERTISEMENT It’s not a hit-or-miss project. The pots are filled with fresh new soil each spring, according to Bergen’s owner Mara Bergen.
The process takes a team over a week to finish. The big flowerpots are then placed on pallets, moved into the greenhouses, and planted up in early April. That gives the flowers — the three color varieties used this year are Bubblegum, Silverberry and Jazzberry — about two months to grow.
Those Vista petunias are selected because of their vigorous growth pattern, and their self-deadheading flowers, she said. “We use four semi-trailers and two forklifts to place the planters around town when the weather allows — near the end of May,” Bergen said. The planters are watered and maintained all summer long.
A Bergen’s employee from Brazil named Amyr Cerquetani waters the flower pots two to three times each week, depending on the weather. Cerquetani takes a lot of pride in the flowers under his care, Bergen said. “It’s a 12-hour day for him each time, which begins at 3 am.
,” she said. “We are very grateful he has chosen to return to Bergen’s year after year. He’s a valued employee.
” In the autumn, the planters are picked up, emptied and stored for next year, she said. “Without donations and Bergen’s, there’s no way this would happen,” LaBarre said. ADVERTISEMENT And that would be a shame, said one of the regular Downtown Alive donors, Maureen Karsnia, who bumped into LaBarre outside of La Barista coffee house downtown on Thursday.
“We love Detroit Lakes, just love it,” Karsnia said. “And this” she added, gesturing around at the flowers, colorful mosaic, murals, and outdoor tables with their yellow umbrellas “is just beautiful,” she added. And it’s all there thanks to Downtown Alive.
Donations can be mailed to: Attention: Jack LaBarre, 901 Washington Ave., Detroit Lakes, MN, 56501..
