The good work of the Kennett Beautification Committee is already visible in Kennett Square, and the community’s opportunity to support the efforts to bring color and beauty to the borough is quickly approaching.

The popular annual Kennett Beautification Plant Sale is coming up on Saturday, April 27 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and proceeds from the event allow the Kennett Beautification Committee to purchase flowers to plant throughout the town—a tradition that dates back 54 years.

Each year, on the last Saturday in March and the last Saturday in May, between 20 and 25 members of local garden clubs come together to plant 40 barrels and 16 large containers of flowers throughout the town. In addition to the barrels and containers, the Four Seasons Garden Club plants flowers at the Kennett Police Station and the Genesis Walkway. Under the direction and watchful eye of Craig Rybinski, volunteers help maintain the War of 1812 Memorial Garden on East Cypress Street. The Spade and Trowel Club plants and maintains the garden near Waywood Beverage.

It takes a lot of work throughout the year, but the combined efforts result in a much more beautiful Kennett Square.

The seeds for the Kennett Beautification Committee were planted in 1965, when Everett Miller, the director of Longwood Gardens, joined Anne Scarlett, Wally Taylor, and Ruth Marshall to form a committee to undertake beautification efforts for Kennett Square. The Four Seasons Garden Club and The Spade & Trowel Club have helped lead those efforts through the years.

Bill Reynolds, a Kennett Square native and owner of Pratt’s Greenhouse, has given many hours of his time to work with JoAnn Donlick, the Beautification Committee Chairperson, to pick colors and cultivars that will work well in a suburban setting. Reynolds delivers the flowers on the planting days, as well as on the day of the annual Kennett Beautification Plant Sale. Once the flowers are planted, the Borough of Kennett Square staff assists by watering the barrels and containers as needed to keep them healthy and hydrated.

This year’s theme is “Horticulture is for everyone.” Horticulture is the art and science of growing and caring for plants. Plants play an important role in the beautification of landscapes, including rural, urban, and recreational areas. Sociologically, horticulture improves how people utilize plants for human purposes—including everything from food consumption and environmental protection to erosion control and horticultural therapy for the treatment of patients.

The annual Kennett Beautification Plant Sale enables the Kennett Beautification Committee to purchase plants and flowers for its beautification efforts. The sale takes place in the Genesis Walkway. Annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs, native plants, grasses, hanging baskets, plants to attract bees and butterflies, dahlia bulbs, and donated plants will be available for sale. There will also be demonstrations on how to create a container planting, as well as hanging baskets for sale and Merchant Wheel of Fortune prizes. The plant sale runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.