Queen keeps Gravette in bloom
Posted on Monday, July 10, 2006
GRAVETTE - Take a few flowering plants along the highway entrances to a town and add careful upkeep of its parks and you have a blend of what makes a community attractive to passing motorists. And for local residents as well.
Impressions, first and otherwise, are important, said Gravette city employee John Queen. Not only does a good impression create a positive feeling for visitors, it fosters "pride in the local citizens."
In Gravette that good impression is the aim of Queen. He said his personal goal is to "make the parks and the entrances to the town as attractive as possible. It helps build pride."
Queen has a love for plants. He has worked for the City of Gravette several years. This year his work is especially evident in Kindley Memorial Park, Old Town Park, Centennial Park and at the "Welcome to Gravette"signs at highway entrances to the city.
Floral displays at these locations began last fall when he planted large blocks of pansies at eight locations. Their bright faces bloomed during all of last winter. And on particularly mild days, Queen set out large pots of blooming geraniums in front of the city hall to greet Main Street visitors. They're loaded with blooms there today to greet passers-by.
Queen said the pansies, which bloomed all winter and spring, are succumbing to the summer heat. He's replacing them with other plants to join the beds of petunias, geraniums, periwinkle and lantana.
"There's just no limit what you can do if you have time. Keeping the parks attractive takes time," he said.
The flowers require regular feeding at least once a week. And water. On hot, dry summer days, they need watering every day, sometimes even twice a day in some locations, he said.
Queen is a native of California, but came to the Gravette area as a youth. Here his grandmother, Mamie Reece, fostered the boy's love for growing things. And when he was in the U. S. Army during the Vietnam era, his appreciation for things beautiful was enhanced, particularly by the floral gardens in Frankfurt, Germany.
It was in that country that he met and married his wife, Helga.
The Botanical Gardens in San Francisco also added to his appreciation for nature and, when he went to work for the City of Gravette several years ago, the inspiration and leadership of Parks and Recreation Director Nancy Dugwyler contributed to his enthusiasm to make the Gravette parks more attractive.
With floral beds at 20 locations," There's just not enough hours to do all the things that need to be done, especially when the weather doesn't cooperate," he said.
Gravette was recently hit with a three-inch rain in about a two hour time span. There was some damage to the park areas and to the floral displays. Queen was philosophical. "When God waters them they (the flowers ) lay over a little and then pop back up better than ever."
Queen's aim is to have the parks in perfect condition for the upcoming Gravette Day Celebration on Aug. 12. It is a challenge because July and August are usually hot and dry. "I want them to look good for Gravette Day," he said.
So he's busy during these early days in July upgrading plantings," deadheading" spent flowers, fertilizing, irrigating grassy areas, policing the areas and just generally making sure the grounds are being kept up, not just for today, but for the remainder of the summer.
Queen admits he gets a little discouraged at times when there is vandalism, however minor, or when people are careless with trash, but he also admits that when someone voices appreciation for the beauty of the flowers he knows it's all worthwhile.
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